It’s time to jingle those bells, walk around in a winter wonderland and find out about the true spirit of the season through some pop-culture treasures in part three of our holiday posts.
5. What holiday song is at the top of your playlist?
Charlene Blohm: “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” by Bing Crosby.
Andria Casey: I love “Grown-Up Christmas List” by Amy Grant. Otherwise, you’ll find me listening to ‘N Sync or Michael Buble Christmas stations on Pandora.
Saul Hafenbredl: “O Holy Night.”
Martha Jacobs: I have a hard time picking just one song, so my favorite holiday album is “A Winter Romance” by Dean Martin. It’s a staple at our house and always brings me straight to Christmastime at the Jacobs.
Paul Mamelka: “2000 Miles” by Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders. The live version from the BBC program “Top of the Pops” in 1983 may not put you in a holiday mood exactly, but if you’ve ever been away from a loved one at Christmas, it will bring a tear to your eye.
Kristen Plemon: I love holiday music, so it’s difficult to pick just one, but “Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song)” has always been one of my favorites.
Chris Swietlik: There are few holiday tunes better than “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I saw them perform it once, and in a three hour concert, no other song got a better response from the crowd than this one.
Katie Waite: “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” specifically the version from “Elf” with Zooey Deschanel. I just love her voice!
Adam Wise: “The Twelve Pains of Christmas” by Bob Rivers. This is a staple of the holiday season and it cracks me up every single time I hear it on the radio.
6. What holiday movie or television special do you watch every year?
Charlene: A tie between “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “White Christmas.”
Andria: Not much can beat “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The “Saturday Night Live Christmas Special” is a close second.
Emily: I can’t choose between “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Oldies but goodies, both movies are ones that I can’t miss each holiday season
Saul: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” a Chevy Chase classic
Martha: I love all the classics, but the best has to be “Elf” – it is undeniably hilarious and gets me in the spirit each year
Paul: From TV-land, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is still my favorite bit of sentimental Christmas kitsch, bolstered by Lucy’s savvy seasonal cynicism. On the movie side, Bill Murray in “Scrooged” delivers the definitive Ebeneezer, although almost any adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” is good for evoking a canny Christmassy mood. Tiny Tim rules
Kristen: I’m a fan of old Hollywood movies, so I really enjoy the original “Miracle on 34th Street.” However, it’s become almost a tradition to watch “A Christmas Story” every year with my family, and it never fails to crack me up. Now it cracks my kids up
Chris: I’m a sucker for “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” There’s a reason it has aired for over forty years and is still going strong
Katie: “White Christmas” is one of my favorite holiday movies. I love classic movies, and you can’t go wrong with Bing Crosby
Adam: While there are many classic holiday movies, none are better than “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” Some of the film’s best scenes involve Clark’s struggles to hang up his Christmas lights
Saddle up your one-horsed open sleigh and stop by for last cup of holiday cheer on Thursday!