Jingle Rock Bell is already on the list
December 5, 2022 3:34 PM
Please help me, an atheist who was literally never indoctrinated to any religion, compile a holiday playlist for the time that my Catholic in laws will be in my home.
I’d like to be able to have background holiday music that doesn’t feel Jesus-y. Mother in law may be mildly disappointed that we don’t have any television options except Hulu.
Instrumental is good. Interesting takes on old familiars (I don’t know, o holy night seems a bit too religious for me. There must be dozens of less overtly religious Christmas songs that are in the popular realm with decent remakes? Or even just really pleasant originals.)
And yes, like I said in the title, Jingle Rock Bell will get a nod.
I’d like to be able to have background holiday music that doesn’t feel Jesus-y. Mother in law may be mildly disappointed that we don’t have any television options except Hulu.
Instrumental is good. Interesting takes on old familiars (I don’t know, o holy night seems a bit too religious for me. There must be dozens of less overtly religious Christmas songs that are in the popular realm with decent remakes? Or even just really pleasant originals.)
And yes, like I said in the title, Jingle Rock Bell will get a nod.
A Charlie Brown Christmas by The Vince Guaraldi Trio.
posted by lovableiago at 3:46 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by lovableiago at 3:46 PM on December 5, 2022
Many people have secular Christmas song lists on Spotify.
posted by haplesschild at 3:49 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by haplesschild at 3:49 PM on December 5, 2022
Any of Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas albums; no words, but still the classics.
posted by nancynickerson at 3:50 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by nancynickerson at 3:50 PM on December 5, 2022
I throw on the Traditional Christmas station on Pandora. It's basically the Rat Pack and The Carpenters taking you through various holiday hits.
posted by champers at 4:18 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by champers at 4:18 PM on December 5, 2022
Esquivel Merry X-mas from the Space-age Bachelor Pad. Puts you into the groovy-kinda holiday mood.
posted by onair at 4:22 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by onair at 4:22 PM on December 5, 2022
I really like Don Thomas Christmas Guitar. Even the really religious music sounds non-Jesusy, just really pleasant.
posted by evilmomlady at 4:24 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by evilmomlady at 4:24 PM on December 5, 2022
Nothing beats non-Jesusy than a holiday comedy album. Bob River’s Twisted Christmas Box Set.
posted by onair at 4:32 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by onair at 4:32 PM on December 5, 2022
I hate Christmas music like no other music but even I can get some mileage out of Low's Christmas album if I must be forced to *Christmas* to begin with.
Anyway. It makes me well up a bit just to think about Mimi Parker right now. So sad that she is among those we've lost.
posted by kensington314 at 4:40 PM on December 5, 2022
Anyway. It makes me well up a bit just to think about Mimi Parker right now. So sad that she is among those we've lost.
posted by kensington314 at 4:40 PM on December 5, 2022
Oh and I will say that if you can Jingle Rock Bell, certainly you can Christmas Wrapping Paper? Not sure if the in-laws want stuffy Christmas music only, but if they are open to other things, Christmas Wrapping Paper has the benefit of actually being an enjoyable song.
posted by kensington314 at 4:42 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by kensington314 at 4:42 PM on December 5, 2022
Do you like jazz? Give the James Morrison Christmas album a go. All instrumental, which might lessen the religiousness.
How cheesy are you willing to go?
John Lennon- War is Over, Paul McCartney Wonderful Christmastime
posted by freethefeet at 4:44 PM on December 5, 2022
How cheesy are you willing to go?
John Lennon- War is Over, Paul McCartney Wonderful Christmastime
posted by freethefeet at 4:44 PM on December 5, 2022
The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. Lovely music, no lyrics, lasts a long time.
posted by Vatnesine at 4:44 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by Vatnesine at 4:44 PM on December 5, 2022
Booker T. & the MG's In the Christmas Spirit is a great album (but skip the first track because there's some weird, wandering percussion that sounds like a mistake both on my CD and the streaming version). Everything else about it is awesome…lively but not overpowering.
posted by brachiopod at 5:31 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by brachiopod at 5:31 PM on December 5, 2022
George Winston’s December was an atmospheric atheist holiday classic in my house growing up.
There’s lots of good wintry light jazz - nthing the Charlie Brown Christmas album from Vince Guaraldi! You could probably add some tracks from Wynton Marsalis’ Charlie Brown album, Joe Cool’s Blues (Oh, Good Grief and Little Red-Headed Girl are my faves).
Night Train - Oscar Peterson Trio might be another album to pick through for tracks.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 5:44 PM on December 5, 2022
There’s lots of good wintry light jazz - nthing the Charlie Brown Christmas album from Vince Guaraldi! You could probably add some tracks from Wynton Marsalis’ Charlie Brown album, Joe Cool’s Blues (Oh, Good Grief and Little Red-Headed Girl are my faves).
