christmas – Trekking with Dennis

Christmas Food Tier List

Let’s have a bit of festive fun!

We all like food, right? Well… *I* certainly like food. And, if you’ve ever seen me and my jolly belly in person, you’ll know that for a fact! I have a soft spot for Christmas food in particular – Christmas has always seemed, to me, like a food-centric holiday. Even some of the presents and gifts that we give and receive can be food; hampers, selection boxes, chocolate… all of these, and more, are what we’re going to discuss.

And I thought it could be fun to “rank” all of these things in a nice, internet-friendly tier list!

A blank tier list. — Let’s fill out this tier list with some festive foodstuffs!

Before we set the table, I have a couple of my usual caveats. Firstly, this is just for fun! Please don’t take any of this *too* seriously; the objective here is just to get a bit festive and think about some yummy Christmas treats – not get into an argument. And secondly, everything we’re talking about today is just one person’s *subjective* opinion. We may not agree on what makes for a nice Christmas dinner or festive snack… and *that’s okay!* The food items discussed are mostly British and European, because that’s what I’m most familiar with, and they’re listed in no particular order. I’ll reveal the final tier list at the very end of the piece.

The format I’m using is the standard “tier list” that you may have seen on a couple of other occasions here on the website. You know the drill: S-tier is right at the top, then we go through A, B, C, and D, before hitting the bottom with F. They basically work like letter grades at school! Still haven’t found out why “S” is the top tier, though.

So… with all of that out of the way, let’s rank some festive foodstuffs and try not to totally ruin Christmas in the process!

Number One:
Roast Turkey

Turkey is an easy A-tier for me. It’s the main event on the big day, and if you cook it right and follow all of the instructions, you should end up with some decent meat for your main course! Some people overcook turkey, especially if they aren’t familiar with it, leading to it getting a bit of an unfair reputation as dry and chalky – but when properly cooked, I maintain that roast turkey is very nice.

Here in the UK, where we don’t have Thanksgiving, Christmas Day is usually our big roast turkey dinner. And I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that for me, Christmas Day wouldn’t feel right without roast turkey. It’s just… tradition, I guess! And Christmas is a time for sticking to some traditions.

Tier: A

Number Two:
Mince Pies

Stock photo of a mince pie on a dark slate being dusted with icing sugar.

Mince pies are the perfect sweet treat for this time of year! They’re fruity, spicy, warming, and good served hot or cold. And they’re pretty easy to make at home if you’ve got a good shortcrust pastry recipe and a few dried fruits! I have fond memories of helping my grandmother and mother make mince pies at Christmas time, and of enjoying them at all kinds of festive events, from church services at school to community events and even at neighbours’ houses!

Mince pies have a strange history, really. They used to contain actual minced meat alongside the fruits and spices – that combination of sweet dried fruit with meat seems to have been common in centuries past. I’m kinda glad it isn’t any more, because to be honest… that doesn’t sound all that appetising! I prefer to keep sweet and savory foods separate for the most part. Mince pies are another British tradition, and one I look forward to indulging in every festive season. I usually keep a box of mince pies in the freezer after Christmas ends, too, so I can have them in the summer when the heatwaves strike and I long for the cooler temperatures of winter!

Tier: S

Number Three:
Non-traditional Mince Pies
(Mince Pies with “Unusual” Ingredients)

Stock photo of fruit on a wooden platter.

There’s been a bit of a trend in recent years for “re-inventing” the humble mince pie. And I guess I shouldn’t lump *all* of these experiments together, because some work better than others! But for me, as I said above, you can’t beat a good old-fashioned mince pie, and trying to “glam them up” with exotic fruits, expensive alcohol, different pastry, or other such things… it can be fine, and there can be good reasons for doing so. But other times, they just don’t feel quite right. At worst, some can be pretty unappealing or even seem pretentious!

When I was a kid, my mother used to bake special “dad’s pies” for my father, because he *hated* raisins and currants! So he’d get his own non-traditional mince pies. The recipe seems to have varied year to year, but I remember her making versions with bananas, dates, and other fruits that he would actually eat. And obviously there are folks with allergies, dietary restrictions, and so on, who couldn’t have regular mince pies. So there are great reasons for going non-traditional. It’s nice that everyone can feel included at this time of year and don’t have to miss out on this British tradition!

Tier: B

Number Four:
Brussel Sprouts

Stock photo of Brussels sprouts in a pan.

Ugh. Yuck. No! I haven’t eaten a Brussels sprout in about twenty-five years at this point… when I *forced* myself, as if under duress, to eat them when my then-girlfriend’s parents cooked them as part of a meal. There’s no easy way to say this, but Brussels sprouts taste… faecal. I know they’re a staple on many folks’ Christmas dinner plates, and that’s great! If you like them, or if you can force them down once a year, good for you! But for me… life’s too short to eat food I despise, and especially at Christmas, when there are so many other options, I’d rather just leave them out altogether!

Some people say that you can make sprouts taste better by roasting them in fat instead of boiling them, or even cooking them with something like bacon to give them a different flavour. That doesn’t actually make the Brussels sprouts any better – it just ruins some perfectly innocent bacon!

Tier: F

Number Five:
Panettone

Stock photo of panettone in front of a Christmas tree.

I adore panettone. I probably shouldn’t admit this online, but a couple of years ago, I munched my way through an *entire* panettone – which the box claimed could serve twelve people – while playing a round of Civilization VI. I even named one of my cities “Panettone” in that game after I realised what horrors I’d unleashed upon my intestines! Disgusting pigging out aside, though, this sweet Italian bread is made with an enriched dough, and usually dotted with raisins – or sometimes chocolate chips!

I remember one Christmas I bought my parents a chocolate pannettone from an Italian bakery, and they were over the moon with it. My dad didn’t eat raisins, and at that time, the only panettones they could usually find were the fruity ones. So being able to gift them a chocolate one was nice. That memory is a treasured one.

Tier: A

Number Six:
Mashed Potatoes

Stock photo of a bowl of mashed potatoes.

In the United States, a typical Thanksgiving turkey dinner will often be accompanied by mashed potatoes. And if you go out to a restaurant in the UK, mash is commonly offered as a Christmas dinner option. But… it’s not traditional! At least, not in my family. Roast potatoes are the way to go for a traditional British Christmas dinner, and there really isn’t room on the plate for mash as well.

I’ve seen some *fantastic* mashed potato recipes around Thanksgiving, particularly from American cooking channels like Food Wishes on YouTube. And I don’t deny that many of them look delicious; how could mashed potatoes not be, especially if the final product ends up being, like, 60% butter and 40% potato?! But for me, Christmas dinner should – usually – remain a traditional affair, so I’ll almost always opt for roasties ahead of mashed potatoes on the big day.

Tier: D

Number Seven:
Marinated/Spiced Turkey

Stock photo of a raw turkey being prepared for cooking.

A roast turkey stuffed with sage and onion stuffing and maybe roasted with some bacon on top? That’s what you need on Christmas Day! There are some absolutely phenomenal recipes for roast turkey that involve marinating the bird in some kind of exotic sauce, or making a spice rub to give it a Moroccan, Turkish, or Indian flavour. But, as you may have already guessed from my preference for the traditional… I don’t want any of that on Christmas Day!

I love a good turkey curry as much as the next Brit, but my Christmas turkey on Christmas Day should be relatively plain and not drowning in spices, rubs, sauces, and other flavourings. Meat cooked that way just… doesn’t feel like Christmas to me, not on the big day, anyway. 364 days of the year, I’d probably agree with you if you said that turkey tastes better with a marinade, a rub, or with different combinations of flavourings. But on Christmas Day? I know what I like… and that’s turkey with a bit of sage and onion stuffing.

Tier: D

Number Eight:
Chocolate Coins

When I was a kid, I used to get a few chocolate coins on Christmas morning. These small chocolates were wrapped in a piece of foil and stamped with a design that resembled a real-world coin – usually a 10 pence piece, if I’m remembering right! The ones my parents would get weren’t branded, they were just the supermarket version. But I remember being overjoyed to get something as delicious and rare as chocolate on Christmas morning. They’d usually be gone by Boxing Day.

I still see chocolate coins on supermarket shelves, but they aren’t something I usually get for myself. I still think they’re very cute and Christmassy, though, even if they are just plain chocolate in a slightly different shape!

Tier: B

Number Nine:
Bread Sauce

Product photo of Tesco's bread sauce on a grey background.

Bread sauce… well, it’s just delicious. I know it doesn’t sound like much, if you’ve never tried it, but trust me! This is one of my favourite parts of a Christmas dinner plate – the sauce just goes so well with roast turkey. And it’s very simple to make, needing only milk, an onion, some stale bread, and cloves. Maybe this is a uniquely British acquired taste… but if that’s the case, I’ve definitely acquired it!

I genuinely prefer bread sauce to gravy on Christmas Day, and it’s probably something I’d have more often if it didn’t feel like such an exclusively Christmassy thing. Having said that… I guess I’m starting to see why British cuisine has acquired a bit of a reputation. But really… if you’ve never had bread sauce, try it. I promise it’s better than it sounds!

Tier: S

Number Ten:
Hot Chocolate
(a.k.a. Hot Cocoa)

A stock photo of a glass mug of hot chocolate/hot cocoa with marshmallows and orange slices.

A hot chocolate hot take incoming: I don’t consider this to be a particularly Christmassy drink! As a kid, I remember having hot chocolate (the instant kind) pretty regularly. My parents didn’t usually let us have things like chocolate very often, but we usually had hot chocolate in the house, and it became something I’d drink maybe once or twice a week as a sweet treat. Made with just a couple of spoonfuls of powder and boiling water, I guess it wasn’t the *best* hot chocolate in the world! But as a kid who didn’t get a lot of sweet things a lot of the time? It was fantastic.

I don’t drink hot drinks very often, these days, and making a “proper” hot chocolate feels like a bit of a hassle! But I do love a good hot chocolate, when I can be bothered to go to the trouble, and it’s a very cozy thing to drink on a cold winter’s night. Some people like to add cinnamon, peppermint, gingerbread, or other festive flavourings, and that’s great, too!

Tier: A

Number Eleven:
Lebkuchen
(a.k.a. German Gingerbread)

I lived in Germany for a few years, back when I worked in the games industry. And it was when I was attending a Christmas market that I first discovered the wonderful lebkuchen! This soft, sweet, lightly-spiced cake is absolutely delicious, and I was so pleased to see it being made available in the UK a few years later. It’s become a staple of my Christmas treat cupboard!

This one is a bit unusual insofar as it’s not something I would’ve ever had as a kid, so in that sense it’s not something that has always been part of Christmas going way back. Obviously it would be in Germany, but not for me as someone who grew up in the UK! But we do have gingerbread in the UK – both the hard cookie variety and the soft, spongy cake variety, and I would’ve definitely had gingerbread in the run-up to Christmas. In fact, eating gingerbread on bonfire night is literally one of my earliest memories.

Tier: B

Number Twelve:
Roast/Glazed Ham

I think ham as a Christmas dinner main course is fairly common in the US and Canada, where turkey is usually eaten at Thanksgiving. But, as you might be able to guess by now, it’s not traditional British fare on the big day! So while I enjoy a good roast ham, I’ll always opt for turkey on Christmas Day.

Even if the ham is prepared elaborately, with Christmas spices, lots of decoration, and so on… Christmas dinner just wouldn’t feel the same without turkey. And I’d apply this to other roast meats, too, from chicken and duck to beef and lamb – they’re all delicious, sure, but they just don’t feel right for Christmas dinner.

Tier: D

Number Thirteen:
Roast Goose

Stock photo of roast goose on a glass plate.

The only conceivable exception to what I was just saying about “non-traditional” Christmas dinner main courses could be goose! Except… I’ve literally never eaten it in my life. Goose is expensive, or just not readily available, and I’ve never felt the need to go out of my way to try it.

However! Goose *is* a traditional Christmas meat – arguably more traditional than turkey, at least in decades and centuries past. Goose is famously what Scrooge buys at the end of A Christmas Carol to celebrate the big day, and I think it was the default Christmas meat in Victorian times. Maybe one year I’ll finally get around to trying it for myself. Who knows… it could be a total game-changer!

Tier: C

Number Fourteen:
Pigs in Blankets

Here’s a question that divides the UK and the USA: what are “pigs in blankets?” If you’re American, you might’ve answered that it’s a sausage wrapped in pastry and then baked. But you’d be *wrong*! Those are sausage rolls, and a true pig in blanket is a sausage wrapped not in pastry, but in delicious bacon! We only have them once a year as a side dish on Christmas Day.

Pigs in blankets are delicious. I mean, it’s a sausage… wrapped in bacon. How could you go wrong with that?! Unless you don’t do bacon for some reason, they’re often hailed as the single best thing on a Christmas dinner plate. I’m not sure I’d go quite that far… but they are an unbelievably special treat.

Tier: S

Number Fifteen:
Stollen

Stollen is… German panettone? Or panettone is Italian stollen! Either way, they’re both bread-like cakes with raisins and dried fruit, but stollen usually has marzipan running through the middle, too. I like it. It’s something we’ve had in the UK for a number of years now, and a well-made stollen is delicious and quite festive.

Nowadays, I tend to buy stollen slices or “bites” rather than an entire loaf; it just feels more efficient and less wasteful, even if it’s probably not as good value-wise. But these are little treats I’m happy to indulge in at this time of year. Cue the jokes about stealing stollen!

Tier: B

Number Sixteen:
Christmas Pudding

Stock photo of a (half-eaten) Christmas pudding.

Christmas pudding is a classic! My mother would always do the traditional thing of pouring brandy over it and setting it alight – a real show-stopper to end Christmas dinner. The only downside to Christmas pudding is how rich it is – and how it immediately follows a very large meal. That means – especially nowadays – I only want a small taste, not a big portion!

But Christmas pudding is great. Dried fruit, warming spices, a dash of brandy… all of those feel like festive flavours, and they come together beautifully. You can spend a lot of money on a “traditional” pudding made to be steamed, but I almost prefer the cheaper supermarket ones that you can just pop in the microwave.

Tier: A

Number Seventeen:
Yorkshire Puddings

From one pudding to another! But here’s a hot take: unless you’re having roast beef – which, as I said above, you *shouldn’t* on Christmas Day – then you don’t need a Yorkshire pudding on your plate. With roast potatoes, stuffing, bread sauce, and all the other trimmings of a typical Christmas dinner, there’s really no room for them, anyway!

I like Yorkshire puddings. And not just as part of a roast dinner – they’re good with sausages, stuffing, soup, all kinds of things. But I don’t associate them with Christmas, and I don’t think I’ve ever had them as part of my meal on the big day.

Tier: C

Number Eighteen:
Smoked Salmon and/or Prawn Cocktail

When I was growing up, we basically never had a starter or appetiser – except on Christmas Day. And either smoked salmon or a prawn cocktail are great starter options. Of the two, I’d say the salmon probably feels a bit more special or bougie, just because it’s not something I typically buy or have at any other time of year.

While both of these options are nice, and I would happily accept either on Christmas Day (especially if someone’s kind enough to make them for me!) there is *one* other starter that I might prefer…

Tier: B

Number Nineteen:
Pâté on Toast

Stock photo of a hand holding bread with pate.

How can you go wrong with crispy toast, a bit of butter, and a nice pâté? It’s not exactly exclusive to Christmas – this is something I’ll have at any time of year, and not just as a starter, but often as a whole meal in itself! But I adore pâté, and there are many different varieties to accommodate a range of tastes and dietary requirements.

At Christmas, there are often festive pâtés, too, either more indulgent than your typical pâté or using Christmassy ingredients and flavours. I don’t want a whole lot of pâté as a starter on Christmas Day, because it could easily overwhelm the meal, but a little taste before digging in? Perfect!

Tier: A

Number Twenty:
Roast Potatoes

Stock photo of roast potatoes on a plate.

Are roast potatoes the best thing on the plate at Christmas? Maybe, if you make them right! People swear by different methods – boiling first, then roasting, using different oils or fats, and so on – but for me, as long as you get them crispy on the outside and soft in the middle… I’ll be set. And I’ll stack a pile of these beauties on my plate to soak up all the bread sauce and gravy!

Again, roasties aren’t necessarily exclusive to the festive season. But they are beyond delicious on a Christmas dinner plate, and they just… make the meal. A roast dinner wouldn’t be complete without roast potatoes, and if I’m having turkey with “all the trimmings,” as we like to say, then one of those trimmings simply *must* be roast potatoes!

Tier: S

Number Twenty-One:
Mixed Veg

Uh, sure. Carrots, parsnips, cabbage, peas, maybe some sweetcorn. They all have a place on a Christmas dinner plate. Not a *huge* place, but a place nonetheless. They aren’t what you get excited about as you can smell the meal cooking on Christmas Day, but if you just had meat, potatoes, and gravy… something wouldn’t be right. Perhaps you’d notice the absence more than the presence.

Vegetables are a year-round thing, of course, and I personally don’t do anything special with veg at Christmas. As above with sprouts, some people try to make vegetables either indulgent or just different – things like honey-glazed carrots or cabbage cooked in wine. But those things wouldn’t add a lot, at least for me, and I don’t remember my family doing any of that at this time of year.

Tier: C

Number Twenty-Two:
Gravy

Stock photo of a saucepan with brown soup/gravy inside.

Where would Christmas dinner be without gravy, eh? I know, I know: I’ve already said bread sauce is the superior condiment on Christmas Day – and I stand by those words! But gravy is delicious, too, and still has a place on my festive plate. It goes especially nicely with stuffing and roast potatoes.

If you’re cooking from scratch, making your own gravy with all of the leftovers and pan drippings feels like a heck of a task! So these days, I tend to just buy some gravy granules – maybe it’s not “perfect,” but it makes for a fine gravy that’s almost as good for, like, 5% of the effort.

Tier: A

Number Twenty-Three:
Salad

Okay, let’s think this through. If you’re living somewhere hot in the southern hemisphere, and Christmas falls in the middle of summer, maybe you don’t want to have roast potatoes and all of that – you want something cool and refreshing, not warm and comforting. And a salad is the perfect accompaniment to a plate of cold sliced meat, or even meat cooked on a barbecue.

But for me, here in the UK? Salad shouldn’t be part of a typical Christmas dinner! Sorry. When I lived in South Africa, I can remember having salad and cold meats on Christmas Day, and I thought it was quite the novelty! But it didn’t feel Christmassy to me, as someone who grew up in the northern hemisphere. Nor did going to the beach when it was thirty degrees out on Christmas Eve, come to that! But different parts of the world do things differently, so salad on Christmas Day could make sense to you and feel like a part of the celebrations.

Tier: D

Number Twenty-Four:
Yule Log

I have a fond memory of making this traditional Christmas treat in school, and having to carry it all the way home on the bus at the end of the day! It’s basically a chocolate Swiss roll – a rolled-up cake with a chocolate buttercream filling. But a yule log is then decorated to somewhat resemble a real wooden log – often with chocolate ganache.

This is quite an indulgent cake, and not one you’d have a lot of! But it’s delicious, and I like how the theme of the holiday carries through, thanks to the design. It can be a fun project for kids, too, as I found out all those years ago. Decorating the log just right was a lot of fun! And who can say no to chocolate cake, eh?

Tier: A

Number Twenty-Five:
Gingerbread Men/Gingerbread House

Stock photo of a gingerbread house at Christmas.

If you say “gingerbread” to me, my mind goes first to the spongy gingerbread cake that we often bake in the UK in the autumn and winter. The harder, cookie-like gingerbread? That’s more common in the United States, though it has made its way over here. I don’t have quite the same innate Christmassy association with either gingerbread men or making a gingerbread house as you might if you grew up in America… but I gotta admit, it’s a lot of fun!

I actually made a gingerbread house for the first time a couple of years ago, and I had a blast doing it. It’s a craft project, really – one that the little ones are bound to enjoy and have a ton of fun with. And that’s Christmas in a nutshell, really – fun for the kids. Maybe gingerbread men and gingerbread houses weren’t always a part of my holiday traditions, but they’re delicious, definitely festive, and I mean… how often do you get to play with your food?

Tier: B

So that’s it!

Let’s take a look at the final tier list, shall we?

Well… I hope this has been a bit of Christmassy fun! The big day is approaching, and I wanted to do something a bit silly to celebrate the festive season.

Are you ready for Christmas yet? I bought my final gifts today, and I’ll shortly be taking the train to my sister’s place to deliver presents for my niece. It’s her first Christmas! So I really want to make it special for the whole family this year. I’ve even got a silly Christmas jumper to wear for the day.

Wherever you are in the world, and however far along you may be with you Christmas plans, I hope you’re having a great Christmas time. If you missed it, check out my list of a few 21st Century Christmas films and TV specials to enjoy. You can find it by clicking or tapping here. And stay tuned, because there’s more to come here on the website before the big day! Later in the month, there’ll also be my annual End-of-Year Awards, where I’ll hand out some imaginary trophies to my favourite entertainment experiences of 2025. Don’t miss it! And Merry Christmas!

This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Let’s Have A 21st Century Christmas!

Sat 06.12.25Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are minor spoilers for several of the titles discussed below.

Have you ever noticed that *most* of the films and TV specials that we like to watch at this time of year are… kinda old? Even if you don’t go for a real old-school classic like It’s A Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street, most of the festive entertainment that I see being talked about – at least among my peers and folks of a similar age to me – originated before the turn of the millennium.

Think about it: Die Hard came out in 1988. Home Alone is from 1990. A Christmas Story was 1983. The Santa Clause was released in 1994. The Nightmare Before Christmas? That was 1993. The Muppet Christmas Carol came out in 1992.

So where’s the 21st Century in our holiday traditions? That’s a wrong we’re going to right today!

Still frame from Miracle on 34th Street (1947) showing Santa Claus. — Many of our “Christmas classics” are from the 20th Century, like *Miracle on 34th Street*.

I have really fond memories of this time of year, including watching the likes of 1982’s The Snowman, Mickey’s Christmas Carol from 1983, and the 1996 so-bad-it’s-good classic Jingle All The Way! But there are some wonderful films and TV specials which premiered in the first quarter of the 21st Century that I think some of us can occasionally overlook. And look, I get it: some of these still feel brand-new, even if they’re approaching their 20th or even 25th anniversaries! But Christmas, while a time of tradition and returning to things we’ve enjoyed in the past, still has room for newer and more modern touches.

If you’re British (or if you remember an earlier edition of my annual festive playlist), you might associate the term “21st Century Christmas” with the song of the same name by Cliff Richard! That’s where I got the title of this piece from. And the song itself is well worth a listen, even if Cliff’s idea of “the 21st Century” seems dated already, with lyrics talking of DVDs and faxes! But I think we’ve drifted off-topic…

The cover of Cliff Richard's 2006 CD single "21st Century Christmas". — In the immortal words of Cliff Richard, let’s have a 21st Century Christmas!

What I’ve done today is put together a short list of five films and TV specials from the 21st Century that I think are well worth checking out at this time of year. If you missed them when they were new, or haven’t seen them since they premiered… maybe check them out in 2025. We’re almost a quarter of the way through the century, if you can believe that. And I’m still trying to adjust to writing dates where the year begins with a “2!”

