When the Records Start to Spin: The Soundtrack of Our Holiday Season

Every November 1st, our house transforms. One record, one mug, and suddenly- Christmas has arrived.

On the morning of November 1st, my husband reaches for the record that started it all- a lucky find from an antique shop in Columbia, Pennsylvania. He places Andy Williams on the turntable, and as "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" fills the room, I wrap my hands around my favorite red Snoopy Christmas Gibson mug (still my best Weis Markets find from the early 2000s).

And just like that, the spirit of Christmas settles in. Vince’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” soundtrack will make plenty of returns as the weeks go by, along with all our other favorites, but Andy always gets the first spin. It’s our cue that the holiday season has begun once again.

The Joy of the Hunt

Our Christmas vinyl collection began in 2017, and it’s become a favorite holiday tradition. The hunt for first pressings and quirky covers is part treasure hunt, part love story. Any Saturday morning is fair game for a thrift store dig. 

My favorite mornings involve a pour of coffee and then we decide which record deserves to open the day. Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole are year-round companions in our home, but they get even more airtime once the twinkle lights come out. As I write this, The Carpenters, Andy and Nat have all played and my husband was reminded of how The Carpenters was the first vinyl he purchased that was a first-pressing, truly an eBay treasure. That’s the thing about music- it always feels connected to a memory and a story.  

Another favorite is Johnny Mathis. We’ve seen him perform twice in Modesto and, believe it or not, have bumped into him three times, including once on a flight into Harrisburg (and when I did a fan-girl, he could not have been kinder). So when Johnny starts singing "It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," it feels personal. Like reuniting with an old friend.

We pull out Bing Crosby, Eddie Higgins Trio, Mariah, Dolly, Kenny, Ella, John Legend, more Vince Guaraldi, Michael Bublé, Urbie Green’s smooth jazz arrangements, and countless others.  Does annyone else love those  Firestone and Avon compilation albums? I find each one holds so many sweet memories in each song. 

My forever favorite album remains my sealed first pressing of “A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector," - though Eddie Higgins and Urbie Green are now close behind.

For laughs, we cue up “The Muppets Christmas" record.  And the past few years, “She & Him” has earned a permanent spot in the lineup. Zoey, "... has the most beautiful singing voice in the world.” Buddy the Elf said it best.

Music as Memory

I believe that Christmas music is really just memory set to melody. I think that’s why I enjoy immersing myself in it as early as possible. One note from Bing, and I’m a kid again, sitting in the backseat, drawing hearts and Christmas trees on foggy car windows as we cruised snowy northwestern Pennsylvania roads, searching for the best light displays. Every big, dazzling house got a honk of approval- a tradition I still keep alive, husband’s embarrassment aside.

I can still feel those frosty nights, the smell of coal and wood stoves, the clear winter skies with the Milky Way shimmering overhead. I could smell the snow and it felt like Christmas.  If someone could turn that scent into a candle, I’d light it every day.

The Season on Vinyl

For now, it’s the records, those slow intentional mornings, that perfect Snoopy mug, and these sweet, simple rituals that make the season come alive on vinyl, in memory, and all throughout our home.

I’ll be sharing more of our "Vinyl Advent" stories as the holidays roll on. If you have a favorite Christmas album or a holiday tradition that makes your season shine, tell me in the comments or tag me on Instagram. I’m always on the lookout for the next great record,  or memory,  to add to our holidays.