Dec 17, 2012

Christmas Songs

Love' em or hate 'em, Christmas songs are an integral part of the festive celebrations. Personally, I LOVE them - I love the way they roll round every year marking the beginning of the season, and I get excited when I hear the first one on the radio- I get a woozy goosebumpy feeling knowing there will be special times ahead.

Favourite?  Definitely, definitely Fairytale of New York (although better to listen than to watch!)



And for pure schmoooze you can't beat Mariah Carey- All I Want For Christmas is You- from the fabulously tearjerking movie, Love Actually (xmas movies is a different blog post altogether!) 


Then there are the more traditional Christmas Carols which remind me of growing up in the north of England, school carol concerts, snow, seeing my breath as I walked to school in the first glimmer of daylight, frost on the inside of the windows and pure unadulterated excitement.

We used to sing this in Latin!




And what is christmas without Michael Buble?  (My gift to you xxx)


There are so many many more- these are just a few of my favorites. Which ones do you love? Hate?
I'm spending this christmas in Thailand- I wonder what kind of music they'll have there on the 25th?

Happy christmas to everyone who celebrates it, happy holidays to you all!

Louisa x

16 comments:

  1. Louisa, Christmas in Thailand should be a deal treat. No washing up!

    I love Christmas carols but I get sick of hearing them in the stores, as they seem to dredge up some particularly awful renditions. I get to the stage sometimes where I think I'll lose it if I hear 'The Little Drummer Boy' again. Fortunately it's only at this time of year. I was at a Christmas celebration yesterday and heard 'Midnight Christians' for the first time this season. Love it. I have a recording of Roberto Alagna which includes that one and it always moves me. And then there are the ones it's fun to sing along to - too many to count!

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  2. Can't go past the Muppets album of Christmas Carols!!! :-)

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  3. I love "Silver Bells". Got my dh Michael Buble for Xmas. He loves his swing style.
    It's the best part of the day, having the kids (down to one kid now) wake you up, Daddy puts on a Christmas carol CD and we open the presents. Used
    to love, when I was young, driving over to Granma's place with the radio Xmas songs playing all the way over and watching all the kids on their new bikes testing them out on the footpaths.

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  4. Thailand, Louisa? Ooh, I hope you're planning on sharing the photos when you get back!

    I think my favourite Christmas song is John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (war is over)." As for carols, "The First Noel" and "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" always make me break out in goosebumps. Though I could do with a little less "Santa Claus is coming to Town" and "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer."

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  5. Thailand for Xmas sounds fab, Louisa! We'll all be looking forward to your next blog!

    As for Christmas songs, great selection you have there. I do enjoy "All I Want For Christmas is You". I've a real soft spot for Snoopy's Christmas!

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  6. Hi Annie! I haven't heard Midnight Christians- I must look it up! There's always one song that switches on the christmas vibe isn't there? (And I hear you on the songs getting very old very quickly- but just for a few days hearing all the annual songs brings a bit of magic to the world)

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  7. Lol Kylie! I know a lot of actors/singers jump on the xmas bandwagon but please tell me there isn't a muppet album too?!?!

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  8. Hi Robyn, the music just adds to the fun doesn't it? We all know the songs and they play happily in the background providing a soundtrack to the kids' joy and laughter- *sigh* I'm such a sucker for it all!

    I always insist on xmas music when I put up my tree and on xmas morning.

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  9. Hi Michelle, I love some of the traditional ones- Hark the Heralds and O Come all Ye Faithful. What about Away in Manger? Reminds me of all those xmasses when I was a little girl. (But dare I say Rudolph drives me insane!!!)

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  10. Hi Sharon! No doubt I'll mention Thailand once or twice on my return!! LOL! Is the Snoopy song a peculiarly down under thing- I'd never heard of it until I came to live in NZ! (I'd heard of snoopy but not the christmas song)

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  11. Oh yes! I love John Lennon's Christmas song too.

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  12. And what about Frank Sinatra's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"? Happy sighs. :-)

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  13. Just been playing the Michael Buble video. The labrador complained. Looks like the Christmas music will need to be negotiated carefully between humans and pets...

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  14. Michelle- oh yes, gotta love some Frank!

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  15. Jo, I do apologise for upsetting your dog! LOL- maybe play the lovely Michael when pooch is out of earshot?!?

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  16. I have a pile of Christmas presents on my table and I'll wrap them all at once soon - to the soundtrack of Christmas songs. One of the reasons I don't wrap them as I buy them is the magic of wrapping to festive music.

    I love lots of the songs already mentioned. Other faves: Simon and Garfunkle's Silent Night, Josh Groban & Faith Hill's First Noel, pretty much anyone doing Ave Maria, Neil Diamond's version of Jingle Bell Rock... actually I could go on all day. ;)

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