My usual caveats apply: everything we’re going to talk about is the entirely subjective, not objective, opinion of one person only. If I highlight something you hate or miss out something you thought would be a shoo-in for a list like this… *that’s okay!* There are loads of fun Christmas specials and films, and I’ve only picked out a handful this time. They’re listed below in the order they were originally released, and I included any Christmassy or Christmas-adjacent film or TV special released after the 1st of January 2001 on my long list of titles under consideration!

With all of that out of the way… let’s have a 21st Century Christmas!

Number One:
The Polar Express
(2004)

Still frame from The Polar Express (2004) showing the titular train on an icy lake. — The titular Polar Express.

Can you believe that The Polar Express is more than 20 years old already? The film has – in my view – aged remarkably well, shaking off a somewhat controversial start to become a true festive classic. When The Polar Express was released, I can clearly remember a colleague of mine telling me that their young children were frightened of the film and its “creepy” CGI. But as we’ve gotten more used to computer animation in the two decades since, I think that particular criticism of The Polar Express has well and truly fallen away.

This is a fun twist on the classic “does Santa really exist” dilemma that many kids face. And it’s a bold choice for a Christmas film to tackle that question head-on, not simply hand-waving away the young boy’s doubts. Instead, The Polar Express leans into this idea of doubt to tell a really engaging and just plain *fun* narrative that I’m sure continues to resonate really strongly with kids today.

Still frame from The Polar Express (2004) showing the conductor, the kids, and a crowd of elves at the North Pole. — The conductor with some of the kids.

I love a good steam train, and The Polar Express brought a wonderful engine to life with its CGI. Trains are kind of related to Christmas – especially toy trains – so that’s on theme. And there’s a wonderful musical sequence as well as a great score. The theme from The Polar Express has become a classic Christmas track in its own right!

I wrote up a longer piece on The Polar Express last year to mark the film’s twentieth anniversary, and you can find it by clicking or tapping here. I’d be really curious to know what kids who’ve grown up since 2004 – and thus remember The Polar Express as just another old Christmas film – make of it nowadays!

Number Two:
Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation
(2009)

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Phineas and Ferb aboard a Christmassy steam train. — The boys on a train.

I’m a big fan of Phineas and Ferb, so I was pleased to see the series resurrected this year for a fifth season! The show’s big Christmas special, from back in 2009, is one of the absolute best episodes for me, and it puts a distinctively “Phineas and Ferb” spin on a classic holiday premise. When Christmas is endangered (by the nefarious Dr Doofenshmirtz, naturally), someone has to step up and save the day – and that task falls to Phineas, Ferb, Candace, and their friends.

Christmas Vacation also has an incredible soundtrack. Phineas and Ferb is well-known for its songs and musical numbers, but Christmas Vacation packed several great festive tracks into its runtime. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s song Christmas is Starting Now, which plays at the climax of the story, might be the pick of the pops, but really, all of the songs are just fantastic. Several of them are on my festive playlist!

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Perry the Platypus and a magic, sentient snowman. — Perry and a magic snowman.

I’m an absolute sucker for the whole “Christmas is in danger, so someone has to fix it” story trope, and Phineas and Ferb executes it so well. We get some fantastic buildup, with the kids excitedly decorating the entire town as part of their “thank-you letter” to Santa Claus, Doofenshmirtz gets a cute conflicted backstory about his ambivalence towards the holidays, and it all culminates on Christmas Eve with the kids having to do what they do best… with a little help from the North Pole.

Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation is the only Christmas special or movie that I watch, without fail, at least once every festive season. I have done since I first saw it, I think, and it’s become a tradition that I plan to continue for as many Christmases as I’ve got left! Last year, to mark the special’s fifteenth anniversary, I wrote a longer piece about it, which you can find by clicking or tapping here.

Number Three:
Family Guy: Road to the North Pole
(2010)

Still frame from Family Guy: Road to the North Pole showing the Griffin family and their house. — The song at the beginning of the special.

Family Guy had a good thing going for a few years with its “Road To…” special episodes, and the format was perfect for this Christmas special. Stewie and Brian take off on a wild adventure to find Santa after a run-in with a fake Santa at the local shopping mall. This kicks off a ridiculous quest that takes several dark turns… but one that has a surprisingly poignant message about consumerism and overconsumption.

Road to the North Pole kicks off with one of Family Guy’s best-ever songs, too: All I Really Want For Christmas, which sees most of the show’s main and secondary characters sharing their silly Christmas wants and wishes. The musical number is fantastic, well-animated, and pretty darn funny, too. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Family Guy – like The Simpsons before it – has declined in quality over the years, so maybe Road to the North Pole is one of the last truly good stories.

Still frame from Family Guy: Road to the North Pole showing Brian and Stewie piloting the sleigh. — Brian and Stewie on Santa’s sleigh.

Aside from the song – which is hilarious – I think what people remember the most about Road to the North Pole is its depiction of a weak Santa Claus, wasting away, beaten down by the incessant demands of consumerism. And that’s the core message of the special: that people are asking for (or demanding) too much at Christmas instead of being satisfied with smaller gifts, spending time with family, or just what they already have. Though presented in a weird, grotesque, and typically “Family Guy” way, that message is a good one – and a timeless one, too.

What I enjoy most, though, about Road to the North Pole is the road trip itself. Starting at their New England home, Brian and Stewie trek through the United States and Canada, under the Northern Lights, before making it to Santa’s workshop. Though not the biggest part of the special, there’s something about this kind of adventure that’s always captured my imagination.

Number Four:
Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor
(2013)

Still frame from Doctor Who showing the planet Trenzalore. — The village of Christmas.

Speaking as we were of a show’s “last hurrah” before descending into mediocrity… here’s Doctor Who! Joking aside, The Time of the Doctor, which came along just after the show’s wonderful fiftieth anniversary special earlier in 2013, is probably the final genuinely good episode of the revival. As much as I adore Peter Capaldi and his take on the ancient time-traveller, his tenure in the Tardis marked a decline in quality from which the show has simply not recovered.

But that’s not what we’re here to talk about!

The Time of the Doctor sees Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor battling alone, for decades, against the Daleks and a variety of other enemies, all in defence of a town named Christmas. There’s some snow, some cute Christmas imagery, and a pretty fun and emotional story as this incarnation of the Doctor reaches the end of his life.

Still frame from Doctor Who showing the 11th Doctor in the snow. — Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.

Doctor Who has done a number of Christmas specials since its revival – and not all of them feel as “Christmassy” as The Time of the Doctor. While it’s still very much the culmination of a multi-story arc, and some of that context *does* add a lot to the final act in particular, I still think it’s something that can be watched and enjoyed on its own merit. I haven’t seen Season 7 of the revived Doctor Who since it was on the air back in 2012/13, but The Time of the Doctor is still fun to return to.

I’ve always found stories about doomed last stands to be intense and emotional, and I think that’s a big part of what makes The Time of the Doctor work so well. It’s a tale of a man caught between two impossible extremes – and his only friend trying to reach him. The stakes are high… but also very personal. It’s a great special – and maybe, in hindsight, it should’ve brought the revived series to an end.

Number Five:
That Christmas
(2024)

Still frame from That Christmas showing the Beccles' house. — Waking up to a snowy Christmas.

Richard Curtis, who also penned the festive favourite Love Actually, wrote this charming and distinctly British animated Christmas flick for Netflix just last year. And you know what? It’s fantastic. There are definitely echoes of Love Actually, with the film’s cast of characters spread out into different groups, whose stories are all connected in some way. And there’s plenty of the awe and wonder that Christmas time inspires thanks to Santa Claus, a blizzard, and the magic of Christmas Eve.

When you’ve got so many characters, it can be difficult to find enough time to give all of them personalities and motivations, but That Christmas never feels like it has that issue. With the caveat that a few of the adults seem particularly incompetent, everyone involved feels well-rounded and real, and given that the film’s only got a nintey-minute runtime, that’s pretty special.

Still frame from That Christmas (2024) showing the lighthouse. — The town’s lighthouse on Christmas Eve.

The main song from That Christmas – Ed Sheeran’s Under The Tree – wasn’t my favourite at first, but the slow, almost haunting track has grown on me a lot since I first heard it, and it’s now a mainstay on my festive playlist. It’s the perfect melancholic track for one part of the film – but don’t worry, there’s bound to be a happy ending! After all, it’s Christmas.

That Christmas hadn’t been on my radar last year, but I’m really glad I checked it out. If you liked Love Actually, I think there’s a lot to love here, as the same kind of style is on show. Maybe it’s a bit early to hail That Christmas as a “classic,” but having seen it just last year, it’s already on my “watch again” list. If you missed it in 2024, definitely check it out. And if you want to read my full review, which I wrote last December, you can find it by clicking or tapping here.

So that’s it… for now!

A stock photo of a London street with Christmas lights, a Routemaster bus, and a black cab. — London’s Christmas lights.

I’ve already thought of *at least* five more 21st Century Christmas films and TV specials, so maybe this is an idea I’ll revisit next December. I don’t wanna play all of my cards at once, after all! But I hope this has been a bit of fun, and maybe I’ve highlighted a modern Christmas film or special that you missed or haven’t seen since it was new. If I’ve helped even one person find one thing to watch this festive season, I reckon I’ve done a good job!

A few days ago, I updated my annual festive playlist with twelve Christmassy songs – click or tap here to check that out, if you haven’t already! And between now and the big day, I have a few other pieces in my writing pile that I hope to get to. And coming up at the end of the month will be my End-of-Year Awards, so I hope you’ll join me as I hand out some imaginary trophies and statuettes to some of my favourite productions of 2025.

Until then… I hope you’re having a fantastic December!

All titles discussed above are the copyright of their respective studio, publisher, broadcaster, distributor, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A Festive Playlist To Get You In The Holiday Spirit!

Mon 01.12.25Dennis

Welcome to the sixth edition of my festive playlist! This is an annual tradition here at Trekking with Dennis, as I love to jump-start the holiday season by sharing a few of my favourite Christmas tracks.

I’ve been a collector of Christmas music and albums for… well, too long, let’s just say! I started my collection with cassettes and CDs, I made my own mixtapes of my favourite festive songs, and in recent years I’ve gone digital with MP3s and FLAC! I love uncovering new Christmas albums, either by artists I’m familiar with or by people I’ve never even heard of. There are so many great Christmas songs out there, be they new takes on classic tracks or brand-new compositions. Every year, I go through the charts and lists of new releases, trying out new Christmas albums and songs… and adding to my ever-growing festive playlist!

Photo of a house adorned with many Christmas lights and ornaments. — There’s a house like this in every town, right?

As I’ve done for the past few years, I want to share a few of these tracks with you today. And if you missed them in years gone by, be sure to check out the earlier editions of my festive playlist. Pick your favourite songs, or just add them all together and you’ll be all set for your Christmas party! Here’s last year’s edition, click or tap here to listen to 2023’s edition, here comes the 2022 edition, and the 2021 edition, and finally, the first edition from 2020. Right! Let’s get the important bits out of the way then we can listen to some songs!

All of the songs below are embedded via YouTube. However, if one or more won’t play for you in your part of the world, check other streaming platforms, as I daresay *most* of these songs will be accessible somehow. And if you feel like I’ve missed one of the big festive hits, check out those earlier editions of this playlist, because I may have already covered them in the past. Finally, if you hate all of the songs I’ve chosen… *that’s okay!* There are plenty of wonderful Christmas songs in all kinds of genres to enjoy at this time of year, and we won’t always agree on which ones are the best. I share my selections with you in the spirit of the season.

Stock photo of a little girl lying down under a Christmas tree. — Have you put up your Christmas tree yet?

For the last five years, we’ve managed to dodge both Wham! and Mariah Carey. But… can we keep that up indefinitely? Or have the (jingle) bells finally begun to toll for us? Scroll down to find out!

Underneath each embedded video, I’ve written a couple of paragraphs about each song, sharing my thoughts, how I encountered them, their recording histories, and such like. I hope this playlist will be a bit of festive fun now that December has arrived.

Without any further ado, let’s fire up the gramophone and listen to some Christmas songs!

Track #1:
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – Andy Williams (1963)

Let’s start with a bona fide Christmas classic this year! Andy Williams was a hugely popular American entertainer, both as a singer and as the host of his self-titled TV show, and he recorded this track for his first Christmas album in 1963. It wasn’t released as a single back then, but The Andy Williams Christmas Album topped the charts that year (and for two years afterwards, too) and was certified gold in the United States in 1964.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year has, in recent years, been a mainstay on the singles chart thanks to digital downloads and streaming. A CD single was issued in the UK in 2007, after the song picked up traction, and it hasn’t dropped out of the charts at Christmas time since then. It’s a wonderful trad-pop song of the kind that Williams was known for, and I can see why it became an instant Christmas classic! It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year has also spawned many cover versions, including recordings by Amy Grant, Johnny Mathis, and even Kylie Minogue.

Track #2:
Wonderful Christmastime – Christina Perri (2023)

We covered Paul McCartney’s original festive hit Wonderful Christmastime on an earlier edition of this playlist, but pop/rock singer Christina Perri put a totally unique spin on the track. And I happen to really like it! Perri’s version is shorter, clocking in at just under two minutes as opposed to the original’s three-and-a-half, which is an interesting choice – but the song doesn’t feel like it’s missing anything. The slowed tempo and simple instrumentation also give the song a gentler, almost haunting feel, emphasising the beauty of the lyrics and composition.

Christina Perri’s album Songs for Christmas was released in 2023, and as far as I can tell it didn’t chart. So this cover version seems to have flown under the radar, because I don’t think it was released as a single. But if you missed this new take on Wonderful Christmastime… give it a try. I really think it’s something special.

Track #3:
Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming) – Melanie Thornton (2001)

Chances are, you know this song already – or at least a version of it! Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming) is the Coca-Cola Christmas advert song, though that version is shorter and has some altered lyrics. This version of the song is longer, and while it isn’t *explicitly* about Christmas, the association is there and I’ve had it on my festive playlist for years as a result! The longer version of the song doesn’t mention Coke, so this isn’t just an overblown jingle; it’s a beautiful song well worth listening to in its own right.

The story surrounding Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming) is actually rather sad. Melanie Thornton passed away just days before the song’s release, having only recorded one solo album after leaving the group La Bouche a year or so earlier. The song proved to be a hit in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, coming close to topping the charts in all three countries in 2001. It also regularly returns to the charts in those countries at this time of year, thanks to digital downloads and streaming – and was eventually certified platinum in Germany.

Track #4:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – John Denver (1975)

Honestly, we could make an entire John Denver Christmas playlist! The country-folk singer recorded plenty of Christmas songs during his career, but I’m choosing this version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer this year. Don’t confuse the 1975 recording for his later 1990 recording of the same track, as they’re quite different! Both are good, but they’re quite different in tone and instrumentation.

Despite being released at what was arguably the pinnacle of his fame, John Denver’s first Christmas album – 1975’s Rocky Mountain Christmas – didn’t storm the charts. This version of Rudolph wasn’t released as a single, either. There was a TV special hosted by John Denver in 1975, also called Rocky Mountain Christmas, though, and from what I can tell it was well-received by viewers at the time. In any case, I enjoy this version of a festive classic!

Track #5:
Love This Christmas – Rick Astley (2020)

’80s pop star – and original internet meme – Rick Astley returned in 2020 with an unexpected Christmas song! And you know what? It was pretty darn good. The song has the feel of festive hits from years gone by, reminding me a little of songs like I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. Backed up by a video that also leans into that style… I really enjoyed what Rick Astley created, and the song has been on my festive playlist for the last five Christmases already!

However, Love This Christmas didn’t make a splash on the charts, failing to graze even the lower reaches of the charts in the UK or anywhere else! A bit of a shame, but perhaps not totally unexpected for an artist who might not unfairly be called a “one-hit wonder” nowadays. Still, Love This Christmas is, in my humble opinion, a modern-day festive classic, and well worth listening to if you missed it back in 2020. And given everything that happened that year… I wouldn’t blame you if you were a bit busy!

Track #6:
My Favourite Time of Year – The Florin Street Band (2010)

I agree with The Florin Street Band: Christmas really *is* my favourite time of year! And this song really encapsulates that feeling; a gentle love letter to the festive season and all it brings. It’s got a British edge to it, too, with references to carol singing, and the video leans into a Victorian Christmastime aesthetic that reminds me of A Christmas Carol. It’s a beautiful song, but the video also adds a lot, making My Favourite Time of Year a real multi-sensory experience!

The Florin Street Band was put together to make My Favourite Time of Year, as the creator wanted to bring back some “Christmas magic” to the music scene. The song didn’t chart, but it has raised money for charity, been covered by school choirs and bands across the UK, and even headlined ITV’s “Text Santa” appeal a few years ago. The Florin Street Band is back, though, in 2025, with a new song and video scheduled to premiere later this month.

Track #7:
Merry & Happy – TWICE (2017)

2025 has been the year of K-pop for me! Well, not really – but I did enjoy the film KPop Demon Hunters, which features music by Korean girl group TWICE. That sent me down a rabbit hole of listening to some of their other music – including this Christmassy number from 2017! I can’t understand the lyrics, of course… but I like it. It’s a cute, upbeat Christmas song, with some jingling bells in the chorus… and that’s all I need, really!

I confess that I know very little about TWICE. But I can tell you that Merry & Happy was an addition to their first album when it was re-issued in 2017, and it charted in Korea, Japan, and on the Billboard World chart in the United States. I wouldn’t have come to listen to it but for KPop Demon Hunters, but I’m glad I did – and it will join my festive playlist from here on out!

Track #8:
So Near To Christmas – Alvin Stardust (1984)

I am unashamedly an Alvin Stardust fan! My Coo Ca Choo and Jealous Mind are just perfect ’70s glam rock songs, in my opinion. And yeah, hearing them on my dad’s old record player when I was a kid is probably the reason why I think so! In 1984, though, after the peak of his career, Alvin Stardust came back with this beautiful slow-paced Christmas track. It reminds me a little of Mud’s Lonely This Christmas, which we talked about on an earlier edition of the playlist.

So Near To Christmas peaked at number 29 on the UK charts in 1984, and did a bit better in Ireland, where it reached a creditable place at number 15. It would be Alvin Stardust’s last notable single, as subsequent releases didn’t chart. In the ’90s, Alvin Stardust had a recurring role on Hollyoaks, a British soap opera, and continued touring and performing on TV through the 2000s and into the 2010s.

Track #9:
The First Noel – Mark and Maggie O’Connor (2025)

Representing the country music genre, we have married couple Mark and Maggie O’Connor, with their version of the traditional carol The First Noel. Their album, A Christmas Duo, was released not long ago, and contained this really beautiful take on one of my favourite carols. Using only fiddle and guitar, and with Maggie O’Connor taking the lead vocal part, this new version has the feel of something much older… almost timeless.

Mark O’Connor has won three Grammys in a long career, and I think I’m right in saying that this isn’t his first Christmas album – though it is his first as a duet. A Christmas Duo hasn’t charted yet, but at least one track (The Holly and the Ivy) has been picking up some attention. Sometimes, what I need is a gentle, classic take on a traditional carol – and that’s exactly what this version of The First Noel delivers.

Track #10:
Another Bloomin’ Christmas – Mel Smith (1991)

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the animated Christmas special Father Christmas, which aired here in the UK in 1991. I can vividly remember watching it on Channel 4 that year, and it’s been a part of my personal festive celebrations ever since! Included in the special was this song, sung by comedian Mel Smith in his guise as this version of Father Christmas – a.k.a. Santa Claus! And it’s a lot of fun. I definitely encourage you to watch the special if you haven’t seen it already, as it adds a lot of context for the song, and you can read my full thoughts on Father Christmas by clicking or tapping here.

The song was released as a standalone single in 1991, with cassette, vinyl, and even CD versions being made available. Despite the popularity of the TV special, however, it only peaked at a lowly 59th position that year. Mel Smith’s other festive hit – a cover of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, which was a collaboration with singer Kim Wilde – had landed at a much more respectable third place a few years earlier! For more on that track, see last year’s edition of the festive playlist.

Track #11:
Little Drummer Boy – The Baseballs (2012)

I had the incredibly good fortune to see The Baseballs play live once, and the German rock ‘n’ roll group is one of the few acts I’ve seen live who sound basically no different to their studio recordings. I think I included their cover of Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree on an earlier edition of my festive playlist, but this year I’m choosing their upbeat, rock ‘n’ roll take on Little Drummer Boy – because it’s just great fun!

The Baseballs always struck me as a unique act, with their musical style and even their clothes harkening back to the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s. I’ve collected most of their albums at this stage, most of which contain cover versions of more modern tracks, reimagined in that old school rock ‘n’ roll style. This version of Little Drummer Boy wasn’t released as a single so didn’t chart independently, but the album it’s taken from – Good Ol’ Christmas – did reasonably well in Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia back in 2012.

Track #12:
I Love Christmastime – The Gleeman (2022)

I confess that I don’t know very much about The Gleeman, but his festive song I Love Christmastime is a beautiful celebration of this time of year. 2022 was The Gleeman’s debut, with his first album dropping earlier in the year before this festive release. It’s another track that feels timeless, like it could’ve been recorded years ago and been part of our celebrations for a long time. I like the composition, the choice of instruments, and the gentle, celebratory lyrics.

I Love Christmastime was reissued in 2023 as a charity single in support of War Child, and was tipped as a potential Christmas number one that year. I’m sure the song raised a lot of money for charity, and it seems to have been downloaded quite a few times on iTunes, but it didn’t make it to the official UK charts that year. Still, it’s a great festive track, and one I’ve really come to enjoy.

So that’s it… till Christmas 2026!

Vintage photo of a snowy, Christmassy scene in Norway. — A very Christmassy scene!

I hope this has been an enjoyable playlist. If I’ve helped even one person find one new Christmas song that they’ll enjoy at this time of year, I reckon I’ve done a good job! And in any case, it’s always a lot of fun to dig through my playlist and find more festive favourites to talk about. It’s a nice way to jump-start the festive season now that we’re into December.

And hey, would you look at that? We’ve managed to hide from both Mariah Carey and Wham! for the sixth year in a row. But surely, *surely*, we’re running out of holiday hits by now… right? You’ll have to join me next year to see if we can keep the streak going!

Stock photo of a model Christmas village. — Such a cute Christmas village!

I have a few more Christmassy ideas which may (or may not, time depending) make their way onto the website before the big day. And later in the month, I hope you’ll join me for my annual End-of-Year Awards, in which I’ll hand out some imaginary trophies and statuettes to some of my favourite entertainment experiences of 2025. But before all that, there’s still an entire month to get through!

Whatever you’ve got planned for December, and whether you’re celebrating with friends, family, or alone, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. And please check back from time to time, as I’m always finding new things to talk about here on the website! Hopefully this playlist has given you one or two ideas for what to listen to as you hang up the lights and decorate the tree, or for your next Christmas party. Cheers, and happy holidays!

