Today is Christmas. For some people Dec. 25 is just another day. For other people the day is a magical moment in time that mean family, food, religion, presents and fun.
Many people – by choice or force – are surrounded with songs that celebrate the holiday and the holidays, but on Christmas day there are usually certain favorites that people need to break out in order to be completely immersed in the essence of the day.
I put a general question out on Facebook to find out what songs people needed to hear on Christmas Day to make the holiday complete for them and I received some interesting, and not so standard, answers to go along with the classics.
Teresa from Milwaukee: "I love the song 'Silent Night.' I grew up with it and sang it in English, German and Spanish. It takes me back to being a kid when I had no worries."
Mike from California: "Ray Charles' 'The Spirit of Christmas.' It kind of goes hand-in-hand with 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.' It seems if one is in your tradition, so is the other. A close second is his rendition of 'Winter Wonderland' with the swinging bass line."
Rev. Gaven Mize: "'Savior of the Nations Come,' by St. Ambrose. For one, lyrically, it was written by St. Ambrose circa 397 A.D. during a time that many people hold as a golden era for the proclamation of Orthodox Christianity and that really comes out in the lyrics written in the then Latin, 'Veni, redemptor gentium.'"
Meagan from Illinois: "'White Christmas' by Bing Crosby and 'Wonderful Christmastime' by Paul McCartney. 'White Christmas' is pure nostalgia for me. I've watched that movie at least once a season every year since childhood. Also, I'm a huge Beatles fan, but that song was always played in our house growing up."
Rome from Milwaukee: "'Another Lonely Christmas' by Prince in remembrance of the loved ones I've lost throughout the years. My favorite cousin last year and my Mom this year. I'll be knocking back cocktails and saluting in their honor this X-mas."
Clayton from Grafton: "'Feliz Navidad' is a must."
Quintiltian: "James Brown – 'Santa Claus is Here to Stay,' because it always reminds me of my Dad who passed down his appreciation of JB to me, and 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' because it reminds me of the magic of Christmas from when I was a little kid. But, both of those I need to hear on Christmas Eve actually."
Rachel: "John Lennon's 'Happy Xmas/War is Over' I have to hear because it's one I have heard my whole life and it just inspires me to do more in life and for others in the New Year."
As today progresses on, what songs do you need to hear today to make it Christmas?
Born in Milwaukee and raised in the Milwaukee suburb of Brown Deer, Concordia University Wisconsin alumnus Poppe has spent the majority of his life in or around the city and county of Milwaukee.
As an advocate of Milwaukee's hip-hop community Poppe began popular local music blog Milwaukee UP in March 2010. Check out the archived entries here.
Though heavy on the hip-hop, Poppe writes about other genres of music and occasionally about food, culture or sports, and is always ready to show his pride in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
