‘Mele Kalikimaka’: A Holiday Humblebrag
Who needs snow when you can have palm trees?
The 12 Days of Christmas Songs
Reflections on the music of the season, both secular and sacred
'Sussex Carol’: A Reminder of Christmas Music's Local Roots
Before technology allowed songs to play all over the world, they were distinct from place to place.
The Glorious Bitterness of ‘Last Christmas’
Breakups can happen anytime. But holiday breakups are special.
‘In the Bleak Midwinter’: A Literary Christmas Carol
The lyrics, written by Christina Rossetti and set to music by Gustav Holst, imagine a child being born in a desolate climate.
‘O Holy Night’: A Call to Fall to Your Knees
The Christmas carol’s charm is in its humility.
‘You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch’: When Christmas Songs Are Insult Comedy
He’s got spiders in his brain and garlic in his soul.
‘Joy to the World’ Isn't a Christmas Song
The song is synonymous with the holiday, but it wasn’t originally written that way.
The Ironic Intensity of ‘Carol of the Bells’
Originally a Ukrainian folk chant about spring, the Christmas song reached its zenith with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s electric guitar-infused adaptation.
‘Feliz Navidad’: How Jose Feliciano Won America's Heart
The Puerto Rican musician wrote the lyrics of his Christmas classic in English to ensure American radio stations would play it.
The Apocalyptic Fear in ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’
It’s the nativity story, retold during the Cold War.