All songs on the playlist above are the copyright of their respective record company, studio, distributor, composer, etc. All videos courtesy of YouTube. Videos are merely embedded here, and are not hosted on Trekking with Dennis. For copyright or other legal purposes, please contact YouTube directly. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A Festive Review: That Christmas

Sun 22.12.24Dennis

The first part of this review is free from major plot spoilers. The end of the spoiler-free section is clearly indicated.

With Christmas approaching, I like to enjoy a festive film or two! And after That Christmas had been recommended to be by a family member, I thought it would be worth re-subscribing to Netflix for a month or two in order to check it out. And you know what? I’m glad I did – That Christmas is one of the sweetest and most fun Christmas films that I’ve seen in years!

That Christmas is a film with heart, populated by a really great cast of characters. A story that brings different groups of characters together for one big Christmas mission always hits me right in the feels – and that’s what That Christmas delivers. It’s a film for kids, sure – but there’s a lot for adults to enjoy, too.

Still frame from That Christmas showing Santa dangling upside down from a rooftop. — Santa Claus in *That Christmas*.

There’s some fantastic animation work present in That Christmas. I’ve talked before about how snow can be difficult to get right in animation, but That Christmas really nails the look and feel of both snowfall and deep snow lying on the ground. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without snow – and as both a playground for some of the younger characters and an obstacle for the adults, the snow serves both a narrative function and manages to look fantastic, setting the tone of the film.

Voice acting is stellar across the board – even for younger characters. That Christmas features some well-known names – Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker, Brian Cox, and Bill Nighy all play big roles. But there are also some newer performers and younger voice actors with whom I wasn’t familiar, and they all did a fantastic job of bringing their characters to life.

Still frame from That Christmas showing kids in a mini-bus. — Several of the film’s younger characters.

That Christmas also has a great soundtrack. There are a couple of familiar festive hits in there, and one brand-new song: Under The Tree by Ed Sheeran. Earlier in the year, Under The Tree was being talked up as a potential Christmas number one; it didn’t get there, peaking at a lowly number 92 in the charts a couple of weeks ago. But for my money it’s a sweet song – and it plays at a particularly emotional moment in the film. To land a songwriter of Ed Sheeran’s calibre is a coup for That Christmas, even if the song didn’t storm the charts on its own!

That Christmas was based on a book: That Christmas and Other Stories by Richard Curtis, which released earlier in 2024. Curtis is a great writer and scriptwriter, being known for co-writing the likes of Mr Bean, Blackadder, and perennial festive favourite Love Actually. I actually felt echoes of the latter in That Christmas, particularly in the way the film started off with different character pairs and groups, but gradually weaved their stories together. That Christmas is much more overtly about the holiday than Love Actually, though!

Photo of Richard Curtis and Simon Otto at an animation festival in front of a Netflix-branded banner. — Writer Richard Curtis (left) with director Simon Otto at an animation festival earlier in 2024.
*Photo Credit: Netflix*

So I think I’ve said as much as I can without getting into story spoilers. If you just want to know whether or not I recommend That Christmas, the answer is an emphatic “yes!” It’s a fantastic holiday film, one that will almost certainly be hailed in the years to come as a classic. I know that I’ll be returning to it next Christmas – and every Christmas thereafter for as long as I’m still alive and kicking!

Now we’re going to talk in a bit more detail about a few of the storylines. Nothing in That Christmas is earth-shattering, but if you want to watch the film completely un-spoiled, this is your opportunity to jump ship. If you want to come back after you’ve seen it to get my full thoughts, that would be great, too!

Still frame from That Christmas showing Santa on his sleigh at the end of the film.

A spoiler warning graphic (featuring Santa Claus, of course!)

This is the end of the spoiler-free section of the review. Expect story spoilers for That Christmas from here on out!

I absolutely love a story about Santa Claus. I’ve talked about this before, but for me, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Santa and that mysterious magical quality that he brings. In That Christmas, Santa’s role is really interesting, as he gives other characters in the story a bit of a push in the right direction – through the medium of gift-giving.

Santa’s defining trait in every story are the presents he delivers on Christmas Eve. But in That Christmas, these presents become integral to the plot, with all of the children receiving gifts that help some other part of the story. Using Santa Claus in this way – instead of just delivering generic toys to the good children – was really creative and fun. It presents Santa as being a kind of omniscient observer, and someone who wants to do good, but who doesn’t get actively involved. We don’t see Santa join in the search for the missing Evie at the climax of the story, but the gifts he provided to some of the kids gave them the boost they needed to aid in the search on their own terms.

Still frame from That Christmas showing the search party from above. — The search party setting out to look for Evie.

I also liked the visual presentation of Santa, Dasher, and particularly the sack full of presents! Something that can be hard to depict in Christmas stories is Santa’s sack – how could he possibly fit presents for all of the world’s children in one sack? Some films simply show an incredibly large sack on an oversized sleigh, but That Christmas kept things smaller and much more in line with visual depictions of Santa in popular culture. The answer to this apparent contradiction was simple: a blue-tinted magical glow inside Santa’s sack.

We didn’t ever get to see inside the sack, but it was implied through this neat little visual effect that there’s bona fide Christmas magic at work – and that’s how Santa is able to carry the sack and deliver all of the gifts. I really liked this idea, and I think it added to the magical feel of the character.

Still frame from That Christmas showing Santa Claus reaching into his sack. — Santa’s magical sack.

As to the reindeer, though… I suspect the reason only one reindeer was included was to make the sequences easier to animate, as well as perhaps to limit the number of speaking roles. I’m not sure I would’ve chosen Dasher as the only reindeer – Rudolph is surely much more associated with Christmas! But I really liked Dasher’s personality, which was brought to life thanks to a wonderful vocal performance from Guz Khan.

That Christmas found many ways to tug at the heartstrings, but no more so than with the aloof, strict, and apparently very lonely school teacher Ms Trapper. I think many of us can remember having a teacher that we found to be unpleasant or overly strict; it’s an almost universal childhood memory! Ms Trapper reminded me, at first, of Miss Trunchbull – from Roald Dahl’s Matilda. I certainly felt echoes of that character in Fiona Shaw’s performance. But it soon turned out that Ms Trapper – while being strict – was an ultimately caring character with a tragic side.

Still frame from That Christmas showing Danny and Ms Trapper building an igloo. — Danny with Ms Trapper.

Pairing her up with the young Danny Williams made for one of That Christmas’s most emotional and sweet stories. The lonely teacher and the boy feeling abandoned made great foils for one another, both during the town’s snow day and later, as they teamed up to make Danny’s mum’s Christmas special and then setting out to aid in the rescue of the stranded adults in the mini-bus. There were some adorable moments between the two as Danny came to appreciate his teacher and Ms Trapper’s strict facade started to show some cracks.

Also on the Williams side of the story was a relatable conversation about healthcare – and Britain’s overworked NHS in particular. Mrs Williams was a nurse, and was called into action repeatedly at Christmas time, sacrificing time with her family in order to be there for her patients. During the pandemic, we celebrated NHS workers. But with the service under increasing pressure, it’s worth drawing our attention to the real heroes who continue to work there and continue to provide care for people who need it the most.

Still frame from That Christmas showing Mrs Williams looking at her phone in the snow. — There was a surprisingly realistic portrayal of life as an NHS nurse.

I’m always gonna love a sweet story about a “bad” but ultimately reformable character – and we got that with the Beccles twins. After realising her misbehaviour had caught up to her, Charlie made the ultimate sacrifice to give the Christmas presents back to her sister after Santa – deliberately, surely! – put them on her side of the room. This led to the revelation that Charlie’s actions were all intended to make Sam smile, further adding to the adorableness of this storyline!

The twins were great characters, and their contrasting personalities made for entertaining viewing. Unlike in some stories, I always got the sense that the sisters really enjoyed each other’s company – even though they had wildly different perspectives on practically everything. This set up Charlie’s big act of kindness and the later revelation perfectly; it would have been harder to pull off if we’d seen the twins fighting or arguing with one another.

Still frame from That Christmas showing the Beccles twins with their gifts. — The twins on Christmas morning.

The blended family – The McNutts, Forrests, and Muljis – were an interesting bunch. I felt the adults here were a little too incompetent, perhaps… getting stranded very easily and being unable to get themselves out of the situation by, y’know, walking a few metres. But that can be a trope of kids’ fiction, and it kept the adults out of the way so that the kids could have their version of a “perfect Christmas,” free from the oppressive traditions forced upon them by their parents. As the setup for a fun story, I think it worked well enough.

The standout character here was Bernadette – the eldest of the children and the designated babysitter for her siblings and cousins. There was a duality to her characterisation: she both took a lead role in caring for the kids and giving them a wonderful and memorable Christmas – all the while keeping them distracted while their parents were missing – and then later realised her own limitations when Evie went missing. There’s a story here about growing up too fast, and how even the most mature kids are still just kids, at the end of the day.

Still frame from That Christmas showing Bernadette, Evie, and their mother. — Bernadette with Evie and her mother.

The climactic search effort to save Evie was fantastic. It brought everyone together and gave the kids a starring role, while still including all of the adult characters, too. A toddler lost in the snow was a plotline that had genuine stakes – and seemed to put into context all of the other conflicts, arguments, and problems that the characters had been facing. The threat to little Evie, as she wandered off into the cold night, led everyone to put their issues aside and step up to help. It was brilliantly done, well-written, and a wonderfully engaging storyline.

Evie’s disappearance had a huge impact on Bernadette, as she blamed herself for what happened. But no-one else blamed her – even her parents – and the way everyone in the community came together to help was fantastic. I also really liked the visual effect of text messages being sent across Wellington-on-Sea, represented by little text boxes above everyone’s homes. It was a very creative way to show the community spreading the word and leaping into action.

Still frame from That Christmas showing text messages about Evie going missing. — This was a very creative and powerful visual effect.

With every story in That Christmas being connected and serving a purpose, the escaped turkeys ultimately led to Evie being found – and the planning that went into every aspect of the film’s narrative was on full display. As the characters came together to celebrate finding the lost girl, I really felt how well-scripted and well-planned the entire story had been. Even aspects that seemed less interesting at first – like the over-the-top presentation of the unpleasant farmer – had all been in service of a cleverly-woven narrative, and it really was fantastic to see it all come together.

So if you’ve watched your usual festive favourites too many times this December, and you need something new… give That Christmas a chance. I really think it’s one of the best, most creative, and just plain fun Christmas films that I’ve seen in a while! And if I’m still here next Christmas – which, touch wood, I will be – I’ll definitely be firing it up again.

Still frame from That Christmas showing Danny and Ms Trapper on a quad bike. — Merry Christmas!

I really had a great time with That Christmas. It’s clever, funny, and dramatic in different places, with a great cast of young and older characters who all feel real and whose motivations seem genuine. It’s also distinctly British in its tone and setting, reminding me in more ways than one of Christmases when I was younger, as well as harkening back to perennial festive favourites like 1991’s Father Chrismas as well as Richard Curtis’ own Love Actually. If you enjoyed either of those, I daresay you’ll find a lot to love in That Christmas, too.

I’m glad this was recommended to me – and now, in turn, I pass the recommendation on to you and yours this Christmas! With a couple of days left to go before the big day, there’s still time to jump in and give That Christmas a watch. With so little on TV this Christmas, it could even be your big Christmas Day film; I think That Christmas would be fantastic in that role.

Until next time – and Merry Christmas!

That Christmas is available to stream now on Netflix. That Christmas is the copyright of Netflix and/or Locksmith Animation. This review contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation – Fifteen Years Later

Sun 08.12.24Dennis

A spoiler warning graphic (with Doofenshmirtz!)

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Phineas and Ferb.

There aren’t many Christmas TV specials that I watch, without fail, every single festive season. In fact, the only one I can think of in that category is Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation, which premiered fifteen years ago. 2025 looks set to be the year that a revived Phineas and Ferb will be on our screens, so I thought it could be a bit of fun to look back at the special and talk about why I find it to be so… well, special.

For some context, Phineas and Ferb is a series I first encountered in adulthood. I saw a commercial for it on the Disney Channel back when I used to have a satellite TV package, and even though a cartoon aimed at kids should’ve held absolutely no appeal to me… something convinced me that this was a show I needed to take a look at. And I’m so glad that I did! In the years since I watched those first episodes, Phineas and Ferb has become one of my “comfort shows;” a piece of media that I drift back to on days when I’m feeling low, my mental health isn’t great, or I just need to switch off for a few minutes. It’s with that background that we arrive at the Christmas special.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella by a house at night. — One of the clips from the opening titles.

If you’re unfamiliar with Phineas and Ferb, practically every episode in the show takes place in one seemingly endless summer. Christmas Vacation was the first episode to be set outside of that summer break, and that makes it feel pretty special. The warm sunny days of the rest of the show are replaced with cold and snow, and the city of Danville is transformed into a winter wonderland for the kids’ activities to play out in.

I adore Christmas and the winter – and although it can be a pain to navigate, I love the way snow looks. The animators did a great job, in my opinion, at bringing the wintery world of Danville to life. The snow looks fantastic, and there’s one sequence in particular near the end where the town’s Christmas lights break through the clouds that just looks absolutely stunning. Many kids’ cartoons have moved to fully 3D computer animation, but there’s something special about this older 2D style that I think adds to the sense of magic and wonder that Christmas time brings. We’re not quite at the level of the brilliant pastel-drawn Father Christmas (that I talked about last Christmas; click or tap here if you’re interested to read more) but the animation here is fantastic.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing the town of Danville. — There’s some fantastic animation in *Christmas Vacation*.

Phineas and Ferb is a very musical series. Almost every episode has its own custom song, and there are jingles and other musical interludes as well. The soundtrack to Christmas Vacation is honestly one of the best parts; there are just so many fantastic songs that it’s hard to know where to start! I’ve talked about two of them already on previous editions of my festive playlist (I put together a list of Christmassy songs every December, in case you’ve missed it), and the fact that so many of the songs from Christmas Vacation are worth listening to in their own rights should tell you all you need to know!

I really don’t know if I could pick a favourite song. Christmas Is Starting Now, which plays at the climax of the story, should be on everyone’s festive playlist, because it’s an absolute cracker. Thank You Santa, from the end credits, is gentle and cute, and even Doofenshmirtz’s I Really Don’t Hate Christmas is a ton of fun. Each song has its own style and fits in with what’s going on for the characters on screen. For a thirty-five-minute special to cram in so many songs basically makes it a musical! And what’s great is how enjoyable all of the tracks are. I bought the CD soundtrack (which came with a few other Phineas and Ferb Christmas songs, too) and I love it.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Doofenshmirtz and some backing dancers. — There are some great songs in *Christmas Vacation*… no, really!

There’s not really anything particularly ground-breaking about Christmas Vacation’s plot. You’ve seen the whole “Christmas is in danger and someone needs to step up and save it” story outline before in other productions, but the way in which the special uses Phineas and Ferb characters really makes it stand out. Of course Dr Doofenshmirtz – the self-proclaimed “evil” scientist – would be the one to threaten Christmas with another of his outlandish inventions! And of course it would fall to Phineas, Ferb, and their friends to invent something capable of saving Christmas for everyone! But how the special uses the characters and gets to those moments is what makes the story so fantastic.

Doofenshmirtz is – I would argue – Phineas and Ferb’s real breakout character. And his arc in the Christmas special is a microcosm of why people find this character so fun and even relatable. For all of his proclamations about being “evil” and wanting to rule the Tri-State Area with an iron fist, Doofenshmirtz is actually a complex individual – something we see this time through his relationship with Christmas. He feels he has to hate the holiday, as many of his colleagues do, but without any reason to do so, he struggles. The inner conflict between wanting to be “evil” and his generally alright nature (no, I can’t call him “good!”) comes to the fore, and makes this side of the story far more nuanced and interesting than if he was just a moustache-twirling villain.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Dr Doofenshmirtz. — Doofenshmirtz is conflicted about Christmas.

I am a total sucker for the whole “Christmas is in danger, someone has to save it!” story trope – and I’ll confess that up front! These kinds of stories are (almost) always a blast for me, and seeing people come together or work hard to ensure that everyone gets to have a merry Christmas is a narrative cliché at this time of year, but it’s one I’ll honestly never get tired of. Throwing some peril or jeopardy into a Christmas story gives characters a reason to work together – and Phineas and Ferb executes it brilliantly.

In Christmas Vacation, we have the double rug-pull of Phineas believing that Christmas being cancelled and Santa deeming the whole town to be “naughty” could be his fault, and that gives him added motivation for stepping up to bring Christmas back to everyone. This misunderstanding would be resolved at the end for Phineas – and of course, we knew all along that he didn’t have anything to do with it – but it’s a surprisingly clever moment of characterisation that adds to the stakes for Phineas in particular.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Phineas holding a letter. — Phineas comes to believe it’s *his* fault that Christmas has been cancelled.

Phineas and Ferb has always been a series with engineering and technology at its centre. There are plenty of fantastical elements to go along with it (I mean, two kids building a rollercoaster in an afternoon isn’t exactly “realistic”) but within the world of the show itself, these things are depicted as feats of design, engineering, and construction rather than anything magical. And Christmas Vacation continues that trend, even extending it to this version of Santa Claus and his elves. The way the North Pole receives “naughty or nice” information is by satellite, not by some kind of magic process, and while the elves are still, I suppose, magical creatures, the way they’re depicted with handheld scanners and computer equipment is much more down-to-earth than in many comparable productions.

Though Perry the Platypus gets less to do in Christmas Vacation than he does in some other stories, there are some fun moments with him. I particularly liked the OWCA Christmas party at the beginning of the episode, as it’s cute to see Major Monogram, Carl, and some of the other animal agents in a different setting. We very rarely get to see Monogram or really anyone else from the OWCA outside of work, so seeing them let their hair (and fur) down for Christmas was really sweet.

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing Major Monogram and Perry at the OWCA party. — Monogram, Perry, and several animal agents at the OWCA Christmas party.

The relationship between Doofenshmirtz and Perry can feel a little one-sided (only one of them can talk, after all), but the end of the episode shows them exchanging Christmas gifts. Perry bought Doofenshmirtz his favourite candy, showing that he knows him quite well and does have some affection for him, even if he can be difficult and stopping some of his schemes can be an annoyance! As an epilogue to their side of the story, the gift-giving scene was particularly cute.

Candace’s storyline intersects with the boys’ after a while, but it starts out with her obsessing over whether she got Jeremy the right present. All of this is in character for her, and when I reviewed Candace Against The Universe a few years ago I talked a bit more about how Candace’s mental health came into focus. While I would never say I dislike this side of the episode, for me it’s perhaps the weakest individual storyline – especially at first. By the time Candace rejoins her brothers on the mission to save Christmas, things definitely improve for her. Sometimes Candace can just feel a little… stuck? Not sure if that’s exactly the right word. But Christmas Vacation does give her a bit of an expanded role, one less focused on “busting,” which is always nice to see.

Candace on the robo-sleigh with Santa’s elves.

Santa Claus himself, though only present right at the end of the story, is revealed to have known about everything all along – and I think that was a great way to handle it! In order to grant everyone their Christmas wish, Santa orchestrated the entire plot of the episode – from Doofenshmirtz’s Naughty-Inator to Phineas getting a chance to be just like him for one Christmas. Tying everything together through the omniscient Santa Claus was a creative way to link up the different storylines in the special, and it worked really well.

I love the sequence of the townspeople all coming together to decorate for Christmas and to say a big “thank you” to Santa Claus. The song that accompanies it is fantastic, too, and the whole thing just has a really special Christmassy vibe. Again, the idea of people coming together to do something nice for others at this time of year just gives me the warm, cozy feels!

Still frame from Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation showing the Christmas lights at night. — The lights on Christmas Eve.

So I guess that’s all I have to say for now. Phineas and Ferb’s co-creators, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, said at the time of its release that they want people to come to see Christmas Vacation as a holiday classic – and I think, fifteen years on, we can see that process happening already. The special aired partway through the show’s excellent second season, becoming its most-viewed episode at the time of its original broadcast, and with interest in Phineas and Ferb growing as the 2010s dawned, its Christmas special definitely picked up even more attention.

Speaking for myself, there’s a lot to enjoy in Christmas Vacation. It’s a great special that puts a uniquely Phineas and Ferb spin on a fairly typical “save Christmas” story outline, and it does it in a really fun and musical way. There are some incredible songs that I enjoy listening to at this time of year, and the entire special is just a ton of fun. If you haven’t seen it yet, fire up Disney+ and give it a whirl. I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

The fifteenth anniversary of Christmas Vacation was really just an excuse for me to talk about one of my favourite shows and favourite TV holiday specials. With a fifth season of Phineas and Ferb in the offing for 2025, it seems like an especially good time to revisit the show! Who knows, maybe another Christmas-themed episode is on the cards? Until then, I’ll be content to revisit Christmas Vacation… as I do every year.

Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation is available to stream now on Disney+ and may also be available on DVD. Phineas and Ferb is the copyright of The Walt Disney Company and/or Disney Television Animation. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

The Polar Express: Twenty Years Later

Wed 04.12.24Thu 05.12.24Dennis

Spoiler Warning: Beware of spoilers for The Polar Express and the book upon which it’s based.

It’s astonishing to me that the “brand-new” film The Polar Express – which I feel I’ve only just begun to incorporate into my Christmas celebrations – is turning twenty years old this year! To mark this milestone anniversary, I thought it could be fun to re-watch the film and talk about its successes and its legacy.

I’ll start by telling you up-front that I’m a fan of The Polar Express and I have been since it premiered in 2004. So this isn’t going to be a tear-down of the film; it’s become one of my festive favourites and I’ve returned to it many times during the holiday season. I’d even go so far as to call it a Christmas classic; a film that has understandably become one of the most-replayed at this time of year.

Still frame from The Polar Express showing the conductor and the Hero Boy. — All aboard!

But it didn’t always seem that way. In fact, in 2004 you would’ve found many people who didn’t like The Polar Express. Film critics, fans of animation, parents… it seemed for a time as if The Polar Express was catching flak from several angles. And despite its reputation today as one of the best Christmas animated films… ever, there was a time when I felt it was going to be maligned and forgotten.

Most criticisms of The Polar Express in 2004 centred around the art and animation style. The semi-realistic CGI – particularly characters’ faces – was described as being “creepy,” and I distinctly remember a colleague of mine at the time telling me their young children were in tears and refused to watch the “frightening” film. I don’t remember the term “uncanny valley” being in use at the time, but that’s basically what critics were talking about. Faces used for human characters in the film felt not quite real enough… leading to people calling the whole aesthetic “creepy” or “weird-looking.”

Still frame from The Polar Express showing the hobo. — CGI in *The Polar Express* was criticised in 2004.

That’s one area where I think the passage of time has been kind to The Polar Express! We’ve gotten more used to 3D computer animation both in films and on TV over the last twenty years, and if the film had been released today I daresay no one would bat an eye at the way its characters and their faces look. In 2004, The Polar Express was the first film to pioneer facial capture technology, but this has become commonplace in animation in the years since.

