Most of the time my blog posts turn into Periscope broadcasts. However, I make history today with a Periscope broadcast turning into a blog post. Recently I chatted with my Periscope followers about my top five favorite Christmas carols. With the prime Christmas season now here, I want to spread that cheer to all of you on this fine Sunday. Here is my list:

On this Sunday before Christmas I count down my favorite carols.

Honorable Mention #1: The Grinch Song – Earlier this holiday season, Sidney and I had an epic duet where we belted out “The Grinch Song” together. By the time we were finished we were exhausted but we were still laughing like maniacs. This song is simply fun and deserves at least a mention on this countdown.

Honorable Mention #2: Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer – Sure this song can get annoying but it is the original “funny” Christmas song. I laugh each time I hear “she’d been drinking too much eggnog.” Also, the song has incredible power to get stuck in your head for long periods of time. Because of all this and the fact that my actual list focuses much more on traditional Christmas carols, “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer” earns honorable mention status.

#5: Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – The intro of this song just screams “Christmas” to me. If you could catch Christmas in a bottle by scooping up musical notes in the air, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” would provide them. There isn’t a better song to listen to while shopping at the mall during the holidays. The song also receives sentimental points because it always reminds me of “Home Alone.”

#4: Angels We Have Heard On High – Gloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooria…in excelsis deo! How can you not love that long, spiritual note. Growing up in our local church I would always enjoy it when the choir belted this one out. After each verse they would really turn it on for the chorus and hit that trademark note with complete power and passion. It was impossible not to sing along.

#3: We Three Kings – I think this song does an absolute phenomenal job of telling the Christmas story. It carries with it a beautiful sense of reverence and tradition. My favorite part is when it breaks away from the solemn “we three kings of Orient are” and goes into the slightly more upbeat “Oooooooo star of wonder, star of night…” portion.

#2: Joy to the World – Talk about the most inspirational Christmas song there is! This Christmas carol is just so triumphant and proud. It nails the reason for the season and it does it with the perfect amount of pomp and circumstance. Nothing is better than after a beautiful Christmas Eve mass the choir sends us all out with a powerful rendition of “Joy to the World.”

#1: O Come All Ye Faithful – I have to admit, I understand why some might find this a puzzling choice for my top spot. Sure it is a nice song but it doesn’t really pack the punch or carry the significance of other carols. However, it is just a personal favorite of mine. I think it is a beautiful song and outlines the true meaning of the season. About six or seven years ago, I used “O Come All Ye Faithful” for my background music when I created my holiday voicemail greeting. Sitting around the Christmas tree while listening to this song truly enables you to reflect on the great Christmas miracle.

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Please take some time this Sunday evening to gather your loved ones and listen to a Christmas carol or two. Go ahead and make your own lists too! It is a precious time of the year, I hope you too have special songs that help define it. Don’t Blink.