The Christian Science Monitor

12 min read

A dive into venerable old writings can add to the warmth of the holiday hearth. Even more so when they’re read aloud.

Nashville Lifestyles Magazine

5 min read

Carrie Underwood knows the world needs more than a little Christmas right now. Luckily, she planned ahead, recording her first holiday album, My Gift early in 2020. These days, the album has taken on new meaning for Underwood and for her fans. “We g

The Independent

7 min read

Christmas has always been complicated for Chilly Gonzales. “I feel a bit oppressed by it,” the pianist and producer says. “The forced smile, the entire capitalist dream that we’re being sold.” His unease with the season of good cheer extends to festi

NPR

4 min read

It's not fair that Christmas "becomes this embodiment where we as a people project all of this expectation and hope on this one day," says songwriter Kirby Brown. So he wrote a song about it.

Goldmine

4 min read

We start with a vinyl bonanza, courtesy of Legacy Recordings, which is issuing a treasure trove of goodies. A must have is A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records, featuring Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” and other holiday

Los Angeles Times

6 min read

This year's bounty of holiday albums includes offerings from pop music heavyweights such as Sia, Gwen Stefani, Fantasia, Reba McEntire, 98 Degrees and veteran rockers Cheap Trick. But don't let familiar names prompt you to overlook rewarding new albu

The Atlantic

6 min read

Long before “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” holiday songs played a part in the War on Christmas.

The Atlantic

5 min read

Many families who opt out of buying stuff are coming up with creative alternatives and new traditions.

Futurity

1 min read

Love it or hate it, there’s no escaping it: From Thanksgiving to Christmas, the songs of the season are everywhere. Coffee shops, grocery stores, and entire radio stations dedicated to holiday songs make it seem like sleigh bells are endlessly ringin

NPR

1 min read

The Tiny Desk concert series is old enough to have some traditions of its own. Here are five of our favorite holiday performances from over the years.

Los Angeles Times

6 min read

The spirit of inspiration runs stronger than usual through this year's batch of new holiday music collections, with fresh melodies and lyrics in some of the best. Veteran country singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell, Oklahoma recent arrival JD McPherson,

JOY Magazine

2 min read

With the onset of the Christmas season and the year 2022, we study the Biblical principle of the gates. In the spiritual realm there are gates that control the seasons in a year. Studying the early traditions of the Christmas season, we understand th

MATCH

1 min read

How excited are you? ROORD SAYS: “Definitely a ten out of ten! Living away from family is tough sometimes, so I always look forward to the holidays to be around my family and friends!” Do you like Xmas music? ROORD SAYS: “I love Christmas music! My f

Dish

1 min read

Kool & The Gang Celebration / Th’ Dudes Bliss /Mariah Carey All I Want For Christmas Is You /The Pogues (feat. Kirsty MacColl) Fairytale of New York /Run-D.M.C. Christmas in Hollis / Sam Smith Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas / The Wellington I

The Atlantic

6 min read

Since publishing its first issue in 1857, The Atlantic has marked 160 Christmases. Contributors,  by dint of the magazine’s New England and Christian roots, made a point each year to memorialize the birth of Jesus and the many traditions celebrating

The Atlantic

4 min read

A list of the music we're least excited about hearing this month—and a meditation on what makes it so irritating

WHO

3 min read

Hands up if you’re a sucker for Christmas movies? Call them a guilty pleasure, but for many of us it wouldn’t be the same without holiday flicks to get us into the spirit. Whether it’s traditional classics like It’s a Wonderful Life or Netflix rom-co

Prog

2 min read

Russian duo Iamthemorning will self-release a new EP, Counting The Ghosts, on December 4. The fourtrack features two brand new songs and two covers of traditional Christmas choral pieces. “We wanted to release a Christmas-themed EP, but we didn’t wan

NPR

2 min read

Hear stories of the season told through music interviews from the NPR archives, including talks with Sting, Amy Grant, Jon Batiste and more.

New Zealand Listener

2 min read

Writing in 1936, psychoanalyst Ludwig Jekels asks, “What is the psychological purpose of Christmas?”, proposing first that, superficially, Christmas represents the ousting of the old by the new. But also (because of Freud) “the very same fact that ha

Metal Hammer UK

1 min read

LEGACY The Metal God gets into the festive mood IF YOUR FIRST reaction on seeing this was, “Gah! Another metal Christmas album? Bah humbug!” then move along; there’s nothing here for you. But yes, this is another metal Christmas album, released by th

MEGA

5 min read

Discreet isn’t usually the term used to describe how Filipinos celebrate the holidays. No, we like to be grand, over the top. Our champagne must come with sparklers, the food more than we can handle. We’re also loud—from the decorations to the carols

The Big Issue

1 min read

Normally, Central London would be bustling with last-minute Christmas shoppers. But it’s quiet. And fewer people on the streets means fewer potential customers for Big Issue vendors. Hugh McErlean, pictured here, responded to the latest ‘Plan B’ rest

Woman's Weekly

1 min read

Get 10% off your next order at theknittingnetwork.co.uk To claim your discount, enter code WWS722 at the checkout or call 01795 570303. Terms and conditions: One use per customer. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. Offe

Los Angeles Times

5 min read

Who'd have guessed more than 50 years ago when actor William Shatner brought Capt. James T. Kirk so vividly to life and helped turn "Star Trek" into a cultural touchstone that the show's famous "final frontier" might turn out to be ... Christmas musi

Nashville Lifestyles Magazine

4 min read

For many people it’s the most wonderful time of the year, whether that’s because of family or faith. For others, it’s the lights. No matter if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or some combination thereof (or none at all), it’s hard to deny

NPR

1 min read

The country star thought it "would be a fun way to bring my old Christmas album back in the form of those old Christmas specials that we love."

Jeanne d'Arc Living English

1 min read

Blogger, photographer and stylist Yvonne König puts a lot of effort into decorating her home and laying a nice table for Christmas. She’s particularly fond of all the Christmas scents, such as orange, cloves and cinnamon, as well as homemade gingerbr

Chicago Tribune

3 min read

'Tis the season to be judgmental, so let me say this: The way you decorate for Christmas is weird. I don't care for it and, frankly, I'm not sure what you were thinking. You're likely asking what in the name of properly decked halls makes me the arbi

NPR

1 min read

In the first song on its holiday album, Halftime For The Holidays, the Seattle pop-punk band debates buying an ex a present, drinks too much punch and can't just walk away.