There’s also something a little charming about the look of the world of The Polar Express. There are some undeniably beautiful shots of things like the northern lights or the central square at the North Pole. But twenty years’ worth of hindsight and improvements in animation also show, on a return to the film, where 2004’s CGI wasn’t quite realistic enough. To me at least, these things just add to the personality and unique aesthetic on display.

Still frame from The Polar Express showing the conductor, the northern lights, and the north pole. — The northern lights over the North Pole.

To pick on one example: for a film made twenty years ago, the snow that coats the train and the whole world around it looks fantastic! But when you compare scenes in deep snow to a title like Disney’s Frozen, you can see The Polar Express coming up short. Far from being a problem, though, I find these little weaknesses to be charming. The Polar Express wouldn’t be the same if its animation was “perfect,” after all!

It may have taken a while for some folks in 2004 to get over the film’s art style, but hiding under the surface is an incredibly sweet tale of a young boy re-discovering his belief in Santa Claus and Christmas. The Polar Express is based on a 1985 children’s book of the same name (I had no idea that was the case until researching this article; oops) but it expands on that original story to add more dimension to some of its characters and give them a bit of an extended and exciting adventure. The book is still in print, by the way, and could make a cute Christmas present for a young child (or an adult fan of the film!)

Scan of the original illustration of the sleigh bell from The Polar Express book. — The all-important sleigh bell as it appeared in the original book.

Since we’re talking about other media, it’s worth briefly commenting on the video game adaptation of The Polar Express. This phenomenon has mostly died out in the 2020s, but in 2004 it was pretty common for a big-budget film to get a video game adaptation, and The Polar Express was no exception. The game was released for GameCube, PC, and PlayStation 2 in November 2004, with a GameBoy Advance version also arriving that same month.

I confess that I haven’t played any of these games – I didn’t in 2004 and I haven’t since. But having checked out some gameplay online, I think the console and PC versions look more or less like what you’d expect. 3D adventure games with some platforming and puzzles – not uncommon for 2004. The GameBoy Advance, being a much less powerful system, naturally got the worst version of the game, which is something reflected in reviews at the time. There’s less of a focus on the core story in the game adaptations, which is a bit of a shame in some ways. But I’m sure a lot of kids enjoyed receiving a copy from Santa Claus in 2004!

Screenshot of The Polar Express video game showing the main character on the train roof. — There’s a video game adaptation of *The Polar Express* from 2004.

When I was a kid, there may have been one or two Christmases when I was very young where I believed in Santa Claus. But my family didn’t do the whole “all of your gifts come from Santa” thing, so I guess in that sense I don’t have the same memory of learning about Santa and coming to terms with that revelation – not in the same way as it’s presented in The Polar Express, in any case. As an aside, one of my earliest Christmas-adjacent memories is being forced by my parents to write thank-you letters to family members for the gifts I’d received!

But this idea of questioning one’s belief in Santa Claus is at the core of The Polar Express, and while it’s a little outside of my own personal experience, I daresay it’s something many people can relate to. For the film’s intended audience, its core theme may resonate particularly strongly.

Still frame from The Polar Express showing Santa Claus. — Belief in Santa Claus was a central part of the film’s narrative.

Though The Polar Express isn’t the only festive story or film to deal with this theme of doubt, it’s one of the only big blockbusters aimed at kids to really call into question Santa’s existence. For children of a certain age, where they’re having their own doubts about Santa Claus and what Christmas is really all about, I daresay there’s something relatable. And for adults, doubting one’s beliefs – albeit not a belief in Santa Claus specifically – is also something that many people have experience with. I know I do!

Lots of Christmas films – especially those aimed at younger children – present Santa Claus as a totally real person, with no acknowledgement made of the questions or doubts that kids can have. And that’s a good thing; I think there’s a real sense of “magic” present in the holiday season that would be lost if the legend of Santa Claus were to disappear. But for kids who have their doubts and who feel uncertain, a story like the one told in The Polar Express can be cathartic.

Still frame from The Polar Express showing Santa on his sleigh. — Santa on his sleigh toward the end of the film.

If we take belief in Santa Claus as a marker of childhood, part of the film’s message is about choosing to hang on to one’s youth – or at least to aspects of it. The Polar Express, being told from the perspective of young children, has a sense of mystery and wonder; the protagonist and his friends don’t really know how everything works. And it successfully conveys that sensation even to an adult audience – which isn’t the easiest thing to do! Making me as a viewer see things from a child’s point of view is a real challenge, but it’s one that The Polar Express tackles with ease.

Christmas is a holiday for the little ones first and foremost, so a message or metaphor about retaining at least some part of one’s youth and childhood is incredibly relevant at this time of year. And for older kids who may be wavering in their belief… I guess the film’s final act could go a long way to reinforcing the legend of Santa Claus, at least for one more Christmas!

Still frame from The Polar Express showing the train in the snow. — The titular train.

I have a similar story to share, and perhaps that’s why I feel this side of The Polar Express hitting so strongly. When I was in my late teens, I was dating a girl who had a younger sibling. Their sibling was either ten or eleven years old – precisely the age when one’s belief in Santa Claus might start to wane. As Christmas time approached, I was excitedly talking to them about Santa, but I could tell it wasn’t really getting through. So I told them about how Norad (which I explained was the US government and air force) tracks Santa’s flight every Christmas Eve.

Norad’s Santa Tracker had just got its own website, and showing them “proof” of Santa from an official source seemed to delight them and reinforce their belief. I’m sure it only lasted for that Christmas; my girlfriend and I had broken up by the next year, so I never got to see if that had become a part of their family’s festive traditions. But I still remember how it felt a quarter of a century later to bring just a tiny fraction of that Christmas magic to someone… and that’s how The Polar Express makes me feel, too.

Screen grab of the Norad Tracks Santa website from 2000. — The Norad Tracks Santa website as it appeared in the year 2000.

Sorry for the diversion, but I hope you can see why it’s related!

To get back on topic, The Polar Express isn’t just about one kid and their feelings about Santa Claus. It’s also a film that shows how Christmas can be different for different families, and how the magic of Christmas can mean so much to someone who has missed out on it. The character of Billy – the only named child in the whole film – represents the poorer, less well-off kids who, at this time of year, can feel especially left out.

It’s heartbreaking to hear a young child saying that Christmas “never works out” for them, but it’s also incredibly sweet to see how their friends come together to help them have a great Christmas… most likely the first really enjoyable Christmas they’ve ever had. There’s some really heartwarming stuff on this side of the story – tales of friendship between the “hero” characters and Billy intertwine with the more heavy themes of belief and the action-packed adventurous sequences set aboard the train.

Still frame from The Polar Express showing the three kids singing the song Believe. — Billy with the two unnamed kids.

Speaking of trains, I do so love a good old-fashioned steam locomotive! The one depicted in The Polar Express is actually based on a real engine from the 1920s; one of which still survives as a museum piece. Steam trains have long had an association with Christmas time, so the choice of vehicle doesn’t come out of nowhere! But the titular train is another place where I feel the CGI really works and makes things come alive.

The detail on the train – the locomotive in particular – is fantastic, and if you’ve ever had the good fortune to step up onto the footplate of a steam locomotive, I daresay you’d recognise many of the components. The brake, the throttle, the furnace… all of it’s there and rendered in incredible detail. There was a lot of love put into animating the train, the way its wheels move, and the action taking place at the front. It’s wonderful to see as an old train fanatic!

Still frame from The Polar Express showing the kids in the locomotive cab. — The cab of the locomotive was brought to life in detail.

The soundtrack to The Polar Express is fantastic, and the film’s main theme has become a recognisable piece of Christmas music in its own right. I’ve even seen other arrangements of it cropping up on set-lists around this time of year. The film also brings a couple of solid songs to the table, including the Grammy Award-winning Believe. I also quite enjoy the Hot Chocolate song – though that’s more the overall sequence with dancing and spinning seats rather than just the song on its own.

It’s also worth talking about The Polar Express in terms of the performance of one actor in particular: Tom Hanks. There are some great vocal and mo-cap performances from others, of course. Daryl Sabara (of Spy Kids fame) voiced Hero Boy, and Nona Gaye voiced Hero Girl, and both were exceptional. But The Polar Express is a Tom Hanks project first and foremost; the veteran performer plays six different roles, and manages to make each one feel distinct.

Behind-the-scenes still frame from The Polar Express showing Tom Hanks in motion-capture. — Tom Hanks performing motion-capture for *The Polar Express*.
*Image Credit: IMDB*

So that’s all for now, I think. All that’s left to say is this: Happy Anniversary to The Polar Express! I don’t know if I have another twenty Christmases in me, but if I do I’ll be watching this film every time. It’s a sweet, heartwarming, and adventurous tale of a trip to the North Pole. There are messages for kids about keeping the Christmas magic alive and making friends, some fun action-packed scenes aboard an old steam train, and plenty of Christmas spirit! And, of course, some animation that, in my view anyway, has aged exceptionally well.

I always enjoy firing up The Polar Express at this time of year. And I thought it was particularly appropriate this year, on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, to celebrate the film, its art style, and its place in the top tier of Christmas films.

The Polar Express is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray, and on-demand streaming platforms. The Polar Express is the copyright of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Playtone, Shangri-La Entertainment, and/or Castle Rock entertainment. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A Festive Playlist To Get You In The Holiday Spirit!

Sun 01.12.24Mon 02.12.24Dennis

This is now the fifth year in a row that I’ve published my festive playlist – so let’s celebrate a half-decade of Christmas songs in style!

I’m a big fan of Christmas and this time of year; it’s my favourite holiday. There’s so much to love about Christmas from the food to the decorations, and music is also a huge part of that. I’ve been a collector of Christmas albums for years, since well before my music collection was digital! And in that time, I’ve discovered more than a few favourites that I welcome back at this time of year.

A photograph of a snow-covered road through some trees, with fairy lights on a fence on one side. — I hope you’re having a wonderful start to the festive season!

This festive playlist is really “part five” – and you can find the first four parts linked below. If you think a particularly famous track is missing… try checking out those earlier editions of my festive playlist. If it’s nowhere to be found, then I guess you’ll have to come back next Christmas! Is that the first time you’ve seen someone mention Christmas 2025?

Here are the previous playlists for you to enjoy:

2020’s Edition, 2021’s Edition, 2022’s Edition, and 2023’s Edition!

A photograph showing a horse (or perhaps a reindeer) pulling a sleigh through a snowy forest. — Dashing through the snow…

All of the songs linked below are hosted on YouTube. If for some reason one track or another is unavailable in your part of the world, I daresay you’ll be able to find it on another streaming platform. Take a listen to all of these songs in turn, or add them together with the playlists linked above and you’ll be all set for your next Christmas party or holiday event!

Let’s jump into this year’s edition of the playlist!

Track 1:
Buy Me Presents – Sabrina Carpenter (2023)

2024 has been, without question, Sabrina Carpenter’s year! The pop star has been riding high with tracks like Taste and Espresso, as well as headlining a world tour. But just last year, Carpenter released her first Christmas EP: Fruitcake. The track I enjoyed the most is Buy Me Presents: a tongue-in-cheek Christmas song with more than a few festive puns and double-entendres!

Buy Me Presents wasn’t released as a single, so it hasn’t charted on its own. But Fruitcake grazed the lower reaches of America’s Billboard 200, and also peaked at number 63 on the UK charts last year. The entire EP is well worth a listen, but if (like me) you find your festive playlist is getting over-stuffed and you only have room for one track, go with Buy Me Presents. It’s a ton of fun!

Track 2:
Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Jimmy Buffett feat. Nadirah Shakoor (2016)

Despite lyrics that have been controversial in recent years, I gotta confess that I love Baby, It’s Cold Outside. It’s a Christmas classic… but this version inverts the male and female lyrics, making for a very interesting and unique presentation. By “gender-bending” the lyrics, the tone of the song feels completely different to any other version I’ve heard, and when you add into the mix Buffett’s vocals and some tropical rock instrumentation, I think it makes for a really fun take on a song that many different artists have covered.

I’m not the world’s biggest Jimmy Buffett fan, but his two Christmas albums have both had fun takes on traditional and modern festive hits. This version of Baby, It’s Cold Outside wasn’t released as a single and didn’t chart – but the album ‘Tis the SeaSon, from which it’s taken, peaked at number 6 on both Billboard’s Country and Rock charts.

Track 3:
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town – Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Bruce Springsteen and his E-Street Band recorded a live version of the Christmas classic Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town way back in the mid-1970s… and it’s been a mainstay on the radio seemingly ever since! I first encountered this version when I was living in the United States, but it’s not uncommon to hear it here in the UK, too. It’s a great cover, with Springsteen’s distinctive vocals bringing the song to life.

The live recording is best-known, perhaps, for Bruce Springsteen struggling to keep his composure! Santa’s refrain of “ho ho ho!” in the background seems to send Springsteen into fits of laughter – but that just adds to the fun, light-hearted nature of this recording. This version regularly re-enters the charts thanks to streaming and airplay, and is certified platinum in the US and UK.

Track 4:
Deck the Halls – André Rieu (2012)

I don’t know if you do this too, but I tend to keep instrumental tracks in separate playlists from songs with lyrics. But if I’m in the mood for a stirring rendition of one of a number of traditional Christmas carols, I often turn to André Rieu. The Dutch conductor and violinist has put together several Christmas albums over the years, including 2012’s December Lights.

I’m drawn to this particular arrangement because of how traditional it feels. I love different takes on the classics, don’t get me wrong, and there’s a time and a place for experimentation – as you’ll have already seen on my festive playlists so far! But sometimes what I want is a classic, up-tempo, orchestral arrangement of a traditional carol – and Rieu delivers.

Track 5:
Santa Baby – Michael Bublé (2011)

Michael Bublé is a singer who, not unlike Mariah Carey, has become synonymous with Christmas for a lot of folks! And it’s true that his 2011 festive album, simply titled Christmas, has a lot of excellent songs – but I don’t consider him to be a one-hit wonder (or a one-season wonder, I guess) because I’ve also enjoyed some of his other trad-pop hits over the years. But this version of Santa Baby? Oh boy, is it something different!

I cannot properly express in words how ridiculous it is to hear lines like “I’ve been an awful good guy,” and “Santa Buddy” as Bublé awkwardly tries to change the words. It’s done with tongue firmly embedded in cheek and a healthy dose of self-awareness – at least, I hope so – and it really is a ton of fun. Santa Baby is a song written for a woman (the original version was performed by Eartha Kitt in the ’50s) and its lyrics really don’t work so well for a male singer! Somehow, however, Bublé’s silly and awkward changes just… make the song so much more enjoyable for me. If you haven’t heard it, give it a try!

Track 6:
Christmas Alphabet – Dickie Valentine (1955)

Here’s a trivia question for your next pub quiz: what was the first Christmas-themed song to be number one on the UK chart at Christmas? The answer: Christmas Alphabet by Dickie Valentine all the way back in 1955! In those days, collecting information about record sales wasn’t straightforward, but it’s generally agreed that we have solid data from 1952 onwards. The first few songs to top the charts at Christmas weren’t Christmassy – but then along came Dickie Valentine!

Christmas Alphabet was Valentie’s second and final UK number one, though he remained active as both a singer and TV host well into the 1960s. Although this isn’t my favourite festive hit – and it’s one I don’t remember hearing in my childhood – I think it’s a neat little piece of history, and a pleasant traditional pop song from an artist of the pre-rock and roll era that I’m happy to listen to at this time of year.

Track 7:
Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande (2014)

Ariana Grande is currently riding high at the cinema, starring in the film adaptation of Wicked! Ten years ago, though, her festive song Santa Tell Me was going platinum all over the world. I can’t believe it’s been ten years, because to me this is another of the “new” Christmas songs that I feel I’ve only just started listening to! But time is funny like that, I guess, especially at this time of year.

Santa Tell Me isn’t actually Ariana Grande’s biggest hit. It wasn’t 2014’s Christmas number one in the UK (it peaked at number 8 the week before Christmas) and the only chart it topped was Billboard’s Holiday 100 in the USA. But Santa Tell Me has re-entered the charts every year since its release thanks to streaming, and is a mainstay on playlists like this one! For my money, the track is fun, light-hearted, and festive, and I’m happy to return to it every holiday season.

Track 8:
You’re Christmas To Me – Sam Ryder (2023)

You’re Christmas To Me is up there with Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s Merry Christmas as one of my absolute favourite festive tracks from the last few years. It’s a pop-rock anthem that doesn’t feel a million miles away from the mega-hits of artists like Slade and Wizzard, and I firmly expect to see it as a mainstay on everyone’s festive playlists from this point on!

It’s such a shame that You’re Christmas To Me didn’t make it to the top of the charts. It was pipped to the post last year by Wham!’s Last Christmas surging as the big day approached… and I fear that Sam Ryder was screwed over by his exclusivity deal with Amazon Music. Had the song been more widely available, I genuinely think it could’ve been last year’s number one. Live and learn, eh? Maybe this year, with the exclusivity gone and the song available on other platforms, it’ll get a second chance?

Track 9:
Christmas In England – The Woodenheads (2008)

This track is… a bit of an oddity, to be honest with you. I bought the digital download of this song the year it was released, and it’s been part of my festive playlist going back to 2008. But I can’t find any information about the song or the band that created it. The YouTube channel for “The Woodenheads” only has this one song, and as far as I can tell the band never recorded nor released any other music. There is a different band called Woodenhead, but it’s based in the United States and the two are – as best as I can tell, anyway – completely unrelated.

Despite never charting, Christmas In England is a pleasant, somewhat nostalgic track. It recounts a typical English Christmas; the kind I remember from my youth. The lyrics talk of a grey, wet Christmas spent at home with the family and a bit too much roast turkey. Maybe The Woodenheads will be pleased to know that at least one person out there still remembers the song and listens to it with fondness every Christmas.

Track 10:
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon and Yoko Ono (1971)

Only a year after the break-up of the Beatles, John Lennon very nearly topped the charts with this perennial festive favourite. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) was actually beaten to the number one spot in Christmas week by a novelty song: Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West) by Benny Hill. That’s a trend that seems to continue to this day; in what other country would five songs about sausage rolls top the charts at Christmas time?

Of the big festive hits from the ’70s, I confess that Happy Xmas (War Is Over) probably isn’t my favourite. But it’s one of those nostalgic tracks that plays on repeat in faded memories of decorating the Christmas tree while my dad’s old record player blasted out Christmas hits! Themes of peace and joy are important at this time of year, too, and that’s something John and Yoko delivered with this track.

Track 11:
Sleigh Ride – Jewel (2013)

I’ve been a fan of Jewel since the ’90s, when her debut album Pieces of You introduced me to her incredible songwriting and vocals. Since then, Jewel has released two Christmas records, both of which are comprised primarily of new arrangements of traditional festive favourites. Both records are worth listening to in their entirety – but on this occasion I’ve picked out Jewel’s rendition of Sleigh Ride.

Sleigh Ride was first published in sheet music form in the late 1940s, and there are several versions that can all claim to be the “original” recording! There have been many takes on the cute festive track over the years, but for me, it feels especially well-suited to Jewel’s vocal style and folky presentation. This version wasn’t released as a single, but the album Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection made it into 2013’s top 20 holiday albums in the United States.

Track 12:
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Mel & Kim (1987)

Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree is a great song – but if you’re British and in your forties (or younger, I guess) chances are it’s this version by Mel Smith and Kim Wilde that’s the most memorable! This version was recorded to raise money for the charity Comic Relief. The song and video both have comedic moments as a result – and even the name “Mel & Kim” is a parody of another popular act of the late ’80s.

In 1987, there was some stiff competition on the charts! The indomitable Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl was that year’s number two – the number one spot went to Always On My Mind by the Pet Shop Boys… a much less Christmassy number! That left Mel & Kim to claim the less-impressive Christmas number three spot, but the song has been a favourite of mine since I heard it as a kid. I recall my parents – my father especially – didn’t like this version of the song, but I think it’s clever, funny, and oh so nostalgic!

So that’s it… until next Christmas!

A photograph of an illuminated stall at the Christmas Market in Frankfurt. — Are you going to a Christmas market this year?

Another set of tracks has been added to the ever-growing festive playlist… and there are more on the horizon. I’m especially looking forward to Ed Sheeran’s upcoming single Under The Tree – which is part of the soundtrack to the Netflix film That Christmas – and will be released in just a few days’ time. Ed Sheeran was fantastic a couple of years ago with his collaboration with Elton John, so I have high hopes for that one!

We’ve also managed to avoid Mariah Carey and Wham! for the fifth year in a row! I don’t hate those songs; Last Christmas is definitely the better of the two for my money, but both are enjoyable enough at this time of year. But I feel they’re so over-played and feature on way too many playlists like this! Besides, it’s become a Trekking with Dennis tradition to skip both of those songs… so let’s see how long we can keep it up, eh?

Two of the original illustrations from Dickens’ *A Christmas Carol*.

This is just the start of the festive season, and I have a few other Christmassy ideas that may (or may not, time and procrastination depending) make their way to the website before the big day. So stay tuned for that!

All that remains to say is this: Merry Christmas! Whatever you’re doing, wherever you’ll be, and whoever you’ll be celebrating with, I hope you have a wonderful and festive Christmas this year.

Five “Christmas” Films To Watch In December… Or Any Time Of Year, Really

Tue 12.12.23Tue 12.12.23Dennis

Spoiler Warning: Beware of minor spoilers for some of the films on this list.

I love Christmas – it’s the most wonderful time of the year, don’t you know! And there are some absolutely phenomenal Christmas films that are on everyone’s must-watch list every single year. You know the ones: films that we’ve watched at this time of year for almost as long as we can remember; films that have come to define every aspect of the word “Christmas.”

And I thought it could be fun to take a look at five of them and explain why they’re not really Christmas films!

That’s right, it’s time for a little bit of festive controversy as I pick out five “Christmas” films that aren’t really Christmas films! Instead, I would argue that these films are in other genres entirely, or are only tangentially related to Christmas either by being set at that time of year or even just by association.

*Father Christmas* is indisputably a Christmas film – which is why it won’t be on the list below!

Before we get into the list, an important caveat: this is just for fun! I don’t think the debate around what is or isn’t a “Christmas” film is something that needs to be taken seriously at all, and I’m making this list with tongue firmly embedded in cheek. It’s also one person’s entirely subjective opinion – so please try not to get too upset if I call out your favourite Christmas film!

I enjoy all of the films on this list, and regularly watch them at this time of year. But for reasons I’ll try my best to explain, I don’t necessarily consider them to be true “Christmas” films in every sense of the phrase. Definitions of what constitutes a Christmas film may vary – and it might be enough to say that a film set at Christmas, released at Christmas, or that has developed an association with Christmas over the years counts. But I’m going to argue that those reasons are not enough – for a film to truly be a Christmas film its plot has to be directly tied up with Christmas!

So let’s jump into the list, shall we?

Film #1:
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Wait, this film literally has the word “Christmas” in its name! Not only that, but it sees protagonist Jack Skellington take the reins of Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve… so how can it possibly not be a Christmas film? Well, that’s simple: it’s a Halloween film best enjoyed in the autumn.

