Amy: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, She and Him version. This is my all-time favourite Christmas song because it feels like being home with my immediate family right before the holiday craziness starts.  I find these simple, small moments are the merriest of my Christmas ever year. These merry little moments of Christmas are the peace that Christmas should bring. 

Tara: Silent Night – I have always loved good choral music. But this song became even dearer to my heart after capturing my young daughter and my grandmother singing it together one year.

White Christmas as sung by Bing Crosby – Just a pure and simple song. Also the song that my room mates and I sang atop a pyramid while traveling in Mexico on Christmas Day

Nic: Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”. It’s literally the classic Christmas song for me and the very first one I listen to every single year without fail. Her energy gives me goosebumps every time I hear it! Band Aid’s “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” Is another classic for me, but for different reasons! It was written originally in response to the Ethiopian famine in the 1980’s, and reminds me every year to appreciate what I have in my family and the people around me.

Steph: Mariah Carey All I want for Christmas is you and Honky Honky the Christmas Goose – reminds me of innocence and being with my Nana and Papa. 

Ms. Devine: Music is amazing. It gives you all the feels and flashes you to places and times in your life. Anything Nat King Cole brings me right back to a little girl, Christmas morning, so early that the sun isn’t up, the smell of coffee and the excitement in the pit of my stomach. Then there are other ones that remind me of my Dad that passed away. They aren’t my favourite because they make me cry with sentiments but, cry from laughing so hard thinking about how he would change every word to every song to be silly or crude. 

Nat King Cole- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing:

Nat King Cole, Silent Night:

Amanda: Grown up Christmas List by Natalie Cole –

I will accept the version also done by Kelly Clarkson because she is amazing but Natalie’s is my favourite. 

Missing You Come Christmas (A Letter to Santa Claus) by the NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK. When this album came out my sister and I basically died. AND WE FORCED OUR MOM TO TRAVEL WITH A GROUP OF US ON A BUS TO BUFFALO TO SEE THEIR CONCERT WHICH INCLUDED CHRISTMAS SONGS. Tickets from a ticket reseller – my dad wanted to kill us.

Special mentions:

Let It Snow by Boys II Men – https://youtu.be/k4s1wSCvs8k

Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC – https://youtu.be/OR07r0ZMFb8

Oh Come All Ye Faithful by City High – https://youtu.be/ueZUNLlwThE

Anything Christmas by Mariah Carey or WHAM!

Stacey: I’ve become a bit holiday obsessed with all things movies, music and books in the last few years. It all starts for me in November and I’m grateful for all the streaming services that have so many options all ready for me. My sister Steph has already claimed my favourite Honky The Christmas Goose, but I have albums that I have to listen to every year:

1. Merry Christmas Sesame Street – because as a kid, we didn’t have dvd’s and streaming videos, so when we listened to this on vinyl, I felt like I was watching it on the screen and could envision how the stories of Bert & Ernie’s paper clip/Rubber Ducky soap dish gift exchange played out (complete with Mr. Hooper).

2. My step-father gifted me with the Once Upon a Christmas vinyl by Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton in 1985 or ’86. I need to hear it at least once a season.

3. The Love Actually Soundtrack. Love every bit of it.

4. Purely Canadian. Blue Rodeo’s A Merrie Christmas to You – Michael Buble’s Christmas – Barenaked Ladies – Barenaked for the Holidays –

5. Boney M!!

6. Otis Redding all year long. But thankfully he’s got a great one for Christmas:

Allie: Ok, full disclosure, I don’t really like many holiday songs. I worked a lot in retail when I was younger. It completely ruined holiday music for me. 

Exceptions:

1. Sarah McLachlan — River (It’s a Christmas song that doesn’t sound too Christmasy.)

2. Taylor Swift — Christmas Tree Farm (It’s recent, so retail didn’t wreck it for me.)

3. Oh Holy Night  This is my favourite Christmas hymn because it was my grandma’s favourite. I actually like Mariah’s version! 

Liza: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Sam Smith: A mellow, beautiful and cute Christmas song that always gets me in the spirit. 

Mistletoe by Justin Bieber: I like this one because it came out when I was younger so it takes me back to simpler times hahah. 

Deb: There is no question that Meg’s release is my fave. Not just because she’s my girl, but because this song has so much meaning in my family, as does the movie it came from. It’s part of the Patrick family Christmas history. This is not the first time one of them couldn’t be here for Christmas. We once kept our tree and all up til the end of January when my youngest was living out west, because she worked in the service industry and couldn’t come home til then. We had Christmas on January 25, her birthday!

After this, my next favourite is White Christmas. This is because (a) I love the movie… and because it reminds me of my childhood Christmases back in Buffalo. My parents were like me, Christmas maniacs, and my childhood holidays were pure magic of sledding, skating and tons of family time inside while the snow fell in buckets outside. And hey… Bing? Ya can’t go wrong with that!!

Lauren: We celebrate anything involving lights in our house. For us the holidays are about family time, lights, food and magic.

Number One Holiday Song will always be So This is Christmas by John Lennon.

Maoz Tzur is my favourite Hannukah Song which we play when we light the candles. I’m a sucker for children’s choirs. I love this version:

I was looking for Mariah Carey’s famous version of O Holy Night and stumbled upon this beauty arrangement performed by Jennifer Hudson.

Michelle S-B: I remember the Christmas I was pregnant with my miracle baby (they told me I’d never have children of my own). I would dance around the living room in our tiny house holding my belly and laughing and crying, listening to this song, as I dreamed of what life was about to become. 

Fancy: I’ll Be Home for Christmas by Elvis Presley is my very favorite.

All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey is my second favourite: