Dear Client, Friend, Former Ersti,
We put together a short special Christmas playlist for you. It’s made up of our favourite Christmas songs or songs we connect to the holidays. The playlist ended up being as diverse as we are and contains songs from all kinds of genres. Below you will find a few sentences about why each song is so special to the person who chose it.
We hope it will bring you a festive mood and lighten up your Christmas season.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
The Erste Lesung Team
Julia
Valhalleluja by Nanowar of Steel is one of my favorite songs at Christmas time, or honestly any time of the year. Especially when I need a good laugh. The song combines Christmas, metal, Nordic mythology, and Ikea, in my opinion some of the best inventions in the world. In my opinion the first three things are simply amazing and as a student I really appreciate the value of Ikea.
If you think these four things can’t possibly go together, you should have a look at the lyrics while listening. I guarantee 6 minutes of best entertainment 😉
Szilvia
Actually, I love ‘Love Actually’. And not only for Christmas. I even tried to replicate the church pop-up concert scene for my sister’s wedding. Cheesy, right? I don’t care. This movie gave me so much laughter and warmth over the years that I will for sure play Billy Mack’s ‘Christmas is all around me’ every Christmas a few dozen times. And while it really is a horrible piece of musical art, it reminds me of the importance of nurturing friendship and love all over the year.
Marlène
The song is reissued every December and breaks all sales records: 30 million copies in a couple of decades. That is, 300,000 per year. The best-selling “single” in France with Ne me quitte pas, by Jacques Brel. It’s also my favorite Christmas song from childhood and the only song my French grandfather could play on the trumpet, so he played it around the clock.
Rémi
And here is a very traditional French Christmas carol, which is not about Santa Claus or the presents, but about the birth of Jesus Christ. “Il est né le divin enfant” means translated, the holy child is born. With this Christmas song, the birth of Jesus Christ is announced. It is also a traditional song sung in Christmas services in France, especially towards the end of the service.
Anna H.
The song comes from the Norwegian Christmas TV series The Julekalender, and offers a wonderful mix of Norwegian and English. It may not be the perfect song for Christmas Eve, but serves as a mood and dance guarantee for any Christmas!
Dev
Christmas is incomplete for me without the Home Alone 2 movie and John Williams’ music. Somewhere in my memories, I’m taken back to precious moments of my childhood. It highlights the values of doing good deeds, the importance of giving back, and spreading joy in your own capacity. Lastly, the song has a bittersweet ring to it, exactly like Christmas: happy that it happened and sad that it’s over.
Victor
While not a traditional Christmas song, it reminds me of my early childhood Christmas celebrations. My family would regularly play the Amelie movie soundtrack while we played board games together.
Richard
In our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time
But say a prayer, Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it’s hard, but when you’re having fun
There’s a world outside your window
Anna W.
Lulajże Jezuniu is one of the most known of the Polskie Kolędy, having served as inspiration for several composers like Chopin and adapted in other countries. Overall, this Polish version of Christmas carols, are the songs played in my (childhood) home exclusively on Christmas eve. Usually they are accompanied by a children’s choir and/or an orchestra and create a very special and solemn atmosphere. Just one has made it into this Christmas Playlist, but you most certainly should check out the other ones – just look for Polskie Kolędy.