Most of the action in The Nightmare Before Christmas takes place in Halloween Town, and practically all of the principal characters are Halloween Town residents who are inspired by the monsters and ghouls of horror fiction and folklore. Although the plot touches on Christmas and sees characters visit Christmas Town, those scenes and sequences are told from the point of view of the denizens of Halloween Town – and their take on Christmas is very much a spooky one!

The film is largely told from the perspective of Halloween Town residents.

For that reason, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a great film to watch in between Halloween and Christmas – say, in the middle of November! But as Christmas gets closer, we should really be leaving Halloween behind to focus on what lies ahead. For me, The Nightmare Before Christmas is too strongly rooted in Halloween, and decked out with the trappings of that holiday, to truly be considered a Christmas film.

That being said, I love how the film shows Halloween Town characters discovering Christmas for the first time, and how they work to save Christmas – after putting it in danger! There are some fun moments amidst the frights and scares… but it’s still very much a film that’s best enjoyed before Christmas time fully arrives!

Film #2:
Love Actually (2003)

This is simple: Love Actually is a film set at Christmas, not a Christmas film. Are we clear on that? Good! Wait, what do you mean I have to fill three-and-a-half more paragraphs? D’oh!

As stated, Love Actually may be set at Christmas, but setting alone does not – in my view – make for a Christmas film! Many of this romantic comedy’s storylines have nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas, and the simple fact that they play out in front of an occasionally festive backdrop doesn’t magically make the entire film a Christmas film!

Because of Love Actually’s narrative structure, some of its storylines and characters arguably have more to do with Christmas than others. Billy Mack, for instance, is desperately chasing the Christmas number one single, and the kids are taking part in a school’s nativity play. But other characters really don’t do anything Christmassy at all during their time on screen, with their stories taking them in different directions.

I enjoyed Love Actually when it was released – and to think it’s celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year makes me feel old! But I must confess that I was surprised to see it hailed as a “Christmas” film in the years after its release. To me, it has much more in common with writer Richard Curtis’ other rom-coms like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill than it does with bona fide Christmas films.

Film #3:
Frozen (2013)

Frozen just isn’t a Christmas film, okay? It’s set in the middle of summer! And the princesses of the magical kingdom of Arendelle may not even celebrate Christmas for all we know; the holiday isn’t mentioned once!

A lot of people seem to associate Frozen with Christmas for two reasons: it was originally released shortly before Christmas, and it’s full of ice and snow thanks to Elsa’s magical powers. But there’s more to a Christmas film than a magical blizzard – and while Frozen may have a cute winter aesthetic going for it, as well as some well-animated snow, that’s not enough to make me believe it’s truly a Christmas film. And I say that with sincere apologies to everyone under the age of ten!

Snow and ice do not automatically make a film Christmassy.

The story of Frozen is set in the summer time; it’s only Elsa’s magic that causes Arendelle to freeze over. And the snow and ice is presented as a genuine danger to the kingdom’s inhabitants – hardly the carefree presentation of a white Christmas that we’d expect to see in a proper Christmas film! Many films use ice, snow, and blizzards to great effect – but we don’t call all of them “Christmas” films, and with good reason!

As more of the kids who grew up watching Frozen come of age, I expect its status as a “Christmas” film will only be further cemented. We’ve already seen songs like Do You Want To Build A Snowman showing up on Christmas compilation albums and playlists… so this idea of Frozen as a Christmas film clearly isn’t going away any time soon.

Film #4:
Die Hard (1988)

John McClane is fed up with this debate!

Uh oh, now we’re really getting into some controversial territory! Look, here’s the way I see it: I don’t dispute that Die Hard is set at Christmas and has some of the visual and musical trappings of the holiday season. That’s indisputable. But Die Hard is an action film set at Christmas time – not a Christmas film.

A couple of years ago, I saw somewhere online a homemade Christmas ornament featuring protagonist John McClane crawling through the ventilation ducts at Nakatomi Plaza. That was creative and cute – but the action movie trope of sneaking around in a crawlspace isn’t exactly something that screams “Christmas” to me!

Alan Rickman as terrorist leader Hans Gruber.

One of the best tests of whether something can truly be considered a Christmas film is this: can you comfortably watch it outside of the Christmas season? I’d have no issue watching Die Hard in the middle of summer – because its plot doesn’t hinge on Christmas, its characters aren’t interested in Christmas, and fundamentally, nothing about the film would change if its office Christmas party was instead a birthday party or a Fourth of July celebration.

And that’s the key to understanding Die Hard’s place on this list. It’s an action film with a few incidental Christmas trappings, and it’s been hyped up by fans as a “Christmas” film on the internet in recent years – but it isn’t. Being set at Christmas does not automatically make for a Christmas film!

Film #5:
Trading Places (1983)

An ’80s Christmas classic – but rightly so?

I’ve only seen the comedy film Trading Places a couple of times; I think it’s more popular in the United States than it is over here. But it’s a film that’s often discussed in a Christmas context – and seems to be on many people’s list of Christmas favourites!

As with Die Hard above, though, Trading Places is definitely a film set at Christmas time… but that doesn’t necessarily make it a true Christmas film. It’s a comedy, it’s a wacky adventure, and it’s a film that calls out and criticises racism as well as the weird excesses of wealth and capitalism. And those are all good things; Trading Places is funny! But again, that doesn’t make it a Christmas film.

The Christmas setting and the film’s annual airings on television in December have combined to make it a film that a lot of folks associate with the holidays. If you grew up watching Trading Places every year, there’s no doubt it’s become a part of your household’s festive tradition! We all have our own little Christmas traditions that we stick to – and that’s totally okay.

But for me, Trading Places is another film that can really be watched and enjoyed at any time of year. Nothing in its story is exclusive to the festive period – and that’s actually a good thing! It means Trading Places is a film that can be enjoyed on its own merit year-round.

So that’s it!

We’ve picked out five not-really-Christmas films! But I can already think of several more… so come back next December to see which other so-called “Christmas” films are going to be targeted!

As I said at the beginning, I hope you’ve taken this list in the spirit of festive fun. It’s meant to be a bit of silliness as the big day approaches – and while I will make the case for all five of these films not really being 100% Christmassy, I’m not about to die on that hill – or get into a massive argument about it!

So I hope this has brought you a bit of light-hearted festive cheer as Christmas draws nearer. The big day will be upon us before we realise it! I have a couple of other festive ideas that may (or may not) make their way onto the website before then, so please stay tuned! And Merry Christmas!

All of the films discussed above are the copyright of their respective studio, distributor, company, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A festive playlist to get you in the holiday spirit!

Sat 02.12.23Dennis

For the fourth year in a row, my festive playlist is here. This is becoming the closest thing that Trekking with Dennis has to an annual tradition!

I absolutely love Christmas music, and I’ve been a collector of Christmas albums and songs for a long time. Every year there are new festive albums and singles, and although there are a lot of samey arrangements of a handful of “traditional holiday favourites,” there are some real gems in the mix, too. These can be new songs or simply interesting takes on classic tunes.

For me, Christmas is a holiday all about traditions and nostalgia! And Christmas music is part of that; I have very fond memories of listening to some of these Christmas songs on my father’s old record turntable before we’d even made the switch to cassette tapes! Part of what makes Christmas time feel like Christmas time is hearing some of these songs on repeat. When I used to work in a shop, I admit that sometimes I did roll my eyes when Wham! or Mariah Carey started playing on the radio for the fifth time in the space of one shift! But even then, the music was just part of what made it Christmas.

Memories are funny things, and perhaps on another occasion we’ll have to dig a bit deeper into my Christmas recollections! But for now, suffice to say that hearing some of these Christmas tunes evokes memories of going Christmas shopping after dark, with the city’s array of Christmas lights and decorations glittering on a winter’s evening.

If you missed the earlier editions of my festive playlist, you can find them here:

The videos below are all hosted on YouTube, and some may be unavailable or blocked depending on where you are in the world. However, all of the songs should be available via your streaming method of choice if you can’t listen to them here.

So let’s get started, shall we?

Track 1:
Medley: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, The First Noel – Steve Wariner (1990)

This medley took me forever to track down! I owned a CD in the mid-1990s called something like “A Country Christmas” – which was a mix of Christmas songs by different country music artists – and this was one of the tracks. When I converted my CDs to digital I didn’t know who all of the individual artists were, so it’s been on my computer forever just under the name “Various Artists.” It was only when I decided that I wanted to add it to this year’s edition of the Christmas playlist that I belatedly learned that the singer is one Steve Wariner.

I confess that I don’t know much about Mr Wariner – other than that he has recorded several other Christmas albums! This medley, though, brings together three classic Christmas carols in a gentle country style, and the blend works incredibly well. It’s been a fixture on my festive playlists ever since I owned that CD, and I’m glad I can finally put the artist’s name to such a beautiful arrangement.

Track 2:
Christmas Dirtbag – Wheatus (2023)

Do you remember the song Teenage Dirtbag? Wheatus were a one-hit wonder with the song in the year 2000, and I remember hearing it on the radio seemingly incessantly at the time! It was a good song, though: a kind of alt-pop/pop-punk tale of teen rebellion and feeling left out at school. Well… to my utter shock, Wheatus have reworked the track with some clearly tongue-in-cheek Christmas lyrics. And every time I listen to it I get a big stupid grin on my face!

This is a song that might trigger a very specific kind of nostalgia for millennials and Gen X-ers, and you know what? I hope it makes a stir on the charts! Christmas is a time when novelty songs can often find an audience, and this thoroughly bizarre version of Teenage Dirtbag deserves all the love it can find. If you’d told me a Christmas version of Teenage Dirtbag would be in any way worth listening to I’d have laughed out loud… but then I heard it. If you aren’t convinced, just give it a listen. It only took me one go around to be absolutely hooked!

Track 3:
Step Into Christmas – Elton John (1973)

The same year that Wizzard and Slade were battling for the Christmas number one spot, Elton John also recorded and released a Christmas classic! Gosh, what a great year for Christmas songs 1973 was. Elton’s offering didn’t make much of an impression on the charts that year, though, peaking at a lowly 24th position – but it’s found a lot more love in the years since, and is now a mainstay on the radio at this time of year.

I’m a bit of an Elton fan, and this pop track is definitely up there with his other hits in terms of quality. It’s been a festive staple for as long as I can remember, really – and it wouldn’t feel like Christmas if I didn’t hear Step Into Christmas at least half a dozen times before the big day!

Track 4:
Auld Lang Syne – Dougie MacLean (1995)

I lost a close relative on New Year’s Eve 2003, and perhaps it’s for that reason that I’m not the biggest New Year’s fan. I don’t hate the holiday, but it’s one that brings up memories of that person – and of others who are no longer around. New Year is a reminder of the onward march of time, too – something that’s catching up to me! Hearing Auld Lang Syne can feel bittersweet, then, as a new year is rung in.

It’s in that spirit that I share this particular rendition of Auld Lang Syne by Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean. I was fortunate enough to see him perform live once, and it was a truly incredible performance that remains to this day one of the best I’ve ever seen. You might know Dougie MacLean from his song Caledonia, which is often called Scotland’s “other national anthem.”

This version of Auld Lang Syne is hauntingly beautiful; a slowed-down take with traditional instruments that really encapsulates the way I feel about New Year. It might not be something you want to listen to every day – and it certainly clashes with some of the more upbeat Christmas songs on this playlist – but when I’m in the mood for it, it’s one of those pieces of music that’s emotional, nostalgic, haunting, and incredible all at the same time.

Track 5:
Stay Another Day – East 17 (1994)

Stay Another Day is one of those songs that’s become a Christmas anthem… for no other reason than it happened to be released at this time of year! Boyband East 17 leaned into the wintertime theme in the song’s music video, and a Christmas classic was born. Stay Another Day is a perfectly enjoyable ’90s pop song – and became the Christmas number one in 1994, beating All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey in the process – but it’s not necessarily one I’d have expected to become a mainstay of Christmas playlists!

That being said… it *is* on my Christmas playlist, so East 17 clearly did something right! Stay Another Day is just one of those songs that developed an association with Christmas, and while I might’ve been surprised when it started coming back Christmas after Christmas… it’s no less Christmassy that a lot of other songs that are popular at this time of year! If you’re hearing it for the very first time, I get why it might not seem like a typical Christmas song. But for us Brits, it’s just another of our inexplicable Christmas traditions!

Track 6:
Fairytale of New York – Ed Sheeran and Anne-Marie (2017)

I included the original version of this Christmas classic on the first edition of my festive playlist back in 2020, and I can absolutely understand why people would say that Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl’s vocal deliveries can’t be beaten! This version, recorded live for Radio 1 here in the UK back in 2017, is different from the original, no question. Ed Sheeran has a much softer voice than the late great Shane MacGowan – who passed away earlier this week – and that definitely changes the tone of the song. This version also makes a couple of changes to the most offensive lyrics from the original, further toning things down.

All that being said, while this cover of Fairytale of New York is certainly different… I don’t think that makes it worse. It’s just a different take on the song by two incredibly talented performers, and there should always be room for covers of even the most beloved classics! As far as I can tell, this cover version – which was performed live and never officially “released” – has never charted. But the original Fairytale of New York has returned to the top five around Christmas every year for the past few years – and in light of the recent passing of Shane MacGowan, could even be a surprise contender for this year’s number one.

Track 7:
What Christmas Means To Me – John Legend (2018)

I confess I’m not especially familiar with John Legend, but as an avid collector of Christmas albums I picked up his offering – titled A Legendary Christmas – in 2018. The album contains eight covers and a whopping six original compositions. This song is a cover of Stevie Wonder’s 1967 hit, and Wonder himself returns to play harmonica alongside John Legend, which was a nice touch!

I like the up-tempo song and jazz instrumentation, and even though I can’t remember hearing Stevie Wonder’s original version before, it’s sweet of him to join in for a collaboration on a new version of one of his hits. There are other great tracks on John Legend’s Christmas album – but this has always felt like one of the best to me, so it makes the cut on this occasion!

Track 8:
Here Comes Santa Claus – Elvis Presley (1957)

Ten years after Gene Autry wrote Here Comes Santa Claus, Elvis covered the track for his first Christmas album. Elvis’ version of the song is one that I can remember my father playing on his turntable in the run-up to Christmas; that must be one of my earliest memories of listening to Christmas music! My father had been a big fan of Elvis’ earlier albums, and may even have picked up Elvis’ Christmas Album the year it was released.

So it’s not unfair to say that there are strong nostalgic feelings and memories attached to this song in particular! But it’s a great cover version in its own right; a song well-suited to Elvis Presley’s distinctive voice. There’s also a version of this song featuring new instrumentation by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded in 2017 as part of their album Christmas with Elvis and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Though I prefer the original, that version adds a lot to the track.

Track 9:
DJ Play A Christmas Song – Cher (2023)

The second brand-new track from 2023 to make this list comes from Cher’s first-ever Christmas album. I know what you’re thinking, because I thought it too: Cher hadn’t made a Christmas album till now? That doesn’t seem right! But it’s true, and her 2023 offering – simply titled Christmas – is her first foray into the holiday music genre.

Cher is a fantastic performer, and I can already tell that this new offering is going to become a mainstay on my Christmas playlist – for as many Christmases as I have left! When DJ Play A Christmas Song reached the number-one spot on the Billboard Dance/Electronic chart in the United States, it made Cher the first performer ever to have a number one song in seven consecutive decades! The song has also charted in the UK in recent weeks – and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it rise beyond its 30th place peak as Christmas gets nearer.

Track 10:
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Maddie and Tae (2023)

In 2015, after the tongue-in-cheek Girl In A Country Song had been a big hit, it seemed as if Maddie and Tae were about to take the country music world by storm. They were even hailed in some corners as “the new Taylor Swift!” That didn’t quite happen for the duo, unfortunately, but they’re still performing and recording music together – and this year Maddie and Tae have released an extended version of their Christmas EP, containing this cover version of It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas among other tracks.

I find this up-tempo version of the festive classic to be charming, and not too “country” if you’re not a huge fan of the genre. The duo’s vocals are a great fit for the track, and it’s always nice to get a new take on a Christmas classic. There are plenty of versions of It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas out there – and I featured Michael Bublé’s take on it as part of the festive playlist a couple of years ago – but this version is something just a little different.

Track 11:
Ring Out, Solstice Bells – Jethro Tull (1976)

Prog rock band Jethro Tull recorded Ring Out, Solstice Bells in 1976 – and it’s become a perennial festive favourite ever since! I’m loathe to call it a “Christmas” song, because the title and lyrics are deliberately non-Christian and even pagan, celebrating the winter solstice rather than Christmas itself. But that doesn’t stop Ring Out, Solstice Bells being a great song and one that’s well worth listening to at this time of year.

This is another track that I can picture my parents listening to in one of those early Christmastime memories! I think my father must’ve owned Jethro Tull’s 1977 album Songs from the Wood, on which the track was featured after its original release. I can’t remember, though… but I know this was a song that we listened to at Christmas time! It’s another one of those strangely nostalgic songs that reminds me of those childhood Christmases.

Track 12:
Underneath the Tree – Kelly Clarkson (2013)

I still consider this track to be a “new” Christmas song… even though it’s celebrating its tenth anniversary this year! Shows how old I’m getting, eh? In 2013, American popstar Kelly Clarkson released her first Christmas album, and along with a handful of up-tempo versions of holiday classics was this original composition. It’s a great song and has been rightly hailed as a modern festive classic!

Underneath the Tree peaked at number 12 on the charts here in the UK, but was a chart-topper in the USA and Canada. I’ve seen it on multiple Christmas compilation albums and playlists in the years since, and it’s been a mainstay on my own Christmas playlist since I bought Kelly Clarkson’s album that same year.

So that’s it for another year!

I’m proud to say that, once again, we’ve managed to stay hidden from both Wham! and Mariah Carey… but as we begin to run out of top-tier festive hits, will we be able to keep that up next year? I guess you’ll have to come back in December 2024 to find out!

I hope this playlist has given you a little bit of festive inspiration, at any rate. In my admittedly foggy memories of childhood, my parents would pop on a Christmas record when we were getting the decorations out of storage in mid-December. It was great fun to dig through the boxes, finding little ornaments and pieces of tinsel that we hadn’t seen in almost a year all the while some festive songs were playing in the background. I’m sure I’m romanticising those memories; looking back with red-and-gold-tinted glasses! But memory is a funny thing, and my recollections of Christmas are a big part of why I love the holiday season so much.

I hope you’ll stay tuned, because I have a couple of other festive ideas that may (or may not, time depending) make their way to the website before the big day. All that remains to say is this: Merry Christmas!

When are you “allowed” to decorate for Christmas?

Fri 10.11.23Mon 20.05.24Dennis

I love Christmas! And I don’t think it’s too early to say so. In fact, it was when I was beginning to put up my modest array of Christmas decorations that I began to think about how silly this conversation is about “Christmas creep” and the expanding holiday season. I decided to write down how I feel about it if for no other reason than to get my thoughts in order!

Not everyone likes Christmas – and across the world, billions of people don’t celebrate. That’s totally okay with me, and I’d never tell anyone that they should feel the same way about any holiday or time of year as I do. I’m not especially interested in Valentine’s Day or Easter, for example, and I really don’t like my birthday – I tend not to share my date of birth with people nor celebrate in any way. But Christmas is 100% my jam; this is the holiday I care the most about, and the time of year that I’m always looking forward to and happily welcome back.

As with so many things online, the “debate” around Christmas and when it’s okay to start celebrating started out pretty casually and light-heartedly. But some folks seem to have started to take it unnecessarily seriously, with some even suggesting that people who put up their Christmas decorations before they deem it appropriate are somehow committing a horrible moral sin or doing something unacceptable.

I’ll share my two cents on decorating and you can see whether we’re close to being on the same page. Here in the UK, we celebrate Bonfire Night on the 5th of November – something you might remember from the film adaptation of V for Vendetta, if for no other reason! Bonfire Night doesn’t bring with it any decorations, but there are fireworks and – naturally – bonfires. Bonfire Night is the last noteworthy holiday/event (in my life as an English atheist, at any rate) before Christmas – so I consider any time after Bonfire Night to be “fair game” for putting up my Christmas decorations.

I like to decorate my home. It’s fun to have something to look at, both inside and out, and I take any opportunity I can get to put up a string of fairy lights, banners, streamers, or really any kind of decorative items. With my Halloween decorations coming down in early November, there’s a bit of a void… and I like to fill that void by getting started on my Christmas decorations.

Maybe we’re getting a little philosophical or even psychological… but I’m someone who doesn’t like conflict, and I like to “live and let live.” If someone disagrees with me, even on a topic I care greatly about, I’d rather move the conversation along than get into an argument. I’m also the kind of person who’d never tell anyone that they’re doing something wrong – not unless it was literally a life-or-death kind of situation! “You do you, friend” is something I’ll often say – even if I vehemently disagree!

So with all of that in mind, I’d never want to tell someone that the way they’re decorating their own home is somehow wrong or inappropriate. Some people begin to prepare for Halloween months in advance because they love that holiday a lot more than I do – and that’s fine. I’ve dated people who wanted to go all-out for Valentine’s Day, and even though it’s really not my favourite holiday, I was happy to go along with it for their sake. I guess I don’t really understand why so many people feel the need to butt in and give their totally unsolicited and uninvited opinions on Christmas decorating.

I saw a web comic once, a few years ago now, that said something to the effect of “some people don’t get a lot of joy or pleasure in life… so why try to rob them of it when they do find it?” And that’s kind of how I feel about this silly “debate” around decorating for Christmas. Some of the trappings of Christmas – the snacks, the decorations, and the twinkling lights – give me a small amount of pleasure at this time of year. And if someone wants to decorate for Christmas in August… why should you or I care? Why should we tell them that they’re being silly or childish? It seems mean… it feels almost like bullying.

On an individual level, making a one-off remark about it being “too early” might seem inoffensive enough. But we have to try to keep in mind that, especially when we’re communicating online, the chances are that these comments have been made and seen before… time after time after time. And although it may seem harmless… that kind of thing wears you down after a while.

Christmas isn’t always the most fun time of year. I have memories of someone close to me who passed away in between Christmas and New Year that always come to the surface, and I know I won’t be alone in that. Christmas can, for people like myself who live alone, also be a very lonely time of year. When you don’t have anyone close to share your life with, holidays like Christmas can really feel like they’re rubbing it in sometimes! And those feelings impact me, too.

But in a way, that’s why decorating is so important to me. It helps me to remind myself of Christmases gone by, and to seek pleasure in the small things. I’m not going to have a big family Christmas this year – most of my close family members are gone, and others live too far away to visit on or around the big day. But I can still find things to enjoy about Christmas time: Christmas music, festive snacks, and of course, my decorations.

I’ve said before in totally different contexts that we should all try to be careful with our words when we hop online – and this is another one of those times. It’s totally okay to not enjoy Christmas, not to celebrate Christmas, and even to get irritated and annoyed if you see people getting ready for the holidays “too soon.” But there’s no need to call out someone for seeking a bit of joy and pleasure at this time of year – and since none of us can really know what anyone else might be feeling or going through, doing so could really upset someone or push them over the edge.

