see, I do KNOW about the american christmas songs.. they are pretty hard to miss.

but here in the Netherlands, there is a very big difference with the US regarding the celebration of Christmas. See, we've had the whole "santa" part of Christmas in the form of "Sinterklaas" (Saint Nicholas) at December 5th... In colonial America, the gift giving festivities of the Saint Nicholas and the "birth of Christ" holiday conjugated into what you you are now experiencing as Christmas, while here in large parts of Europe, we are still more or less celebrating a moderately christened version of Midwinter. We gather as family, with friends, and enjoy peaceful tidings with good food and a drink. And after this celebration, the days start to lengthen again and the light will slowly return to the lands.... This is the time for forgiveness, love, peace, and hope... Somehow embodied as the baby Christ, but we all know this is all derived from the original midwinter celebration: the returning of the light. All in all, it's more a holiday for grown ups here... Though it IS being influenced by yet another opportunity for commercial corporations to swing the dough off our bank accounts... A sad occurance... But indeed, as a child I knew well how to sing along with Red nosed Rudolph...

[edit:]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus

I know this sounds corny but I found myself singing Rudolph several times today. That's how I know I'm starting to get in the Chrismas/holiday mood, I think, singing cormball songs I used to sing as a kid , at christmas and liking it. oh well what can I say. I never claimed I was cool.

Thanks Pup...you're always teaching me something. Now I believe I'm understanding the origin of the "spirit of the season". That explanation you provided makes sense to me and I can clearly see both influences. And Toastedgoat, that's one thing I'm really diggin' about this little exchange. We get to reveal those parts of us that may not be cool...but they're a part of who we are....(and THATs sorta cool!) Heck I found myself singing "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" (by Burl Ives) and I never even used to like that song (I just heard it on the radio).Now that's REALLY uncool!

There's a little Western Australian band, Fourth Floor Collapse, who have a new album out, Books With Broken Spines, and one song, Occupation, somehow reminds me of Christmas, the lyrics are definetly not about Christmas, but there's this jingley Christmas bell ring to it, I'm not a fan of Christmas songs, but this one sure puts me in the mood.

P.S. my dad's a fan of Christmas songs, and he starts playing them about a month before Christmas...

Did you know that the red Coca Cola 'Santa' that the commercial world knows was made by Coca Cola but inspired by a poem by some retired Army General, who was simply recalling a stories from his Dutch childhood. And he is actually just a 'fat' Sinterklaas.
The 'original' present bearing 'Holy Man' comes from the 'shaman' who would visit hovels covered in snow in the middle of winter. He would be bringing hard needed medicines or just food, he would have to 'come in'  through the roof/chimney because the 'house' would be completely covered in snow.

"Jingle Bells" is the one I have in my head for the whole Christmas-time!!
But there's also a lot of Norwegian Christmas-songs...

Last year, I visited my sister, and lived there 'til December 24th (here in Norway, we celebrate Christmas the 24th). So.. at December 24th, my dad came to drive us home for Christmas.. We listened to the radio on the way home, and heard a lot of old traditional Christmas-songs... I like that song.. "Driving Home For Christmas" when we are driving home for Christmas...
I like the old Christmas-songs best..!