Xmas Songs

Every year in July, I feel overwhelmed with annoyance by the appearance of Xmas stuff in many stores. Argh! Every year the week before Thanksgiving when the 24/7 Xmas music starts on the radio and half my neighbors already have their lights up, the ARGH! gets me again! The dread of things needed to be accomplished to make the holiday season joyful begins to weigh me down. Cards to make, presents to get, decorating to do, etc, etc, etc. But then there's a moment, a moment where suddenly I'm ready, ready to hear the Xmas music, get working on the cards and spend 1/2 a day decorating the house. I never know when it will strike me. I usually anticipate it to be late - that I will need to force myself to even get the Advent Calendar out on time. But it struck me early this year. Andrew has his 4th grade Xmas concert tonight, and on Tuesday he had his last practice. He forgot the words to the song he is performing as "Bill Holly" of "Bill Holly and the Mistletoes". Jingle Bell Rock. "Okay, " I said, "Let's go play it and practice." Off we go to Windows Media Player and begin to play it. Then on to Google to print out the words. It helped him and surprisingly didn't annoy me. I switched my MP3 player to all Xmas and anticipated enjoying all my favs at work the next day. I am very fond of Eartha Kitt's version of "Santa Baby", The Eagles "Please Be Home for Xmas" , & Harry Connick Jr's "The Happy Elf". I like the goofy stuff like "I Want a Hippo for Xmas" "The Chipmunk Song" and even Cheech and Chong's "Santa and his Old Lady". But there are certain songs that make Xmas feel like Xmas. The John Denver and Muppets Xmas album, Bing Crobsy's "White Xmas" Perry Cuomo's "It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Xmas" and Nat King Cole's "The Xmas Song". What's your favorite?