On behalf of people who like to put up their Christmas decorations before December: we get it! Some people think it’s “too early” and it shouldn’t be done. But how I choose to decorate my home – and how I choose to live – really isn’t anyone else’s business, is it?

Happy decorating… and a nice, early Merry Christmas from me to you!

Some images used above courtesy of Unsplash. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A festive playlist to get you in the holiday spirit!

Sat 03.12.22Sat 03.12.22Dennis

For the third year in a row I’m putting together a playlist of some of my favourite Christmas tunes! This playlist will perfectly complement the playlists I published in 2020 and 2021, so be sure to check out both of those to see even more holiday favourites!

I love this time of year, and revelling in Christmas music is one way to enjoy the season. Over the years I’ve amassed a collection of Christmas albums and singles, spanning a range of musical genres and styles. A lot of more modern albums seem to be comprised of the same handful of “traditional holiday favourites,” but every once in a while there’s a real gem amongst them – be that an original song or a great cover.

Christmas will soon be upon us once again!

Last year we were treated to Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s instant Christmas classic Merry Christmas, and that song will be a permanent fixture on my holiday playlist from now on! There are still original Christmassy songs composed, then, even if the charts have been dominated in recent years by talent show winners and novelty songs.

This playlist is really “part three” – following on from the playlists I’ve published over the past couple of years. So please go back and check out my first playlist, which you can find by clicking or tapping here. And don’t forget part two, which you can find by clicking or tapping here! Put all three together – or just pluck out your personal faves – and you’ll be set to go for your Christmas party!

The videos below are all hosted on YouTube, and some may be region-blocked. However, all of the songs should be available via your streaming method of choice if you can’t listen to them here. Let’s jump into the playlist!

Track 1:
Wonderful Christmastime – Paul McCartney (1979)

Was the ’70s the golden age of pop-rock Christmas songs… or is that just the nostalgia talking? After the likes of Slade, John Lennon, Mud, and Wizzard all put out songs that have become perennial favourites, Paul McCartney closed out the decade with Wonderful Christmastime. And apparently he hates it – or rather, he’s come to dislike the song after hearing it every Christmas season for more than forty years!

What’s fascinating about Wonderful Christmastime is that Paul McCartney composed the song, sings it, and also plays every single instrument you hear on the recording. His band at the time, Wings, wasn’t involved in the song at all (though members of the band do appear in the video). Whatever you may think of the song – and it’s definitely a love-it-or-hate-it Christmas track – a lot of work and talent went into its recording.

Track 2:
Up On The Housetop – The Jackson 5 (1970)

Up On The Housetop is one of those Christmas classics that seems to have been recorded by a wide range of performers! Originally composed in the mid-19th Century, the song tells a timeless tale of the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. The Corporation, who produced many of the Jackson 5’s early hits, adapted the song for the group, adding in new lines for the Jackson family.

As an R&B/funk arrangement, the up-tempo adaptation of the song is pitch-perfect, and the extra lines add a little dash of humour. It’s not a straight cover of this Christmas classic – but there are many other arrangements of Up On The Housetop that stay true to its original composition. For my money, the Jackson 5 version is one of the better ones, and certainly one of the most unique.

Track 3:
21st Century Christmas – Cliff Richard (2006)

21st Century Christmas was Sir Cliff Richard’s last real effort to score a number one hit in the UK. If he’d succeeded, he would’ve been the first and only artist to reach the number one spot in six different decades, after achieving the milestone at least once in every decade from the ’50s to the ’90s. 21st Century Christmas managed to sell more CDs than any other song – but was pipped to the post by Take That in the week before Christmas and by X Factor winner Leona Lewis in Christmas week. Both artists achieved their positions thanks to downloads, which were newly-incorporated into the charts at the time.

Despite not quite hitting the top spot, 21st Century Christmas is a nice song, and it’s been a fixture on my Christmas playlist. I bought the CD single in 2006, and I bought the song again as an mp3 a few years later. Some of the lyrics feel rather dated as Sir Cliff’s idea of a 21st Century Christmas involves faxes and DVDs… but hey, they were modern and hip at the time! And it wouldn’t be Christmas without one of Sir Cliff’s songs!

Track 4:
Christmas Is All Around – Love Actually OST (2003)

Rom-com Love Actually didn’t really feel like a typical Christmas film when I first saw it, but it’s certainly become a perennial Christmas favourite over the past couple of decades! One of the film’s story threads followed ageing rock star Billy Mack – played by Bill Nighy – as he chases one last chance at stardom by scoring a Christmas number one with a Christmas version of Love Is All Around.

The song is deliberately silly, with some slightly awkward moments as the words don’t quite fit in time to the beat! But as a parody and pastiche of novelty Christmas songs, it’s absolutely perfect. And the end result is a perfectly creditable Christmas song in its own right – one that has managed to find a place on my Christmas playlist!

Track 5:
Santa’s Coming For Us – Sia (2017)

Australian pop superstar Sia released her first Christmas album in 2017 – and as a collector of Christmas albums, I snapped it up as soon as it was available! The lead single from a Christmas album that was made up mostly of new compositions was Santa’s Coming For Us, and it’s a fantastic modern Christmas song.

Santa’s Coming For Us topped the charts in Canada… but nowhere else, reaching a distant 17th place on the charts here in the UK. The music video features Henry Winkler (best known as Fonzie on Happy Days) as part of an all-star cast, which is kind of neat. I always like to give new songs a fair shot, and I’m definitely glad to have tried Sia’s Christmas offering.

Track 6:
O Little Town Of Bethlehem – Annie Lennox (2010)

In 2010, Annie Lennox (of Eurythmics fame) released her first Christmas album! God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – a fairly drab traditional carol – was the lead single, but for my money, Lennox’s arrangement of O Little Town Of Bethlehem is the real standout track. It wasn’t released as an independent single, though, so it never charted.

Traditional carols like O Little Town Of Bethlehem have seen many different arrangements and covers over the years. Lennox’s take is much more traditional than the Cliff Richard/Amy Grant song Little Town (which made the cut to feature on the 2020 edition of my festive playlist!) But I think there’s room to enjoy both classic and novel arrangements of the same festive favourites sometimes. Annie Lennox did a great job on O Little Town Of Bethlehem, and her version is, at least for me, one of the best.

Track 7:
Merry Christmas (Exclamation Point) – Jon Lajoie (2013)

Jon Lajoie’s song is a very light-hearted look at Christmas, and I absolutely love it! Merry Christmas (Exclamation Point) is incredibly relatable; we all have people in our lives outside of our immediate circles of family and close friends, work colleagues and casual acquaintances who we want to acknowledge over the holidays – but not in a big way! And that’s what the song is all about.

I confess that I’m not familiar with Jon Lajoie or any of his other work. I stumbled upon this Christmas song on iTunes or YouTube shortly after it was released, and I fell in love with its humourous take on the holiday season. It’s been a feature on my playlist ever since – and a song I’ve recommended to others, too!

Track 8:
Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid (1984)

Last year, I put Band Aid 20’s version of Do They Know It’s Christmas (from 2004) on my playlist, but as I said then, it’s a toss-up for me whether that version or the original from 1984 is better! So this year we’re going to add the original version! Band Aid came together very quickly in late 1984, inspired (or so the story goes) by a BBC news report on that year’s famine in Ethiopia. The song was thrown together in a matter of days by Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure.

Do They Know It’s Christmas? was a charity single, with all the proceeds raised going to help with famine relief in Ethiopia, and although some of the lyrics are a little on the nose, the intentions here were good. Band Aid went on to inspire the Live Aid and USA For Africa concerts in 1985 (the former of which is one of my earliest television viewing memories!) and the song itself has been re-recorded on three separate occasions now, raising more money for charity every time. And as a festive hit, Do They Know It’s Christmas? actually manages to be a good, enjoyable song.

Track 9:
Thank You Santa – Mitchel Musso (2009)

This song was featured on the Phineas and Ferb Christmas special in 2009 – specifically, it’s the song at the very end that plays while the credits roll. It’s an incredibly sweet song, and without wanting to put too fine a point on it, it’s all about saying thank you to Santa Claus!

Mitchel Musso voiced the character of Jeremy in Phineas and Ferb for all four seasons of the show (and its spin-off films), and was also a Disney Channel star, appearing in shows like Hannah Montana and Pair of Kings. This song has been a fixture on my Christmas playlist – along with several others from the same Christmas special – ever since I got the CD soundtrack!

Track 10:
Three Ships – Cyndi Lauper (1998)

Cyndi Lauper’s Christmas album in 1998 didn’t do especially well on the charts, but she brought a new style to several traditional carols. Her version of Three Ships is probably one of the more unique takes on the carol that I’ve heard, and as a lesser-known Christmas tune it’s nice to see songs like this given a new arrangement sometimes.

I Saw Three Ships is a traditional carol whose origins are lost, and speculation abounds as to what the titular three ships might have been carrying – and what their destination may have been! Regardless, the song seems to date to at least the middle ages, and although it isn’t at the top of everyone’s list, new versions and arrangements still pop up from time to time.

Track 11:
Stop The Cavalry – Jona Lewie (1980)

Stop The Cavalry is one of those songs that didn’t start out life as a Christmas song… but became one almost by default thanks to a December release! One line in the song mentions Christmas, but aside from that it’s really a protest song, an anti-war track that references the First World War but also looks to contemporary conflicts and the threat of nuclear war as well.

I’m certain that Stop The Cavalry would have reached the number one spot in December 1980 – possibly as that year’s Christmas number one – were it not for the murder of John Lennon that same month. Two of Lennon’s hits – (Just Like) Starting Over and Imagine – hit the number one spot in December and January, keeping Stop The Cavalry from topping the charts. In the years since, however, the song has become a well-known holiday favourite here in the UK.

Track 12:
To Christmas! (The Drinking Song) – Straight No Chaser (2016)

The story of acapella group Straight No Chaser is a fun one! The group was founded in 1996 by a group of students in Indiana, and they played a number of local gigs in the late 1990s before they graduated and went their separate ways. But in 2006, a video that had been recorded of their version of Twelve Days of Christmas years earlier went viral on YouTube, racking up more than twenty million views – massive numbers at the time! The band got back together and have since put out several albums.

To Christmas! (The Drinking Song) is a fun, light-hearted track taken from their 2016 Christmas album. The song races through the entire season, from the weeks leading up to Christmas right through to New Year, and it does so in a gentle and fun way, touching on topics like parties and Christmas shopping but with a neat, modern twist.

So that’s it!

We’ve added twelve more tracks to the festive playlist, and for the third year in a row we’ve managed to dodge both Wham! and Mariah Carey. That’s no mean feat… but will we be able to keep them at bay again next year? Tune in to find out!

Here in the UK, we’re looking at the third Christmas in a row that won’t be as enjoyable as we’d want it to be. Two pandemic-disrupted years have given way to a cost-of-living catastrophe, inflation, strikes, and a general sense that we’re in for a “winter of discontent” that could rival the late 1970s. At times like these, the light escape that Christmas music can provide is incredibly important to me. Stepping away from the difficulties of the real world, if only for a moment, can be just what the doctor ordered, and for me, Christmas music can provide that. It’s in that spirit that I share this playlist with you – and I hope some of the songs provide you with a little dash of festive enjoyment to perk up your holiday season.

With just over three weeks to go until the big day, I have a couple of other Christmassy ideas that may make their way onto the website – so I hope you’ll check back for those before Santa comes. I truly hope you’re making the best of the holiday season, whatever your circumstances may be.

All songs on the playlist above are the copyright of their respective record company, studio, distributor, composer, etc. All videos courtesy of YouTube. Videos are merely embedded here, and are not hosted on Trekking with Dennis. For copyright claims, please contact YouTube directly. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Five films (and TV specials) to watch this Holiday Season!

Wed 08.12.21Wed 08.12.21Dennis

Christmas is edging closer by the day! The main event itself is now only a couple of weeks away, so we’re well and truly in the wintery grip of the Holiday Season. This time I thought it could be fun to take a look at five films and television specials that make for great festive viewing.

Although I’m not a religious person by any stretch, Christmas has always been an event I look forward to… beginning as early as September! Though not every Christmas was perfect when I was a kid, I have some pretty happy memories of this time of year, and there’s something about the juxtaposition of the cold, dark winter going on outside with the warmth and the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree inside that really makes this time of year feel special, almost magical!

Between the lights, decorations, and festive pop hits, I think it’s fair to say I’m all about the secular, commercial side of Christmas; Santa Claus, not Jesus, stands out to me as the season’s main character! So that’s my mindset as we go into this list.

Please keep in mind, as always, that this list is wholly subjective. If you don’t like any of these Christmas films and television specials, that’s perfectly fine. I’m not trying to pretend that these are the “all-time best ever” Christmas specials, or anything of the sort!

With that caveat out of the way, let’s dive into the list!

Number 1:
The Polar Express (2004)

When it was released in 2004, The Polar Express received criticism for its “creepy” CGI – but I think it’s safe to say that its semi-realistic animated style has aged pretty well. Tom Hanks stars in this modern animated classic, and takes on several different voice roles across the film. Not providing names for main characters is a risk (not to mention something you’d get a failing grade for in most creative writing classes!) but that doesn’t actually hamper The Polar Express. The nameless protagonists are arguably more relatable as a result, allowing the audience to project themselves onto the characters with ease.

There may have been a couple of Christmases when I was very young where I did, in fact, believe in Santa Claus (or Father Christmas, as we call him here in the UK). But my parents didn’t do the whole “all of your gifts come from Santa” thing, and among my earliest Christmas memories I can remember writing thank-you notes to family members for the gifts they’d given me. These things vary from family to family, though, and while I wouldn’t like to speak outside of my own experience, I think a lot of you probably have some recollection of believing in Santa Claus and subsequently losing that belief. It’s a theme that many different Christmas films have tackled – but The Polar Express gets it right. The protagonist learns, over the course of his adventures, to keep believing – a metaphor, perhaps, for valuing one’s childhood and remaining youthful.

I’ve always liked trains, and The Polar Express shows us a beautiful CGI rendition of an old-fashioned steam locomotive. Trains – model trains in particular – have somewhat of an association with Christmas, but this method of transporting kids to the North Pole was certainly unique! It gives The Polar Express a sense of adventure that road trip films and other films about long journeys often capture so well, with scenes like running around on the train roof and the train skidding across the ice all playing into that.

The Polar Express is a film with heart, but it’s also something a little different from the typical “let’s go and meet Santa Claus” fare of many other shows and films aimed at children. There’s a sense of scale in the journey we see the protagonists undertake, and because it’s told from a child’s perspective, there’s still some of that mystery and wonder; the sense that the kids don’t really know how everything works on the train. That magic is part of what makes the holidays so special.

Number 2:
The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020)

Promo image for *The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special*.

I’ve had a review of this one in the pipeline since last year, but for various reasons it got buried under too many other writing projects in the days before Christmas! Stay tuned, though, because I daresay I’ll get around to a full write-up eventually! For now, let’s hit the key points. The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special is hilarious, and I found it to be a great palate-cleanser after The Rise of Skywalker had been such a disappointment.

Unlike this year’s Lego Star Wars Terrifying Tales, which focused solely on Poe Dameron, The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special brings back all of the main characters from the sequel trilogy – then takes a wild ride through all three of Star Wars’ main eras thanks to some well-timed space magic! Star Wars fans should appreciate many, many callbacks to past iterations of the franchise – not least the notorious Holiday Special, which was released in 1978 to critical derision!

The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special is full to the brim with gentle jokes and parodies that poke fun at the Star Wars franchise without ever coming across as mean-spirited or laughing at fans. Some humourless fans, or those who want to lose themselves in that world, might find that offputting, but I reckon that a majority will be able to enjoy The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special for what it is: non-canon fun.

I was pleased to see that Disney+ is intent on doing more with the Star Wars brand than just serious projects like The Mandalorian, and in some respects I think we can argue that The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special – and other Lego Star Wars titles too – fill a niche similar to Star Trek: Lower Decks over in another wonderful sci-fi franchise. No Star Trek holiday special yet, though… but maybe one day!

Number 3:
I Won’t Be Home For Christmas
The Simpsons Season 26 (2014)

The Simpsons’ house all decorated for the season.

The Simpsons has undeniably lost its edge in recent seasons, and it’s increasingly rare to pluck out a genuinely good episode from the ever-growing pile – something I found out when I put together a list of a few of my favourite episodes earlier this year. But every now and then The Simpsons can still produce an episode somewhat akin to those from its more successful past. I Won’t Be Home For Christmas is, in my view anyway, among them.

Perhaps it’s the holiday theme that elevates what might otherwise be a less-enjoyable episode, but I find that there’s something very relatable about I Won’t Be Home For Christmas. A few years ago, when I was suffering with undiagnosed mental health issues and in the midst of a divorce, I found myself wandering the dark, empty streets on Christmas Eve – trying to clear my head. The sequences in which Homer does something similar in this episode really hit home for me because I’ve been in a similar position myself.

I found this presentation of Homer to be very relatable.

When you’re watching what feels like the whole rest of the world closing their doors and enjoying the holidays without you, life can feel incredibly lonely. Homer meets a number of characters on his own journey, but that sense of loneliness and missing out on what’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year is still a prevalent theme that runs through the entire story.

On a more positive note, I Won’t Be Home For Christmas features a couple of genuinely good jokes and laugh-out-loud moments. It also kicks off with a Christmas-themed reworking of the show’s famous opening sequence, so if you’re watching on Disney+ don’t hit the “skip intro” button! You’ll miss something fun if you do. In a lot of ways I feel echoes of Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire in I Won’t Be Home For Christmas – and not just because of its holiday setting. The episode feels like a throwback to earlier seasons, when The Simpsons as a whole was doing far better at producing stories like this one.

Number 4:
Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (1991)

My younger sister received a VHS copy of Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too as a Christmas present (I would guess in 1992) and watched it endlessly! As a result, it’s probably one of the Christmas specials that I’ve seen most often – it was a mainstay in our house in the run-up to Christmas for several years in a row! What’s more, the original Winnie the Pooh books by A. A. Milne were permanent fixtures on my childhood bookshelf, and I’m sure those books were read to me when I was very small. So the entire Winnie the Pooh series is something I have a great fondness for!

Christmas is a time for nostalgic steps back like this, forgetting the modern world and all of its troubles for a while. Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too is an incredibly sweet Christmas tale set in the Hundred Acre Wood, perfect for a few minutes wrapped up in Christmas-themed cuteness and escapism. Or is that just the nostalgia talking?

Because Winnie the Pooh has always been pitched at very young children, the story here is rather basic. There’s a kerfuffle surrounding Christopher Robin’s letter to Santa, and Pooh tries to save the day. Despite those limitations, though, the story is incredibly cute, really sweet, and full to the brim with Christmas fun.

Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too isn’t something I go back to year upon year; doing so would probably ruin the magic. But every once in a while I treat myself to this blast of very personal ’90s nostalgia and enjoy my memories of Christmases past. As 2021 looks set to be the second Christmas in a row where we may not be able to do everything we’d want, I think finding moments like that might be very important for a lot of folks.

Number 5:
Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation (2009)

As a childless adult, Phineas and Ferb is a series that shouldn’t have had much appeal for me! But as I’ve said many times before, the best kids’ shows have something to offer adults as well, and when I sat down to watch Phineas and Ferb for the first time back when I had the Disney Channel, I found a truly engaging and fun little cartoon.

That extends to the Christmas special too, which is one of the high points of the entire series – in my subjective opinion, naturally! I’m a total sap for the “Christmas is in danger, someone needs to save it!” plot cliché, and Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation puts the series’ trademark spin on that familiar premise. It’s a lot of fun!

I never miss an opportunity to talk about Phineas and Ferb. The show finished its run in 2015, but last year returned for a one-off Disney+ original film, which was absolutely fantastic too. Unlike some of the other entries on this list, which I’ll happily rewatch on occasion, I return to Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation every year without fail – something I’ve done for a decade now!

Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation keeps the series’ trademark twin storylines – the boys and the other kids on one side, Perry the Platypus and Dr Doofenshmirtz on the other. Both stories come together in one connected narrative, but the show sticks to its two angles throughout – and what results is a story with moments of excitement, high drama, and emotion as the boys race to save Christmas.

Bonus:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo Switch (2020)

Promo for *New Horizons’* Christmas event.

If you’re an Animal Crossing player, Christmas Eve is where it’s at! But throughout December it’s possible to buy special seasonal items, to see your island all decorated for the holidays, and to take note of what some of your island friends might want by way of gifts! The Christmas event is known as Toy Day in the world of Animal Crossing, and while it’s possible to ignore it and get on with your regular island life, it’s a bit of fun to play through these one-off events.

As December dawns on your island – at least if you’re playing on a Northern Hemisphere island – snow will start to fall. You’ll be able to build a snowman every day – and building the perfect one unlocks special ice-themed items. There are snowflakes to catch, which are used as DIY ingredients to craft new seasonal items too.

Later in December, Isabelle will announce that she’s decorated some of the island’s trees – but only the pine trees. When I played last year not every pine was decorated, but those that were looked adorable with their little festive lights! Shaking these trees also provided yet another crafting material which could be used to create holiday-themed items.

I’ve been critical of New Horizons for its longevity in particular, but there are few games that offer this style of gameplay. Last year I played through the Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year events on my island, and I have to say I had a lot of fun with all of them. The Toy Day event on Christmas Eve (not Christmas Day!) is the kind of sweet Christmassy fun you’d expect from a game in the Animal Crossing series, and if you missed it last year it’s well worth playing through at least once.

So that’s it!

I’ve got a few more holiday-themed ideas for the website between now and Christmas – which is getting closer and closer by the day. I hope you like the festive banner and the little Santa hat on the website’s logo, too! I had fun messing around and putting those together.

There are lots of great festive films and holiday specials that I didn’t include on this list, so have a browse through the television listings or your streaming platform of choice. I’ll probably be checking out a mix of old favourites and new entries – there are always plenty of new holiday films every year. I’ve heard good things about 8-Bit Christmas this year, for example! I hope this list has been a bit of festive fun as we continue to get into a holiday groove!

All titles mentioned above are the copyright of their respective studio, distributor, broadcaster, streaming platform, etc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A festive playlist to get you in the holiday spirit!

Sun 05.12.21Fri 11.03.22Dennis

This time last year I put out my last holiday playlist. Whether this will become an annual tradition or not, who can say! But as we’re once again approaching the most wonderful time of the year I thought another playlist would be a lot of fun. There were so many songs I debated including last time but didn’t, so here’s an opportunity to talk about a few more of my festive favourites!

I’m an avid collector of Christmas albums, and I have been for years. Many albums, especially recently, seem to consist of the same handful of “traditional holiday favourites” in different variations, but every once in a while there’s a real gem amongst them. Sometimes these can be original songs, other times simply an original take on a classic Christmas tune.

