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Sometimes nothing can you get in the holiday spirit like a good ole’ Christmas song. Well, some may argue an ugly Christmas jumper or shirt can help, but for those who don’t want to wear their spirit, listening to Christmas songs is the perfect alternative. Here is our top 20 Christmas songs that will make you jolly for sure, even if the weather outside is frightful!

1. "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues. Maybe I'm bias because I'm Irish but it's not Christmas time unless you hear this at least 10 times a day.
2. “Christmas Time is Here” by Vince Guaraldi Trio. Like the Charlie Brown special itself, this song automatically transports you to the merry season.
3. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee. Decorating your tree? Listen to this tune and let the decorating magic unfold!
4. “Dominick the Donkey” by Lou Monte. It wouldn’t be Christmas it you didn’t hear the song about this loveable donkey!
5. “Christmas Don’t Be Late” by Alvin and the Chipmunks. Play this song and every kid will want a hula-hoop! Or inhale balloon and sing this song to you.
6. “Blue Christmas” by Elvis Presley. Perfect song to express how it’s all about love and not presents.
7. “Carol of the Bells” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Prepare for epic Christmas music! To be honest, I can listen to this song all year round!
8. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland. This soulful rendition of this song will make you feel all warm and cozy inside. Did you know the original lyrics were said to be too depressing and needed to be rewritten?
9. “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole. You may know this song as the “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” song. Whichever one you know it as, this is definitely a Christmas classic.
10. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by U2. This cover by the popular band was originally for the 1987 Special Olympics.
11. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. This song may have come out in the 90’s but it’s considered a holiday staple.
12. “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid. Another holiday radio classic, this song was a collaboration of British pop singers bringing awareness of the famine out on in Ethiopia.
13. “The Chanukah Song,” by Adam Sandler. Not technically a Christmas song, this amusing song lists all the famous people who are Jewish in quite a catchy tune.
14. “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” by Burl Ives. Another iconic Christmas song, this is definitely one of those everyone knows the lyrics to!
15. “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” by Elmo and Patsy. A catchy song about a not so funny situation. Still it wouldn’t be Christmas without hearing this song!
16. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Carrie Underwood. This song was originally written in the time of the Cuban missile crisis as a cry for peace.
17. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams. This song may have debuted in 1963, but it’s still a holiday hit that is used in commercials and heard all over the radio.
18. “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano. Written in 1970, this is another song that will get you into the holiday spirit after listening to a few chords.
19. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” by Bing Crosby and Doris Day. This catchy song filled with flirty banter is a great way to get close with your partner.
20. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by the Jackson 5. This adorable song cannot be left out on this list!
21. “O, Holy Night” by Josh Groban. Another classic, while perhaps not upbeat, it’s still beautiful and full of Christmas soul.

This is only a small fraction of the Christmas songs you'll be hearing this season. I hope you love these songs as much as I do!

Christmas can be a wonderful time of fun and memory making . But let’s be honest, they can be extremely expensive as well. What if I told you it doesn’t have to be that way? It is possible to still have a great Christmas even while pinching your pennies! So what are you waiting for? Keeping reading to find out how to do Christmas on the cheap!

• Don’t be a food snob. Remember that just because it’s more expensive doesn’t mean it’s necessarily tastier. Don’t get sucked into marketing and the pretty packaging. Let’s be frank, your guests aren’t going to be able to tell the difference between a “high end” turkey and a lower brand one. Also make sure to do your due diligence when you shop. Compare and price check before you buy the first thing you see. It may take some more time, but you and your wallet will be happier if you do!

• Don’t get rid of your Christmas decorations. While it may be nice to get shiny new decorations each for the holidays, it’s not that sensible, especially if you are working with a budget. Carefully store your decorations and if you really want to get fancy, you can even keep an inventory list of all the decorations you have. This eliminates your chances of purchasing duplicates and saves you money. This includes wrapping paper! Your family will not remember that you used the same snowman wrapping paper as last year.

• Get your next season Christmas cards and gifts this year! Christmas cards always go on sale in December. Why not stock up for next year? That way you avoid paying an inflated price for those beautiful cards. If you really want to plan ahead, buy enough to last you two to three holiday seasons. Also, stores have massive sales on everything and anything you can imagine after Christmas. Take advantage and start your Christmas shopping early!

• Have a Christmas potluck dinner! If you don’t want to slave away in the kitchen and spend hundreds of quid feeding your entire family, have a potluck event. This means every guest will bring a dish of their choice to the gathering. Not only will it be a feast to be remembered, it will be extremely budget friendly for you.

• Talk to your family and friends about a gift budget. Your family and friends will be understanding if you can’t spend a bomb on each person. Speak to them and ask that you each set a budget (within reason) for each other and your families. This eliminates the need for frivolous gifts that they don’t need. If setting a budget per person is still too expensive, have a secret Santa with your friends and family. This means everyone only has to buy one gift. Besides the holidays aren’t about presents, rather it’s about the experiences you share with the people you care about.

Having a great Christmas doesn’t have to be expensive. All you need to do is to be creative and think slightly out of the box!

