As October 31st struck midnight, many took down their eerie Halloween decor of ghouls and cobwebs and replaced them with shades of autumn and comforting fairy lights– or at least I did! Joining me in preparing for this joyous time are many of Marymount’s faculty, who are so ecstatic for the upcoming holidays! So without further ado, here is a compilation of 9 of Marymount’s beloved faculty’s favorite songs and why each is their top pick: 

Mrs. Madoo’s choice is The Pogues by Fairytale of New York because she “love[s] the feeling of an Irish folksong revisited in NYC and the energy of Kirsty MacColl’s beautiful singing with his rough voice.”

Ms. Maslar’s pick is Miley’s Version of Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree because she “remember[s] dancing to it for cheerleading in high school. It brings back so many fun memories of that time in [her] life.”

Ms. Arocho’s choice is Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love, but “there’s really no particular reason why [she] love[s] it; it just always puts a smile on [her] face!” Always a classic!

Mrs. Yang has a tie for first place songs on her Christmas Tunes List. Last Christmas by Wham! is the first song in the tie because “this is a song that [she] LOVES to sing. This is a song that makes [her] stop what [she is] doing so [she] can dance around. So many good memories with this song and overall happy beat.” The other song forming this tie is Jingle Bell Rock, but the Mean Girls version. “[She] remember[s] that after watching this song on Mean Girls, [she] and [her] girlfriends stayed up till 2 AM learning the dance. These girls were later [her] bridesmaids at [her] wedding and it was such a classic time for [them] to be silly girls.”

Mr. Petrone’s choice is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s take on Santa Claus Is Coming To Town because “it is more rock and roll than many of the traditional Christmas songs, especially from when [he] was younger, and Bruce is a true rock icon.  Recorded live, electric guitars, saxophone, drums, powerfully sung lyrics…  [his family and him] used to drive home on Christmas Eve waiting for it to come on the radio.  The song has always made [him] feel good – charged up – about the day, and is a reminder that Christmas can be celebrated in many different ways.  [He] also learned a few years ago that it was recorded at CW Post on Long Island, where [he] grew up.  So there is the whole college and NY thing too!”

Mr. Baker gleefully responded with Bing Crosby’s take on It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas since he like to sing it in his rendition of “Bing Crosby’s voice.”

Mrs. Thibodeaux’s pick is Amy Grant’s version of Breath of Heaven because “the song is written from Mary’s perspective as she is expecting the arrival of Jesus. In the song she is very introspective, wondering why she was called to this journey, and questions if she was the right one to answer the call. Recognizing that it is not an easy path, she reaches out for the Divine Spirit’s grace to comfort her. This song has spoken to [her] many times throughout [her] life: it affirms that it’s ok to be afraid in uncertain times, and it encourages [her] to remember that [she is] never alone. Ultimately, this song brings [her] deep hope, and for [her], that is what the season of Advent is all about.”

Mrs. Bright’s song choice is White Christmas by Drifters, but specifically this animated video’s take on the song. It’s her favorite tune because “in about eighth grade, [her] dear friend Mike Clark first told [her] that White Christmas was about [her]. He’d say, ‘may [her] days be Marion Bright’ instead of the lyrics: ‘may your days be merry and bright’. Since then, people have asked [her] if [she] was named after the song ([she] wasn’t) and have given [her] stamps, signs, and cards, with the phrase, “Merry and Bright.” [She] and [her] brother used one such sign as a prop in a bored-at-home-holiday video, set to the song The Party, by Justice–a video season-starter in its own right. The Drifters’ version of White Christmas speaks for itself: a Clyde McPhatter falsetto sent on high and the animated Santa and reindeer will make even Scrooge smile.”

Dr. Menard couldn’t simply choose just one song since this is her holiday! She admitted that she “drive[s] people crazy playing Christmas songs from Thanksgiving to Epiphany.” They are Carol of the Bells, Little Drummer Boy, Mary’s Little Boy Child, Silent Night, and What Child is This? (Greensleeves music), with her most favorite at the beginning.

Mrs. Brady’s choice is everyone’s favorite: All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey, because “even though [she has] heard it probably a thousand times, [she] still love[s] it every time it comes on. The first time [she] heard it was in the movie Love Actually, which is one of [her] top three favorite Christmas movies. It also reminds [her] of Intro to Comp when [she] used to play it during eJournals. Good times!”

Mr. Levine has a tie for his favorite songs. The first song is Christmas in Hollis by Run-DMC —  “This song has the best of all worlds: lyrics, holiday excitement, and a dope rap beat. Here, Run-DMC proved that they were more than just an old school rap group by marrying rap prowess with their childhood memories of growing up in Queens during Christmas time.” The second song he chose is Baby It’s Cold Outside by Dean Martin. “Not only does this song give cute and fuzzy feelings, but how can you not think about the movie Elf when listening?” Dean Martin and the Elf movie are most definitely big indicators that the holiday season is here!