Sarah Heydinger — “Ave Maria”
Ave Maria is my favorite Christmas song although I only listen to it once every Christmas. The reason for this is because it is played by a violinist who only comes to play it once a year at my church’s Christmas mass. It is something I look forward to because of how beautifully it is played and after coming home from Christmas Eve mass, it just makes it feel much more like Christmas.
Patrick Spillman — “Rudolph the Red Nosed-Reindeer”
I first heard it while watching my favorite Christmas movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and it doesn’t feel like Christmas until I hear that song being played. My favorite part is singing along with my friends or family while drinking hot chocolate.
Day’Vion Smith — “It’s Beginning to look like a lot like Christmas”
I like this song because I remember listening to this song while at my family Christmas parties and I have always enjoyed listening to it. This song is also in some of my favorite Christmas movies, so it’s like a nostalgia type of feeling for me.
Nathan Heinze — “The Night Santa Went Crazy” by “Weird Al” Yankovic
I was having trouble figuring out a Christmas song I particularly enjoyed since they are all thematically similar and sort of blend together. Not so for Al’s 1996 song that is more of a parody of the entire concept of Christmas than of any particular song. Although the lyrics are a bit dated, the fact that it’s not just another Christmas song basically makes it win by default for me, though I’m sure part of it is also nostalgia from when I heard it as an edgy eight-year-old.
Kai Smith — “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause” by The Jackson 5
As a kid, I always loved to act out songs that I liked, ranging from Aerosmith’s “Taste of India” and Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly Away”. Pretending to be a tiny Michael Jackson finding my mother share a scandalous moment with my favorite individual of the year tickled me more than you could guess. Every Christmas season I would belt out the lyrics and hope that maybe one day it would become a reality. As a kid of a single mother, I relished the idea of having Santa as a stepdad. It was a very interesting moment for me in life when I fully grasped the true meaning of the song and found out that the Santa in the song was just Michael’s dad dressed up as Santa Clause. Needless to say, I felt betrayed. But I still like the song!
Trent Mast — “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”
This is my favorite Christmas song by far. I remember listening to it on the radio while on my way to my Grandma’s house for our family Christmas when I was little. It brought my family together and we all sang it and had a good time. If you know me, I like being goofy and I think that is why I always love hearing this song every year. I hope it puts a smile on your face as it does on mine. Happy Holidays!
Aubrey Bartel — “Hallelujah” by Pentatonix
This is my favorite Christmas song because every year, my family listens to it while we sit around my grandparents’ table, so I’m always reminded of that when I hear the song and hearing it really makes it feel like Christmas each year. It’s also a lot different than most of the traditional Christmas songs and is more relaxing, which I like.
Nicole Centofanti — “Once Upon a December” from the movie “Anastasia”
This song is from the movie “Anastasia” a retelling of the lost Russian princess. The main character Anya has lost her memories from when she was a child, and when she comes across an abandoned palace something about the place is familiar to her. This magic is expressed through the song, and the month of December always seemed like a magical time to me. This magic comes in the form of going with your family to pick out the perfect Christmas tree and lights. It is children decorating and leaving out cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. It is finding the perfect gift for your dad who is impossible to shop for. It is going home from college and seeing your friends and family. It is snuggling up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and watching the same holiday movies every year. It is the holiday traditions and memories that make December a magical time just like in the song.
Olivia Tennefoss — “With Bells On” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
My family has several traditions when it comes to Christmas, but one of my favorites is how we start playing Christmas music in the house. While I start listening to Christmas music a couple of months before December, we wait until after Thanksgiving to start playing it in the house. Our tradition is to first play the Christmas CD that my grandpa recorded several years ago with some of my cousins, and in that CD I would choose “Oh Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” as my favorite. The second CD we play is ‘Kenny and Dolly, once upon a Christmas.’ After that, any other Christmas music can be played. The song “With Bells On” is one of my favorites on Kenny and Dolly’s CD and now holds a more special meaning to me since I go to school farther away. This year, once finals are over, I’ll be going home with bells on.
Maddy Diemer — “Joy to the World”
I like joy to the world! It is so catchy and easy to sing and the message brings people so much joy and hope! I love it most when my church congregation sings it together on Christmas Eve!
Colten McCabe — “I Heard Santa” by Hilary Duff
I have never seen so many people come together in pure distaste except when it comes to this horrible song by Hillary Duff. Not only is it bad upon first listen, but when it plays every five rotations during a ten-hour shift at a clothing store on Black Friday, it truly brings people together like no other!