Night Train - Oscar Peterson Trio might be another album to pick through for tracks.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 5:44 PM on December 5, 2022
There are a ton of classic Christmas songs (many written by Jewish writers) that are not really Jesus-y. White Christmas, Let It Snow, Silver Bells, Winter Wonderland, I'll Be Home For Christmas, etc - lots of the standard American tunes are not really Christ-heavy. Old Toy Trains, Holly Jolly Christmas, etc.
posted by arxeef at 5:44 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by arxeef at 5:44 PM on December 5, 2022
I like Carol of the Bells and White Winter Hymnal. Pentatonix has performed both of these, but they've also done a lot of the religious-y carols, too, so I wouldn't just put on a mix of theirs.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 5:47 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by Ms Vegetable at 5:47 PM on December 5, 2022
Also, if you're of the right age or inclination, my personal favourite is You're A Mean One, Mr Grinch.
posted by arxeef at 5:50 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by arxeef at 5:50 PM on December 5, 2022
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together is our family favorite. Christmassy but not overtly religious.
posted by FencingGal at 6:09 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by FencingGal at 6:09 PM on December 5, 2022
Seconding I'll be Home for Christmas and Vince Guaraldi. The Christmas Song by Mel Torme is another classic. You might also like Medieval Madrigals and Georgian chants?
posted by jabo at 6:48 PM on December 5, 2022
posted by jabo at 6:48 PM on December 5, 2022
James Taylor's and Willie Nelson's Christmas albums are excellent
Annie Lennox & Al Green - Put A Little Love In Your Heart
posted by theora55 at 6:56 PM on December 5, 2022
Annie Lennox & Al Green - Put A Little Love In Your Heart
posted by theora55 at 6:56 PM on December 5, 2022
Glad to see the Nutcracker mentioned here. There’s a whole tradition of classical music performances on Christmas that often have no words but would probably be familiar and comfortingly festive to your religious relatives - think Handel’s Messiah or Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
For a more stripped down feel that evokes sing alongs around a piano, find Liszt’s Christmas Tree Suite. If I recall correctly he composed it for his kid (maybe grandkid?) who was born right around the holiday, so it’s charming and approachable. Great mealtime background music or relaxing in the den music.
posted by Mizu at 3:21 AM on December 6, 2022
For a more stripped down feel that evokes sing alongs around a piano, find Liszt’s Christmas Tree Suite. If I recall correctly he composed it for his kid (maybe grandkid?) who was born right around the holiday, so it’s charming and approachable. Great mealtime background music or relaxing in the den music.
posted by Mizu at 3:21 AM on December 6, 2022
Marshmallow World by Darlene Love continues to be my absolute favorite Christmas song even though it has little or nothing to do with Christmas.
Merry Christmas (I don’t want to fight tonight) by the Ramones.
posted by donut_princess at 6:24 AM on December 6, 2022
Merry Christmas (I don’t want to fight tonight) by the Ramones.
posted by donut_princess at 6:24 AM on December 6, 2022
Also for instrumental, John Fahey’s Christmas albums are awesome. Relaxing down home-y guitar renditions of classic carols.
posted by donut_princess at 6:27 AM on December 6, 2022
posted by donut_princess at 6:27 AM on December 6, 2022
Dar Williams' "The Christians and the Pagans" has a nice message about finding meaning in the holidays despite feeling different (or non-existent) religious connections to the season.
posted by AgentRocket at 6:39 AM on December 6, 2022
posted by AgentRocket at 6:39 AM on December 6, 2022
If you want Random Christmas Music as background noise, the Seattle Classical station KING-FM has a streaming Christmas station on their website. Some of it is choral music, which may be too religious, but it's easy (at least for me) to drown out. They also play a lot of instrumental classical Christmas music.
There's a dropdown on the top of the website, which gives three options for streaming. 'Christmas Channel' is the one you want.
Here's the link: https://www.king.org/
posted by spinifex23 at 8:54 AM on December 6, 2022
There's a dropdown on the top of the website, which gives three options for streaming. 'Christmas Channel' is the one you want.
Here's the link: https://www.king.org/
posted by spinifex23 at 8:54 AM on December 6, 2022
Some good advice above. I would consider also coming at this sideways. There are Christmas albums/music sung in other languages. They will read Christmas and familiar to your in laws but unless you know the language in question you will be able to slide over the overt religious lyrics stuff (mostly) and just hear "seasonal" music. Example album to see what I mean, which works if you don't know German: Christmas in Vienna.
Also, 10 Christmas songs written by Jews from Hillel Ontario, with youtube links, to give you suggestions for non religious songs. (It's actually 9 Christmas songs and Adam Sandler doing a Chanukah Song.)
posted by gudrun at 9:22 AM on December 6, 2022
Also, 10 Christmas songs written by Jews from Hillel Ontario, with youtube links, to give you suggestions for non religious songs. (It's actually 9 Christmas songs and Adam Sandler doing a Chanukah Song.)
posted by gudrun at 9:22 AM on December 6, 2022
You could probably pull some songs from the Christmas Caravan album by Squirrel Nut Zippers. I like their version of "Winter Weather"
Also don't forget to look through the Metafilter Melancholy Christmas playlist from last year, I think.
posted by eckeric at 10:21 AM on December 6, 2022
Also don't forget to look through the Metafilter Melancholy Christmas playlist from last year, I think.
posted by eckeric at 10:21 AM on December 6, 2022
Others have already mentioned my favorites, John Denver & The Muppets: A Christmas Together, and Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas are both great. While the Muppets album does get a little Jesus-y ("A Baby Just Like You", "Silent Night") the album does not come across as overtly religious.
I would also add Loreena McKennitt's album "To Drive The Cold Winter Away" as a favorite, with the track Snow becoming one of my mom's (religious, Conservative) recent favorites.
posted by xedrik at 6:10 PM on December 6, 2022
I would also add Loreena McKennitt's album "To Drive The Cold Winter Away" as a favorite, with the track Snow becoming one of my mom's (religious, Conservative) recent favorites.
posted by xedrik at 6:10 PM on December 6, 2022
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