It’s been a long while since there was a proper race to the Christmas number one spot – at least here in the UK. Nowadays novelty songs or big hits by well-known stars dominate the charts, and the days when a truly festive Christmas song would attract a lot of attention seem to be fading! The music charts are less and less relevant, of course, as folks turn to streaming, but still it would be nice to get another year like 1973 – when Slade and Wizzard battled it out with duelling songs that were both spectacularly Christmassy!

All of the songs on the list below are embedded here courtesy of YouTube. If, for whatever reason, any of the videos are blocked in your country I daresay you can find the tracks via some other streaming service without too much difficulty. I hope you’ll take a look at last year’s playlist as well – you can find it by clicking or tapping here. You’ll find the aforementioned Slade and Wizzard Christmas hits there, as well as a few other favourites of mine. This playlist is “Part 2” – it’ll go very well with last year’s offering!

Now that the shameless plug is out of the way, let’s jump into the playlist!

Track 1:
Saviour’s Day – Cliff Richard (1990)

Saviour’s Day is the first holiday song I listen to every year. Its opening lines are the perfect way to kick off the festive season, as mainstay of British pop Cliff Richard sings “Now we have been through the harvest, winter has truly begun.” As the harvest season draws to a close, the clocks turn back, and the temperature drops, this is the first song I turn to – it perfectly encapsulates the season that lies ahead of us.

The song was Sir Cliff’s third Christmas number one in a row here in the UK – following 1988’s Mistletoe and Wine and Band Aid II’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? in 1989. The Beatles from 1963-65, the Spice Girls from 1996-98, and most recently YouTube sensation LadBaby from 2018-20 have also achieved the feat of three Christmas number one singles in a row! I’m not a religious person, so Saviour’s Day and its Christian slant wouldn’t be my usual kind of tune. But at this time of year I don’t mind a bit of religious imagery!

Track 2:
Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid 20 (2004)

So here’s a question that’s bound to generate controversy: which version of Do They Know It’s Christmas is the best? For me it comes down to a clash between the original in 1984 and the 2004 cover version, and it’s the latter that we’ll listen to on this occasion. While the original has its charms, I like the slower tempo and more modern instrumentation that Band Aid 20 used. This version of the song blends slow piano, an electric guitar solo, and even a rapped verse all into one – and it works.

Band Aid 20, like Band Aid before it, was a charity project. Raising money for people in less well-off countries is always a good cause, and the holiday season sees a lot of charitable activity. Do They Know It’s Christmas wasn’t the first charity song to top the charts, but it’s a fun song in its own right, with a short but sweet melody that has become synonymous with this time of year. Band Aid 20 produced a creditable cover version in 2004, and it’s one I’m happy to revisit at this time of year.

Track 3:
Christmas Is Starting Now – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (2009)

This was one of several Christmas songs featured on the Disney Channel special Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation. It’s an amazing Christmas song in its own right, and an original track written for the show. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are a swing band, and the song uses their style in show-stopping fashion!

The song plays at the climax of Phineas and Ferb: Christmas Vacation, and the Christmas special needed a big number to fit the excited, uplifting tone of that moment. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy delivered – but the song is so good it seems almost criminal to relegate it to one moment on the soundtrack to an animated show! It should be a permanent fixture on Christmas playlists – and it has been on mine ever since I first heard it.

Track 4:
Lonely This Christmas – Mud (1974)

A year after Slade and Wizzard had duked it out for the Christmas number one spot here in the UK, Mud came along with another record that would go on to become a Christmas classic. Unlike the upbeat tone of the two Christmas contenders in 1973, Lonely This Christmas is a slower track that perfectly fits the sombre, reflective tone of its lyrics.

Lonely This Christmas is a very relatable song – I think many folks must’ve lived through “the Christmas after the one before;” that first Christmas after a big break-up, wondering what the other person is doing and looking back at happier memories from the year before. I know I’ve been there… raise your hand if you have, too!

Track 5:
A Spaceman Came Travelling – Chris de Burgh (1976)

This one has been on my festive playlist for decades… mostly for sentimental reasons. I have fond memories of a friend who adored this slow, melodic track, and while I freely admit it isn’t my all-time Christmas favourite, it’s the time of year when it’s nice – sometimes – to wallow in fond memories.

I like the lyrics of A Spaceman Came Travelling – it’s the kind of song that makes you stop and think. The premise is simple (and supposedly inspired by the 1968 pseudoscience book Chariots of the Gods) that the Star of Bethlehem was, in fact, an alien spacecraft. The benevolent alien would preach a message of peace… but presumably was misunderstood! The ’70s had quite a few of these New Age concept songs… but this one has a Christmas theme.

Track 6:
Good King Wenceslas – The Piano Guys (2013)

The Piano Guys are a YouTube musical outfit well-known for their instrumental covers of pop hits. In 2013 they put out their first Christmas album – and it’s a good one! There have been many covers of Good King Wenceslas over the years, including instrumental variations like this one. I don’t want to say this one is the “absolute best” – but it has to be up near the top!

The arrangement of the piece is beautiful, giving what can be a slow, droll Christmas carol an up-tempo reworking. The melody focuses on the piano – as you might expect – but there’s also a cello and percussion present. All in all, a wonderful and somewhat different rendition of a traditional Christmas classic.

Track 7:
364 Days To Go – Brad Paisley (2006)

Representing the country music genre we have modern country superstar Brad Paisley! In my opinion at least, the country music genre as a whole doesn’t always get it right at this time of year… too many samey covers of the same few Christmas hits! But once in a while there’s a fun original song, and Brad Paisley’s 364 Days To Go has to be among them.

The song’s premise is simple… Christmas has only just finished, and while it’s tempting to feel a little melancholic at the end of the season, if you think about it there really isn’t that long until the next one! I love this time of year, and the few weeks leading up to Christmas are beautiful – so it can feel a little sad as Christmas Day draws to a close. But Brad’s right – there’s only 364 days to go and we’ll be back here again!

Track 8:
Merry Xmas Everybody – Robbie Williams ft. Jamie Cullum (2019)

We’ve done it… this is the first cover version of a track that appeared on last year’s list! But wait, don’t skip ahead yet! I was truly surprised to enjoy a cover of Slade’s amazing Christmas hit Merry Xmas Everybody… especially a swing-inspired one! But Robbie Williams and Jamie Cullum put together a really fun rendition of the track.

This version feels different enough from the original to really feel like something new, and the swing elements fit perfectly with the up-tempo music and fun lyrics. When I saw this track on the album’s listing I almost skipped it… but I’m so glad that I didn’t. It’s well worth a place on anyone’s Christmas playlist!

Track 9:
In Dulci Jubilo – Mike Oldfield (1975)

The Piano Guys aren’t the only musicians to put together a very different instrumental version of a traditional carol! Mike Oldfield did it decades earlier, and his version of In Dulci Jubilo has become a holiday favourite. In 1975 it peaked at number four on the UK charts, but has made a comeback on compilations and holiday albums ever since.

Mike Oldfield is a multi-instrumentalist, and over the course of a long career has put together a number of instrumental pieces as well as songs. In Dulci Jubilo features an electric guitar and recorders playing the main melody, backed up by synthesisers, drums, and piano. It’s very difficult to put into words; it’s a unique piece of music, based on a traditional carol but taking it in a very different and unexpected direction.

Track 10:
Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses (1981)

Christmas Wrapping wasn’t a rousing success for New Wave band The Waitresses either on its original 1981 release or its re-release the next year, peaking at a lowly 45th position on the UK charts. It was originally commissioned for a compilation album that likewise wasn’t a huge success in the early ’80s, but it’s been featured on a number of Christmas albums in the years since, and has seen its popularity rise as a result.

The song’s title is a pun: “wrapping” sounds a lot like “rapping,” and there had been a song a couple of years earlier called Christmas Rappin’. Lyrically, the song tells of someone with a busy life who thinks she’ll skip Christmas – only to re-encounter someone she’s interested in on Christmas Eve. If one of those corny made-for-TV Christmas movies was condensed into five minutes and twenty seconds… this is what you’d get!

Track 11:
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Michael Bublé (2011)

Michael Bublé has actually only released one full Christmas album, but he seems to have acquired a reputation of late as being a Christmas artist first and foremost! His cover of the 1951 hit It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas is one of the best versions of the song that I’ve heard, sticking fairly close to the original arrangement to provide a sweet, familiar-sounding Christmas tune.

There have been many versions of It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas over the years, including a few that take the song to different musical genres. Michael Bublé’s version is great, though, and makes the perfect backdrop to any Christmas party!

Track 12:
Merry Christmas – Ed Sheeran and Elton John (2021)

I debated whether to include this one because it’s so new… but it’s been on constant repeat in my house the past couple of days so I can’t help myself! This year, popular singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has teamed up with Elton John for a Christmas single in aid of two charities. Merry Christmas is a fantastic Christmas song that draws on the very best of late 20th Century Christmas pop hits, mashing it all together into a simple, catchy tune.

The music video is hilarious, too. Featuring parodies of the likes of Walking in the Air, Shakin’ Stevens, Wizzard, and East 17’s Christmas hits – among others – it also features a number of celebrities and Christmas hitmakers of years past. Although it’s brand-new and has only been around for a couple of days at time of writing, I can already tell that Merry Christmas is going to become a permanent fixture on my Christmas playlist… staying there for as many Christmases as I have left!

So that’s it!

But don’t forget to go back and listen to last year’s playlist too – you can find it by clicking or tapping here. Once again we’ve put together a somewhat eclectic mix of different genres and styles, but I hope it’ll make the perfect backdrop to your Christmas party. For the second year in a row we’ve managed to avoid Wham! and Mariah Carey… but how long can we keep that up?

2021 has been a difficult year for all of us, and it’s years like this where we need the holiday season more than ever. Whether you’re able to spend Christmas with family and friends, or whether you’ll be chilling out alone, I hope you find some comfort and enjoyment in some of these songs. I find that listening to Christmas music can be a great way to relax and take my mind off things at this time of year.

Stay tuned for more Christmas-themed content here on the website between now and the big day!

All songs on the playlist above are the copyright of their respective record company, studio, distributor, composer, etc. All videos courtesy of YouTube. Videos are merely embedded here, and are not hosted on Trekking With Dennis. For copyright claims, please contact YouTube directly. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Fighting the urge to panic-buy

Sat 02.10.21Fri 15.04.22Dennis

The media is truly excellent at manipulation. Take the UK’s recent petrol and diesel shortages as an example. A “leak” from a private meeting between government officials and industry leaders suggested that the chronic shortage of lorry drivers – which extends far beyond Britain’s borders, afflicting much of western Europe and even the United States – could make it harder to ensure fuel deliveries to petrol stations. The inevitable and quite predictable result of the press reporting this as if it were imminent was panic-buying; a run on fuel.

It wasn’t until the media-reported “leak” that the panic-buying began, which led to the very fuel shortages that headlines screamed were coming. In short, the UK’s current fuel predicament is entirely a media-created problem, but I doubt very much that the responsible parties will ever be held accountable.

There has been a run on petrol stations in the UK over the last few days, all thanks to the media.

The same is true of other instances of panic-buying over the last couple of years. The infamous toilet paper shortage at the beginning of the pandemic was, once again, a media-created firestorm. And many media outlets, particularly tabloids, haven’t stopped trying to create more “shortages” to report on ever since. They prioritise sales, clickbait, and the revenue that panic-inducing headlines provide over any semblance of journalistic integrity, taking photos of supposedly “empty” shelves in supermarkets and showing them to the world under exaggerated headlines promising imminent doom.

My first ever job when I was still at school was working in a convenience shop in a small town. On any day of the week it was possible to find an empty shelf – most shops and supermarkets don’t have large stockrooms any more, with the just-in-time delivery system bringing everything on a daily basis. By the time evening rolled around, some shelves could look pretty bare. It’s at these times of day that many tabloid “journalists” and their photographer allies sneak into supermarkets to snap pictures of empty shelves in a desperate quest to keep the public buying newspapers (a dying format) or clicking on headlines proclaiming that we’re all about to starve to death.

You can find scenes like this seven days a week in most supermarkets, convenience stores, and food shops.

Even if there are individual industry-specific shortages or supply chain problems, these aren’t going to be permanent. The fuel panic has already blown over in much of the country, with only the London area still fully in the grip of the crisis. And promises of additional drivers and tankers backed up by the army should see that settle within a matter of days. Likewise in food, where certain products have been out of stock. These things don’t last forever, because it’s in everyone’s interest, from the government to the shops to their suppliers, to figure out solutions as quickly as possible. The only ones who benefit in any way from these shortages – or reported “shortages” – are the media.

So why, then, am I finding it hard to resist the temptation to join in and start panic-buying?

Partly this is an anxiety thing, and folks who suffer from anxiety to a worse degree than I do must surely be feeling awful right now. Headlines are screaming of shortages in fuel, meat, fruits and vegetables, and even proclaiming that Christmas is about to be “cancelled” due to a lack of festive food and toys. For people with mental health conditions, these kinds of headlines are just awful.

“Christmas is cancelled!” scream the headlines in some failing newspapers.

The rational part of my brain is fighting the irrational side – as it always has to. Are there enough lorries to transport everything I need? Will I have enough food? Will I be able to get enough food for the cats? What about my medication? What about cat litter? What about bin liners? What about this, that, and the other things?

It’s so very tempting to say “I’ll just pick up a couple of extras.” That doesn’t feel like panic-buying, and I can even rationalise it to myself by saying that I’m not panicking, I’m just being sensible and taking precautions in case other people start panic-buying. Besides, the supermarket won’t miss a couple of extra tins of potatoes and packets of cat food, right? They’ve got loads of stuff on the shelves (despite the false pictures printed in the newspapers!)

A shortage of HGV drivers is one factor in some of these “shortages.”

The problem with that mindset is that, when everyone does the same thing, shops run out of everything more quickly. When people who have their tanks half-full stop by the petrol station for a top-up “just in case,” fuel runs out. And that’s exactly what we’ve been seeing over the past week. People who didn’t need to buy fuel, and wouldn’t have under normal circumstances, have started queueing up to top up their vehicles in case there’s a shortage caused by panic-buying… not realising or acknowledging that they themselves are part of the problem.

It’s an easy trap to fall into. And it’s easy to talk oneself into it, too. After all, if there’s even the possibility of things running out, it makes sense to jump in ahead of the panic and stock up, right? The mindset of “other people panic-buy; I’m just being sensible” is a way for all of us to rationalise what is really not rational behaviour. The fear of missing out, of sitting at home without food or toilet paper or petrol wishing we’d taken action sooner is pushing people on, spurring them to take irrational action and do the wrong thing at the wrong moment.

Other people panic-buy, but when *I* rush out to buy things I don’t need, I’m “just taking sensible precautions” or “stocking up.”

In the west, most people have never had to experience a genuine shortage of anything. In the UK, there haven’t really been any major problems or shortages since the 1970s, meaning anyone under the age of 50 can’t remember the three-day week or rolling blackouts. There hasn’t been a petrol shortage since fuel protests in the year 2000, and that was swiftly resolved. While there were supply issues for a few select products – like toilet paper – early last year that are certainly playing into people’s fears, it’s been a generation since the country last endured any major shortages.

With no experience of hard times to fall back on, people are more inclined to panic. Some genuinely fear starvation – though their girth suggests that such a fate would take a very long time indeed. But most people simply fear the unknown: what will a world without easy access to abundant supplies of food look like? Not knowing leaves folks much more inclined to panic.

The UK hasn’t experienced problems like these since Ted Heath was Prime Minister in the mid-1970s.

The media as a whole is being phenomenally irresponsible, though certain publications are worse than others. The incompetent government isn’t helping, of course, and things like a cut to benefits (welfare), a lower-than-expected rise in pensions, tax rises, and major price rises for electricity and gas bills all pile on top of the supposed shortages, adding to a sense of unease and worry among the population. On a personal level, I’m seeing my income shrink right at the moment my bills rise. With people already worried about paying for the basics like food and heating, the threat of food supplies drying up or no fuel at the pumps was the last straw for a lot of people.

It’s understandable, then, why people feel compelled to join the queues at petrol stations or push their way into packed supermarkets to chase down the last roll of Andrex. And I can take some degree of comfort in knowing that I’m not the only one who feels that way. Fighting the urge to panic-buy isn’t easy… but it’s worth doing. In fact, it’s the only way to prevent more panic-buying in the long term. That and not buying any newspaper with a red top or clicking on a clickbait headline on a poorly-coded website.

I’m going to try hard to avoid succumbing and contributing to the panic. Hopefully the reward will be a government that pays attention and actually takes action to fix the systemic issues that got us to this point – but I won’t hold my breath for that. Until then, I think I’m going to take a break from the news and focus on happier things. Like re-watching yesterday’s episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Damn, that was a fine episode.

Some stock images courtesy of Unsplash and/or Pixabay. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

Merry Christmas!

Fri 25.12.20Mon 14.11.22Dennis

Just a short one today. This year has been strange and disappointing for many of us, to put it mildly. When I began to create this website a little over a year ago, I had no idea that 2020 would have seen such misery on an unprecedented scale. It’s times like these where we need to close the door on the outside world and enjoy some wonderful escapism.

As someone with a varied (and growing) set of health problems, I do that a lot. Even pre-pandemic, disability greatly restricted what I was able to do and how far I was able to travel. My youngest sister is due to get married in the spring, and even travelling an hour to get to the wedding venue seems difficult – if not outright impossible. From a purely selfish point of view I haven’t lost as much of my freedom this year – because I’d already lost it gradually over the last decade.

I sympathise with everyone who’s not enjoying the holidays. As a kid I remember big Christmases with my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles. We could easily have twelve or more people together on Christmas Day. And later, when I lived in the United States for a year, I had fourteen people over for Christmas, fellow foreigners who likewise had nowhere to go for the holidays. Cooking Christmas dinner that year was exhausting! This year is, of course, very different. And like many of you, I don’t have anyone to share Christmas with in person; stricter lockdown rules are in place in the UK this year.

Though it’s become a cliché over the last year, none of us are really alone. We have the best communication tool humanity has ever devised literally at our fingertips or in our pockets, and even just by reading this you’re interacting with me. And I wish you a very Merry Christmas – or Happy Holidays if you prefer.

I’m not a religious person, but Christmas has always felt like an enjoyable time of year. The bright lights, beautiful decorations, and sense of community that comes out has always been appealing. I decorate my home as best I can, and even managed to put up some outdoor lights this year. It meant so much to me when a neighbour of mine sent me a Christmas card and told me how she and her kids had been enjoying the lights on their way to and from school the last few weeks. Even when we don’t see one another, this time of year can bring us together – just not quite in the same way as usual.

Loneliness is something that takes some getting used to, and for people who are especially sociable, that’s going to be difficult. If you’re missing people you can’t be with this year, there is small comfort in knowing that the creation of vaccines should mean next Christmas – or even this coming Easter – has a high chance of seeing normal service resume.

Until then, let’s find a nice film series or television show to binge-watch as we count down the last days of 2020. Pick up a nostalgic favourite or something new you’ve been wanting to try, grab some nice snacks and a cold drink (or a mug of hot chocolate) and escape this world for a short while. Whether you’re visiting the distant future, a galaxy far, far away, or a fantastical realm, getting out of your own head and revelling in something different is no bad thing. It might just take the edge off.

Though there are many great festive classics to enjoy, if you want to skip this Christmas altogether I wouldn’t blame you. The Expanse is an underrated science fiction series that you can find on Amazon Prime Video, or perhaps something like last year’s The Witcher on Netflix if you’re in a fantasy mood. There’s always Star Trek – Star Trek: Picard Season 1 was great, and you can find that on Amazon Prime Video too if you missed it earlier in the year. The Mandalorian Season 2 has just wrapped up over on Disney+, and The Lord of the Rings film trilogy has just been re-released in 4K on Blu-ray.

*Star Trek: Picard* premiered in January.

If you’re looking for something different, perhaps something under-appreciated or off the beaten path, I could recommend a sci-fi show from the 1990s called Space Precinct, which is a fun mix of space adventure and police procedural. Then let’s see… Fortitude is an engaging thriller series set in the arctic – perfect for this time of year! The first season of horror-anthology series The Terror is similarly set in the icy north, and is a riveting watch with some absolutely outstanding performances.

On the film front, one of this year’s few big releases Tenet is already available to stream or get on Blu-ray. The Sonic the Hedgehog film from earlier in the year managed to be a surprisingly fun time as well. I’ll always heartily recommend Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek: Generations – the latter even features a Christmassy sequence. If you have access to the internet you aren’t short of options for things to watch!

*Star Trek: The Motion Picture* is fantastic.

You could try Fall Guys, the fun obstacle course video game that was released earlier in the year. It’s hard not to have a fun time with that cute indie game – even though it can be frustrating at times! Star Wars: Squadrons lets you pilot your own TIE Fighter or X-Wing, and if you want something gentle, Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch has weeks’ worth of fun.

Although it’s a crappy Christmas for a lot of us, there’s still plenty to watch and play to take our minds off it. And if you’re struggling, aside from telling you that you aren’t alone and you’ll get through it, all I can really do is recommend a few interesting options to watch or play. As somebody who lives alone with few friends or relatives nearby, I’m often in this position even in better years. For me, entertainment like television and film can take the edge off. We all need good distraction sometimes.

Wherever you are, however you’re celebrating, and whatever you wish you could’ve done instead, I truly hope you have a Merry Christmas.

All titles mentioned above are the copyright of their respective studio, broadcaster, distributor, publisher, etc. Stock photos courtesy of Unsplash. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

My favourite adaptation of A Christmas Carol

Wed 16.12.20Sun 20.11.22Dennis

The earliest filmed version of Charles Dickens’ classic novel A Christmas Carol was in 1901. Since then there have been at least sixty-five filmed adaptations – not including the many times where productions borrowed one or more themes or elements from the story. Some adaptations are good, some were even great, but for the last two decades there has been – in my opinion – one that stands out from the others.

Because A Christmas Carol has been adapted so many times, newer versions have a tendency to try to bring new creative elements to the story, or to have some gimmick that will make it feel different from all the others. The 1999 adaptation doesn’t do this, to its credit, and generally plays it straight. Though there is much to love in the likes of A Flintstones Christmas Carol or Scrooged, when I’m in the mood for a faithful adaptation of Dickens’ book, I reach for this version.

Sir Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Sir Patrick Stewart, who takes on the role of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, had previously adapted A Christmas Carol to be a one-man play which he starred in on the stage beginning in 1988. Though I’ve never been fortunate enough to see this version, in it Sir Patrick takes on most of the roles in the book; over thirty characters. During the play’s run, Sir Patrick began working with director David Jones, who was a versatile director of stage and screen. They adapted the novel into a made-for-television film and it was broadcast on American cable network TNT in the run-up to Christmas 1999.

This adaptation of A Christmas Carol is the first to make use of CGI and digital special effects. Though some of these have aged – the production is over twenty years old at this point – most hold up remarkably well even compared to higher-budget films and television shows of the era. The 1990s was an interesting time for special effects. CGI meant that many productions were able to make use of effects that would have been prohibitively expensive to do physically, yet even at the time many could be underwhelming. The Star Wars prequels suffered greatly from an overuse of CGI that wasn’t quite ready for prime-time, but in this adaptation of A Christmas Carol, the effects are kept to a minimum and aren’t intrusive.