What better way to spend the holiday season than binge watching Christmas movies with your family…or yourself. There are so many holiday films to choose from that it can be a bit overwhelming. Here are 20 Christmas films you need to watch in your lifetime, at least once. So get your popcorn (or your favourite snack ready) and be ready to laugh, cry, and ride the tidal of feel waves that will come from these films.

In no particular order:

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). This short movie will have you wondering what Christmas is truly about.
2. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). Another classic that leaves you feeling grateful for all the wonderful people in your life.
3. Miracle on 34^th Street (1947). I don’t know about you, but I believe in Santa!
4. Home Alone (1990). Left alone on Christmas? With burglars? Sounds like a classic Christmas move to me!
5. Die Hard (1988). Explosions, hostages, terrorists, and Christmas trees. Need I say more?
6. A Christmas Story (1983). Don’t shoot your eye out!
7. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). A Muppet twist on the Dickens’ classic, as told by Gonzo the Great.
8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). Don’t be a Grinch and have your heart grow with this endearing film.
9. Love Actually (2003) A collection of stories that will leave you a puddle of emotions.
10. Frosty the Snowman (1969). “Happy Birthday!” as Frosty would say.
11. Babes in Toyland (1961). The iconic march of the Wooden Soldiers. What better way to get in the festive spirit with this classic?
12. Batman Returns (1992). Fighting crime during the holiday season? I’d watch that.
13. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964). While Rudolph may have not been an original part of Santa’s crew, this misfit reindeer shows being different isn’t all that bad.
14. A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). “What’s this?” go on an adventure with Jack Skellington as he tries to grasp the concept of Christmas.
15. The Polar Express (2004). A tale of a young boy who goes on an adventure to the North Pole. It’ll remind you what Christmas is all about.
16. Jingle All the Way (1996). A parent’s adventure trying to get the hottest selling toy for his son. Let the hilarity ensue.
17. The Bishop’s Wife (1947). A bishop dealing with comprising his principles and his family for his new cathedral. Enter the angel to help him back on the right path.
18. Ernest Save Christmas (1988). It may not be considered a classic, but this comedy will give you all the feel good waves.
19. Elf (2003). Raised as an elf, Buddy searches for his true identity. His unfamiliarity with city life proves not only to be slightly disastrous, but quite hysterical as well.
20. Rocky IV (1985). “I will break you,” states Drago to Rocky in this iconic boxing grudge match, which happens to take place on Christmas Day.

What are some of your favourite Christmas films?

Many people love the holiday season. It’s a great time to create some wonderful memories with your friends and family. But what do you really know about it? Here are 10 interesting Christmas facts that will totally blow your mind.

Historians believe that Jesus Christ was born in spring and not on December 25. The majority of the population believes that Jesus was born December 25, however according to historians and the Bible this is not the case. During the 4^th century, Pope Julius I selected December 25 to commemorate and recognise Jesus’ birth.

Mistletoe isn’t as romantic as you think. When literally translated from Old English, mistletoe means “little dung twig.” It’s named that because the plant is spread via bird droppings. Yep. Not so romantic now.

Christmas has brought temporary truces in war. In 1914 during the First World War, British and German fighters took a break from fighting each other on the Western front. Instead of being enemies, for one day both armies shook hands and even shared cigarettes with each other. This later became known as the Christmas Truce of 1914.

Rudolph was not one of the original reindeer. Adults and children alike love Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, but did you know that he only joined the rest of Santa’s reindeer in the 20^th century? Created by Montgomery Ward to sell colouring books, Rudolph’s red nose was a bit controversial since a red nose signified alcoholism.

The Statue of Liberty was a Christmas present in 1886. Yes, that’s right. France gifted this green beauty to the United States during Christmas time. She is considered the largest Christmas present ever.

Santa’s infamous red suit was made popular by Coca Cola. In 1931, Haddon Sundblom, an artist for Coca Cola revamped Santa and his garb. He used to wear blue, green, and even tan suits but after his new red and white outfit appeared in 1931, the image has stuck ever since.

Christmas was even celebrated in space! In 1965, the first song to be played in space was “Jingle Bells” on the Gemini 6. The astronauts donated their instruments (a harmonica and bells) to the National Museum of Space and Aeronautics in Washington. Here’s another fact you may not know about the song “Jingle Bells.” Did you know that it was originally meant to be a Thanksgiving song?

The first decorations to don a Christmas tree were apples. We may have many choices when it comes to decorating our Christmas trees now, but originally trees were adorned with apples. These “decorations” were placed on the tree by actors usually depicting Adam and Eve.

People have been getting it wrong saying “Bah humbug.” The main character, Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” had the original catchphrase, “Bah Christmas.” So if you want to be a Scrooge during the holiday season state this instead.

Male reindeer don’t have antlers during Christmas time. During the holiday season, male reindeer will shed their antlers. Now think about all the pictures of Santa’s reindeer pulling his sleigh. Ever seen one without antlers? While their names may be masculine (Comet, Donner, Blitzen) it is most probable that Santa’s sleigh is pulled by female reindeer!

Hope you enjoyed these 10 interested facts about Christmas! Wow your friends with this new trivia you’ve learned!