Christmas Songs... Which Is Your Favorite?

As we head into Christmas week, I found myself thinking about a question that sparks strong opinions every single year…

What’s your favorite Christmas song?

Are you a traditionalist? Do you love White Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Silent Night or one of the other classics?

These songs are familiar and feel like a warm fire on a cold night or a glass of eggnog at a holiday party.

Or do you lean a little edgier toward another classic like Fairytale of New York by The Pogues?

For me, I don’t really get a vote.

Personally, I have no choice but to choose the Pogues because my wife Bried is from Ireland, and there is nothing like being in a Pub in Killybegs at Christmas as the whole place is singing Fairytale of New York word for word.

When it comes on, the entire place stops. Drink in hand and arms around shoulders as everyone sings every word at full volume with no hesitation.

It’s not exactly a Christmas miracle, but it will stop you in your tracks.

What makes Fairytale of New York so powerful is that it refuses to pretend the holidays are simple. The song opens in a place of exhaustion and regret filled with broken dreams, arguments, loneliness and the weight of another year gone by.

It’s raw, messy and a bit uncomfortable. In other words, it’s just like life.

And like life, it doesn’t stay there.

By the end, there’s still love. Still connection. Still the belief that even after disappointment and mistakes, something better is possible. '

Hope doesn’t arrive wrapped in a bow. It shows up bruised, imperfect, and real.

That’s why some people say it’s the best Christmas song ever written.

It understands that the holidays can hold joy and grief at the same time. That you can miss people, argue with family, feel pressure or loneliness and still find moments that remind you why this season matters.

Christmas isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, staying hopeful, and believing in something better.

What’s your favorite Christmas song, and what memories or emotions does it elicit in you?