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Christmas Music: Why We Love It, Who Wrote It, and Why A Priest Friend Is Still Wrong!

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Every year, I get into the same debate with a certain priest in my life. He swears he “just doesn’t get it.” “Why do people love Christmas music year-round? It’s the same hymns we’ve sung for centuries! Nothing changes.” And every year I respond with all the diplomatic grace the Lord has gifted me: “Father, you’re wrong, maybe you should change the radio dial (is that still a thing?).”

Because while the sacred hymns don’t change (and thank God for that), Christmas music is one of the most constantly evolving genres we have. It changes faster than political opinions at Thanksgiving dinner. Britney has a Christmas album. Jimmy Fallon has a SiriusXM Christmas Channel. Even “Chandelier” Sia put out an entire Christmas record with songs that sound like the soundtrack to Candy Land on espresso. So no, the playlist isn’t stuck in 1850. Not even close.

Christmas music comes in two flavors:

Sacred
The stuff we grew up with in church. Jesus, Mary, shepherds, the whole nativity set. These songs stay the same because they should. They’re rooted in faith, tradition, and big C Catholic theology.

Secular / Cultural / “Holiday” Music
Everything else! This side is where creativity, chaos, and commercialism live together in a festive neighborhood. This is where Mariah Carey wakes up every November 1st, stretches her vocal cords, and becomes the Queen of Christmas like she was born in a manger with a microphone. I’m still bummed that Amy Grant lost that Christmas title!

This is where the Jonas Brothers flirt with snowflakes. Where John Legend mixes Santa Claus with smooth crooning and the occasional baby Jesus cameo. This is where Third Day gives us Christian rock Christmas bangers that somehow still fit on office Christmas playlists alongside Michael Bublé. Christmas evolves, friends. It evolves fast.

Many Classic Christmas Songs Were Written by Jewish Songwriters. Now this is where it gets fun, and confusing, depending on who’s singing in your choir. Some of the greatest Christmas songs in American history were written by Jewish composers.

  • White Christmas (Irving Berlin — Jewish)
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Johnny Marks — Jewish)
  • Let It Snow (Jewish writing duo)
  • The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting…) (Mel Tormé — Jewish)
  • Silver Bells (also Jewish)

I can hear this Priest friend of mine already having heart palpitations. Were these attempts at commercial exploitation of Christmas? Or… genuine contributions to the cultural holiday spirit? Honestly: probably both. And that’s what makes them beautiful.

Most Jewish composers weren’t writing about Christianity; they wrote about what everybody could feel: snow, nostalgia, longing, home, romance, and the glow of the season. In other words, they captured the emotional heart of the holiday, even if they didn’t share its theology. And that’s okay. That’s actually wonderful.

It’s multiculturalism at work, long before I had a word for it. Straight No Chaser has entire comedic riffs about being Jewish during the Christmas season (“It’s not fair!”). Adam Sandler gave us the Hanukkah Song, which, let’s be honest, sits in the same cultural gray zone as “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” And all of these “adjacent holiday” moments enrich rather than diminish the season.

I love Christmas music, sacred and secular, because it reflects the beauty of our differences. I can adore the Nativity hymn sung in Latin on Christmas Eve, and also blast All I Want for Christmas Is You during Advent without needing absolution.

I’m Catholic. I’m a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus. I believe in the faith I profess. But I also think God works through: culture, humor, diverse voices, artists who don’t share my theology, and music that meets people where they are.

The Christmas season is one of the few times when Christians sing with non-Christians, when sacred and secular overlap, when faith meets festivity, and when everybody participates. That’s part of its magic.

So, when Father tells me he doesn’t get why people listen to Christmas music year-round, I gently remind him: People aren’t clinging to the same hymns. They’re clinging to hope, nostalgia, joy, memory, culture, and connection.

Christmas music isn’t “one thing.” It’s a thousand things stitched together from a thousand traditions. It’s the most multicultural genre we have, and that’s why it endures. Whether a song was written by a Christian, a Jewish composer, a pop star, a comedian, or a band from Atlanta, the point is this: It adds warmth to the cold, light to the dark, and cheer to the weary. And that, to me, sounds precisely like the Spirit of Christmas. 





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