How many Christmas songs can you think of?

I can think of at least 5 off the top of my head! It helps that every December almost every store and radio station is playing them nonstop. When I look for holiday music on YouTube, I find big playlists full of Christmas songs but not much else.

That got me thinking about songs for other holidays. Halloween has “Monster Mash”, “Thriller”, and “This Is Halloween”, but what about Thanksgiving? It’s almost equally as popular as Christmas and yet, I don’t think I can name a single song for that important holiday.

How about Fourth of July and New Year’s songs. They can at least share the song “The Final Countdown”. And for Valentine’s Day, although love songs are incredibly numerous, there doesn’t seem to be a single one that is a “Valentine’s Day” song.

How come there are so many Christmas songs? I think that Christmas songs are the most popular because of how broad Christmas’s themes and values are. There’s religious significance, the spirit of the holiday, and lighthearted children’s stories. As opposed to other holidays, like Halloween, they’re multiple themes. I think it must be easier to make up a song about Christmas due to its versatility.

Songs that reflect the holy nature of the holiday. For example, songs like “Silent night”, “Drummer Boy”, and “Hallelujah” are all songs based on a religious theme. They show their pride and joy for the holiday by singing about its importance. Coincidentally, the examples I gave aren’t very upbeat, and are more solemn and calm. I figure that the song writers did that to respect the holy birth of Christ Jesus.

Songs that reflect the joyous nature of the holiday. Other songs, such as “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, “12 Days Of Christmas”, and “Jingle Bell Rock”, are not religious but are still commonly heard during December. The tradition of putting up and decorating a tree in your home, gift giving, and family has basically become a part of Western culture. It’s a celebration of community, generosity, and joy, and people want to express that through music.

Songs from Christmas inspired stories for children. Finally, there are songs like “Frosty the Snowman”, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, and “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” that are children’s tales that take place around Christmas. Frosty, Santa Claus and his reindeer have become icons of the holiday. Many children, including myself, are told about this jolly gift-giver in a red suit who delivers presents to good kids on Christmas eve. Eventually, although I grew out of believing in these stories, I look back at my childhood and remember fondly the joyous feeling these stories instilled in me. It felt like magic and when I listened to these songs then, and to be honest, it still does.

May the music of the holidays fill you with joy. Have you heard of some people who listen to Christmas music throughout the year? I get it. I bet those people are also happy throughout the year, too. I listen to holiday music every single day in December whether I want to or not (thanks, Dad). My favorite songs are “A White Christmas” and the soundtrack to “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Mizuki Wong is a 11th grader at Mountainside High School. In their free time, they enjoy drawing, animating on YouTube, listening to music and learning about science.