As a big Star Trek fan, the main draw of this adaptation was, of course, the presence of Sir Patrick Stewart. I don’t believe it was broadcast here in the UK before the millennium, but I certainly would have seen it for the first time in the early 2000s. After being initially interested simply because of who was in it, what I found when I sat down to watch A Christmas Carol was a largely-faithful adaptation of Dickens’ novel, one that retained all of the heart and sweetness at the core of this story of Christmas and redemption. Sir Patrick’s performance is outstanding, but it’s hardly the only great work of acting. Richard E. Grant co-stars as Scrooge’s hard-done-by employee Bob Cratchit, and there were great performances from lesser-known actors taking on the roles of the three spirits, the Cratchit family, and the people Scrooge encounters in his visions.

As an historical piece, A Christmas Carol nails the Victorian feel. It even succeeds at showing different periods of the 19th Century – when Scrooge is taken back to his past, the setting and costumes change to reflect the passage of time. Though things like set design and costuming can be subtle, if something isn’t right – especially in a film set in a distinct time period – it can really be offputting. This is one aspect that the film gets spot on.

Making Dickensian language understandable to contemporary audiences can be a challenge. Not quite so much as with Shakespeare or Chaucer, but many 19th Century texts can sound odd to our ears today. Though I’d argue 19th Century writing is often beautiful, when adapted for the screen in particular it can sound ostentatious and stilted. This adaptation of A Christmas Carol manages to avoid that – for the most part – and the dialogue works well, especially when you get stuck into it!

As humans we have an innate fear of death, and it’s from this fear that the first legends of ghosts and hauntings were created. The idea of spirits unable to leave this world nor enter the afterlife is frightening; a fate worse than death, you could say. And A Christmas Carol doesn’t shy away from the frightening side of the spirits who visit Scrooge. I’d even go so far as to say that there are several jump-scares in this adaptation. A great soundtrack accompanies these moments in particular, escalating the tension. It may not be the best version to watch if you have very young children.

Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol at a time when folks in Britain were rediscovering many Christmas traditions that had fallen by the wayside. Though it’s not fair to credit the novel with saving or inventing Christmas, many of the traditions we associate with the holiday today are included in the novel – and in this adaptation.

So that’s it, really. I just wanted to highlight this great and underappreciated adaptation of Dickens’ novel as we’re now in the grip of the holiday season! It made my list last year of twelve things to watch during the festive season, but I wanted to expand a little on what I said and give A Christmas Carol its own moment in the spotlight!

As a big fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Sir Patrick Stewart, I was incredibly excited when I first heard of this adaptation. I wasn’t disappointed when I saw it for the first time around twenty years ago, and it’s become a permanent fixture on my holiday watchlist. I wouldn’t say I watch it without fail every Christmas season, but certainly most years I’ll fire up the DVD and spend an hour-and-a-half with this festive favourite. I highly recommend it, both to Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike.

A Christmas Carol (1999) is out now on DVD and may be streamed on Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom. Access to the film on streaming platforms may vary by location. A Christmas Carol may be the copyright of TNT and/or Sonar Entertainment, Inc. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A festive playlist to get you in the holiday spirit!

Fri 04.12.20Sun 20.11.22Dennis

Last year in the run-up to Christmas, I put together a list of films and television specials to enjoy over the holidays. If you missed it, you can find that list by clicking or tapping here. As part of the festive season this year, I thought it could be fun to listen to a few Christmas songs together.

I’ll hold up my hands right now and say I’m an unashamed collector of Christmas albums. Having initially started with cassettes and CDs, my collection is now digital, consisting of MP3s – I have yet to fully make the transition to music streaming! Practically every Christmas album I own has at least one track worth listening to, but many modern ones consists of the same handful of “traditional holiday favourites,” and artists, in an attempt to distinguish their version from the myriad others, have a tendency to over-sing some of these great Christmas tunes.

This playlist entirely consists of YouTube videos, and for copyright/legal reasons, I can’t be 100% certain that every track will be available in your country. I know in Germany, for example, there are stricter copyright requirements that often block music on YouTube. If any of the tracks are unavailable, don’t despair. I daresay you can find them on your streaming platform of choice.

Without further ado, let’s jump into the list!

Track 1:
Merry Xmas Everybody – Slade (1973)

In 1973, when British rock band Slade were at the height of their success, they released Merry Xmas Everybody. It would go on to be their best-remembered hit – as well as their final UK number one.

Though arguably eclipsed in recent years by Fairytale of New York (which we’ll look at in a moment) Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody was, for a long time, the most-played and most-loved Christmas song in the UK, and still routinely appears on Christmas compilations and playlists.

Noddy Holder, Slade’s lead singer, has often told the story of how peculiar it was recording the music video in New York in the summer of 1973 – one of the hottest summers on record at the time. The fake snow and festive tone of the song completely clashed with the band’s surroundings, yet the simple video has become iconic – as has Holder’s semi-screamed line “it’s Christmas!”

Track 2:
Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End) – The Darkness (2003)

Seventeen years after Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End) missed out on the Christmas number one spot, I’m still mad! It was locked in a close race to the coveted spot at the top of the UK charts against, of all things, Mad World (from the Donnie Darko soundtrack). It was the first new Christmas-themed song that was any good that I’d heard in years, and I bought it on CD in the hopes of helping the band top the charts that Christmas.

The Darkness are otherwise known as a one-hit wonder for the 2003 song I Believe in a Thing Called Love and for winning several Brit awards the following year. Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End) seemed to have rapidly faded into obscurity after missing out in 2003; disappearing as quickly as The Darkness themselves. But recent years have seen the song receive a renewed appreciation at this time of year, and it now gets played regularly in December. It may have taken a while, but the song has become a modern-day Christmas favourite.

Track 3:
You Make It Feel Like Christmas – Gwen Stefani feat. Blake Shelton (2017)

I don’t follow the ins and outs of celebrity gossip, nor do I watch reality television. But even I couldn’t avoid hearing the drama that emerged from The Voice when it became public knowledge that judges Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton had become a couple. After a couple of years of dating, Shelton – better known for his career in country music – joined Stefani on the lead track from her Christmas album.

The result was a great song; a cute duet by a couple very much in love. It’s since become a feature on my festive playlist; a blend of country, rock, and pop stylings in a single, truly enjoyable up-tempo hit.

The song was released in the UK, but failed to chart. The best performance it managed worldwide (according to Wikipedia) was in Canada, reaching the number two spot in 2017. Regardless, it’s a great tune that should be on everyone’s festive playlist!

Track 4:
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday – Wizzard (1973)

Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody – that we looked at above – beat Wizzard to the Christmas number one spot in 1973; a great year for Christmas songs here in the UK, apparently! Roy Wood, formerly of the band Electric Light Orchestra, founded Wizzard in 1972. This song would be their only major hit, and has been replayed at Christmas in the UK ever since.

The song was re-recorded in 1981, after it was discovered the original master tapes had been lost. As a result there are two versions of the song out there, each featuring a different children’s choir accompanying Wood’s glam rock band.

As a kid this was one of my favourite Christmas tunes, and I have fond memories of getting the record out to play on my dad’s old turntable as we decorated the Christmas tree and as the big day approached. Perhaps my parents didn’t appreciate that – but I did!

Track 5:
Fairytale of New York – The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl (1987)

The song regularly called “Britain’s favourite Christmas song” could hardly be absent from this playlist! Fairytale of New York is an odd, bloody-minded choice for that title, as it tells the story of a dysfunctional couple having a truly awful Christmas in New York. However, something about the track resonated with a lot of people, and in 2020 it’s not unfair to call it The Pogues’ best-known song.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year for many people, but as Fairytale of New York reminds us, that isn’t the case for everyone. The song touches on homelessness, domestic abuse, and brings home to everyone who hears it that the world isn’t just Christmas parties and waiting for Santa. Is that a grown-up take, or just being “edgy” for the sake of it? Whatever you may think, the haunting folk-rock melody is beautiful.

Track 6:
Once in Royal David’s City – Mary Chapin Carpenter (2008)

An understated, country-style version of this Christmas carol is oddly timeless. Mary Chapin Carpenter has released a number of great albums over the years, and is one of my favourite artists of the genre, so I was thrilled to learn she was releasing a Christmas album in 2008. However, the album itself was rather mediocre aside from this song and one other (The Longest Night of the Year).

A diamond in the rough, then. Once in Royal David’s City wasn’t released as a single, as indeed none of the songs from Come Darkness, Come Light were. It’s the standout track of the album for me, though, and the arrangement suits Carpenter’s vocals perfectly.

Track 7:
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – The Baseballs (2012)

German rock n’ roll outfit The Baseballs rose to fame by releasing 50s-style covers of contemporary pop songs, and by 2012 were ready to put their unique spin on Christmas songs. Their entire Christmas album is well worth a listen, jam-packed with great covers. But if I had to pick just one, the one which works best with their style is Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.

I’d been a fan of The Baseballs since their first album in 2009, and had the good fortune to see them play live once. They’re one of the few bands I’ve seen that were just as good live as they are on record!

Track 8:
Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens (1985)

1985’s Christmas number one has become a classic, a frequent presence on playlists and compilations at this time of year. Originally planned to be released for the 1984 Christmas season, having been recorded that year, Stevens and record label Epic opted to delay Merry Christmas Everyone by an entire year to avoid clashing with Do They Know It’s Christmas? – the charity single by Band Aid.

When it finally released, the Welsh singer took the charts by storm, and the song was no worse for having had to wait. I once sang this song at a karaoke night – after a little too much to drink! It’s probably fair to say Stevens’ original version is better, though!

Track 9:
Christmas Tree Farm – Taylor Swift (2019)

Having been a big Taylor Swift fan during her country days, I’d fallen out of love with the superstar after she made her move to pop. Her pop albums have been – in my opinion – rather bland and uninspired, so I wasn’t particularly interested in learning she was releasing a Christmas single last year. But I should’ve been! Christmas Tree Farm is touching and deeply personal – as much of her work is. It’s a great song, and when I booted up my Christmas playlist this year, I was glad to see it return.

The song recounts Swift’s early life growing up on a Christmas tree farm, and has a unique charm. Christmas is a time for nostalgia and remembering childhood, and that’s exactly what the track is about. Though one of her least-successful singles in terms of chart performance, I’m happy to have added Christmas Tree Farm to my festive playlist, and I’m sure to be listening to it at Christmas for many years to come.

Track 10:
The First Noel – John Denver (1990)

One of my favourite artists sings one of my favourite Christmas carols. What could be better than that? Taken from his third (and final) Christmas album, Denver’s take on The First Noel is beautiful.

The song wasn’t released as a single, simply as one track among thirteen on the album, but it’s one of my favourites from Christmas, Like a Lullaby. There have been some great covers of The First Noel over the years, but this version is understated, slow, and keeps it simple. Denver doesn’t overcomplicate the tune with excessive instrumentation or by trying to over-stress every note. It’s just a sweet version of a classic carol.

Track 11:
Little Town – Amy Grant (1983)

If John Denver’s The First Noel was an understated version of a classic, American contemporary Christian artist Amy Grant’s adaptation of the Christmas carol O Little Town of Bethlehem is the complete opposite! The carol is given a faster tempo, modern instruments, and a pop makeover, transforming it almost entirely into something new. Yet it retains the original lyrics in an odd blend of styles, but one that truly works.

This version of the classic carol was originally recorded by British singer Cliff Richard – more on him in a moment. His version is decent, but for my money Grant’s version just has something more that elevates it, and makes it a truly enjoyable listen. As someone who isn’t religious, I wouldn’t seek out a musician like Amy Grant at any other time of year. But Little Town has been a part of my Christmas playlist for decades, and I always enjoy it.

Track 12:
Mistletoe and Wine – Cliff Richard (1988)

Mistletoe and Wine gets an unfairly bad rap, in my opinion, as does Sir Cliff Richard himself. There’s nothing wrong with this orchestral-pop song, which Richard adapted for Christmas in 1988. It would go on to be the first of three consecutive Christmas number ones for the singer; he also topped the charts with Band Aid II in 1989, and again as a solo artist with Saviour’s Day in 1990.

It’s become popular in recent years for folks to look down their noses at Sir Cliff and his middle-of-the-road, inoffensive style of pop music. I don’t really know why, because he’s had some great records over the years. When it comes to Christmas, it would be remiss not to include Mistletoe and Wine – or any of his other Christmassy singles.

So that’s it. An eclectic mix, I’m sure you’ll agree. And neither a Wham! nor a Mariah Carey in sight! One of the things I enjoy most about this time of year is the music, and there are many more songs and albums I could have talked about here. This playlist was already growing long, though, so we’ll have to settle for twelve! Maybe next Christmas I’ll add a few more.

2020 has been a crap year, and it’s years like this where Christmas time matters all the more to a lot of folks. Take some time to unwind if you can. For me, listening to Christmas music – both lifelong favourites and brand-new classics – is a great way to do that. Hopefully some of these songs will be to your taste too.

There’s more Christmas-themed content to come before we get to the big day, so stay tuned!

All songs on the playlist above are the copyright of their respective record company, studio, distributor, composer, etc. All videos courtesy of YouTube. Videos are merely embedded here, and are not hosted on Trekking with Dennis. For copyright claims, please contact YouTube directly. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.

A festive list to get you in the holiday spirit!

Sat 21.12.19Sun 20.11.22Dennis

Spoiler Warning: There are some minor spoilers ahead for the titles on this list.

Tis the season to be jolly… and all that. There are some fun Christmas films and television specials, and with it being only four days till the big day, I thought I’d share a few of my favourites. I’m sure most will be familiar to you, but they’re all worth a watch at this time of year.

With all of the controversy around projects like Star Wars, it’s nice to kick back with an old favourite at this time of year. Some of the titles below are full-on guilty pleasures, the kind of film you’d never watch if it wasn’t Christmas-themed. But there’s nothing wrong with that every once in a while.

These titles are in no particular order, but it’s a list so I had to number them.

Number 1: Carols From King’s (Annual)

I’m by no means a religious person. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I set foot in a church. But when I was at school, every Christmas just before the end of term we all trooped down to the local church and attended a Christmas carol service. My English teacher would pick on a few of us every year to read aloud some kind of Christmassy poem or short section from a story, so every year while at school I got to take part. The only benefit was that we got to miss a few lessons in the run-up to the event, but that alone made it worthwhile.

Carols From Kings is basically the kind of Christmas carol service I remember from my schooldays – just much better quality(!) There’s a choir, and they sing a selection of Christmas carols interspersed with a few readings and churchy things. While the selection of carols varies somewhat year on year, most of the traditional English carols make an appearance, such as Once In Royal David’s City, or The First Nowell.

As a fan of Christmas music in general, Carols From Kings is a pleasant, calm television programme of the sort that I’d never be interested in at any other time of year. At the end of the day, all it really is is a church choir singing Christmas carols – but that’s okay. Of course if you just wanted to hear the music you could find 1,001 versions of all of these carols on any music streaming platform, but seeing it and knowing it was recorded live does make it a different experience, and focuses attention on the music and the event itself rather than letting the songs be background noise for whatever else you might be doing.

There are new editions of Carols From King’s recorded every year (or most years, at least). Several past years, including 2018, are available on YouTube at time of writing, and I believe the 2019 edition is to be broadcast on Christmas Eve here in the UK.

Number 2: The Polar Express (2004)

This film was a novel take on the “does Santa Claus exist?” theme that a lot of Christmas titles explore. Following a young boy who finds it hard to believe in Santa, The Polar Express takes the unnamed child on a whirlwind adventure to the North Pole, complete with snow, ice, and a weird train roof-riding hobo.

Notable at the time of its release for its CGI animation – which some critics called “creepy” due to its attempts at realism – the film has aged well and has rightly become a modern-day Christmas classic, one which is fun to return to year upon year. I’d especially recommend it for families – though with the caveat that very young children may find a few scenes frightening.

Tom Hanks is on form here, voicing several characters and giving each a unique sound. You might recognise him in the persona of the train’s conductor, such is the nature of semi-realistic CGI animation, but some great voice acting ensures his other characters are unrecognisable.

Trains – especially toy steam engines – have somewhat of an association with Christmas, so The Polar Express doesn’t come from nowhere. However, its unique approach to Christmas, Santa Claus, and the North Pole, as well as some comical moments, make for a fun modern Christmas film with heart. The message is that Santa is real, and for little ones wavering on that issue it might be a reassurance. And though it’s primarily a fun adventure for kids, there’s some entertainment for grown-ups to have here as well.

Number 3: Father Christmas (1991)

The VHS and/or DVD box art for *Father Christmas.*

A semi-sequel to 1982’s The Snowman, Father Christmas sets out to answer a simple question: what does Santa do for the other 364 days of the year? Apparently the answer is that he takes a massive round-the-world holiday. And gets drunk.

As a kid, the scene where Father Christmas (as Santa is known in the UK) gets completely trashed and starts hallucinating/dreaming and throwing up was a really weird thing to witness. And that sequence may be why this animated short doesn’t seem to be readily available at the moment. It is, of course, online on various streaming sites – none of which I’d happily recommend, so take your own chances – but it is on DVD at least here in the UK.

Clocking in at only 25 minutes, it’s a bit steep to pay a lot of money for a copy, but it is a fun, wholly British, and entirely tongue-in-cheek look at Santa’s everyday life. For some reason he lives in a terraced house in the UK. And has a pet dog and cat. And his neighbours seem blissfully unaware of his true identity.

The animation style is, frankly, outdated. It’s very much a product of its time, with a particular hand-drawn style that may not be to everyone’s taste. And as mentioned, a few scenes may be offputting for sensitive young ones. But there is a bloomin’ great song (which you can almost certainly find on YouTube).

Number 4: The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

Could it be? A Star Wars film worse than *The Phantom Menace*?

I’m kidding – no one should watch this nonsense.

Thankfully non-canonical, the Star Wars Holiday Special takes classic characters from the original film and sets up the premise of Life Day – a celebration on Chewbacca’s home planet.

It has been rightly ridiculed for its bad script, bad effects, and for being an all-round failure.

It is, however, a wholly unique piece of television. Sometimes bad films make for entertaining viewing simply because of how bad they are, and if you have a few Star Wars-loving friends (and a healthy amount of alcohol or other substances) maybe this could be a fun romp for you.

And since this came out before Empire Strikes Back is is technically the first Star Wars sequel.

Still, it’s better than The Phantom Menace.

Real Number 4: Miracle on 34th Street (1947; 1994)

Box art for the 1947 original *Miracle on 34th Street.*

I actually had a hard time deciding which version of this Christmas classic to put on this list. The 1994 version is a rare example of a successful remake – thanks largely to the wonderful performance of the late Richard Attenborough.

I’m not a huge fan of black-and-white films in general. Not so much the lack of colour itself, but primarily because older films tend to be very dated in their effects, sets, and especially their acting style. I know that’s a horribly subjective statement, but as a very general rule I’d say most films (and TV series) prior to the mid-1960s don’t really work for me. The original Miracle on 34th Street was an exception, however. I actually saw the remake first, probably not long after it was released, and for years I wasn’t even aware there was an older version. When I did encounter it, I was initially put off by the black-and-white and the year it came out, but when I gave it a chance I found the same heartwarming tale underneath.

When a Thanksgiving parade needs a replacement Santa Claus, a man named Kris Kringle steps up – and claims to be the real deal. After being briefly institutionalised, a court case find that (for differing reasons in the two versions) they cannot prove he isn’t Santa – so therefore he can go free.

Actor Edmund Gwenn won both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for his role as Kris Kringle in the original film, and though his performance is in many ways iconic, Richard Attenborough took over the role for the 1994 version and also gave an incredible performance.

Number 5: Love Actually (2003)

So here’s a conundrum – is Love Actually a Christmas film, or is it a romantic comedy with a Christmas background? I can’t decide.

Some films seem to pick a Christmas setting and hope it will cover all manner of sins. Not so for Love Actually, because while Christmas serves as a backdrop for the film and the various sets of characters, it’s actually (pun intended) rather good.

Taking multiple plot threads and a huge cast of characters, the completely different stories slowly work their way together over the course of the film. And there are some wonderful performances in there, as well as some funny ones. Hugh Grant’s take on the British Prime Minister came mere months after then-PM Tony Blair took Britain controversially into the Iraq War. And the scene in which Grant’s character stands up to a rude, pushy American President (a pitch-perfect performance from Billy-Bob Thornton) was, in a very real sense, something that large sections of the country were looking for and responded to.

Alan Rickman also gives one of his best performances here, and his on-screen chemistry with Emma Thompson is part of what gives the film its heart.

I didn’t expect Love Actually to become as culturally significant as it is when I first saw it. I dismissed it as “just another rom com”, having seen Hugh Grant in what felt like several dozen similar pictures by that point. But, helped by its Christmas setting no doubt, Love Actually is another modern classic which I think families will enjoy at this time of year for a long time to come.

Number 6: A Christmas Carol (1999)

The 1999 version of *A Christmas Carol* stars Patrick Stewart.

There are many adaptations of Charles Dickens’ famous novel – the book credited with bringing Christmas back into the popular imagination after a period in which it wasn’t widely celebrated. And many of those versions are good. Some are funny, some are animated, and some take great liberties with the source material. But if I had to pick just one adaptation, the 1999 made-for-TV version is my choice.

Starring Sir Patrick Stewart (hot off his role as Capt. Picard in Star Trek: Insurrection) this version of the story sticks fairly closely to the original novel. There’s nothing especially ground-breaking here, nothing that will change the way future adaptations are viewed. But as a pure adaptation of the novel, I don’t think the performances can be bettered.

Some of the effects, especially those for the ghosts, may look a little dated by now, but overall the film does a great job telling the classic story of bitter old miser Ebenezer Scrooge as he learns to embrace the spirit of Christmas. I’m a big fan of Sir Patrick (as you probably know by now if you’re a regular around here) but his performance here is a great example of why. He carries this film all the way, appearing in practically every scene, and if you can get over the fact that he’s not Jean-Luc Picard and simply enjoy the story being presented, you’re in for a treat because his performance is incredible.

Some actors are inexorably linked to their most iconic roles, and if you’re a huge Star Trek fan perhaps this version will be jarring for you. But stick with it if you can, because in my opinion this is the best adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

Number 7: Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation (2009)

Streaming icon for *Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation*.

You might remember from the list of my top television series of the decade, but I’m a big fan of this Disney Channel animated series.

Christmas Vacation is actually one of the best episodes as well, a feature-length episode in which the evil Dr Doofenshmirtz builds a machine to make everyone in town naughty – thus cancelling Christmas. The boys manage to save the day, of course, and there’s plenty of mayhem and fun along the way.

The soundtrack to this special episode is great, too, featuring a couple of Christmas classics and a few original songs – including a Christmas-themed version of the show’s opening song.

If you’re a sucker for the “Christmas is in danger, then someone saves it” plot cliché – and I absolutely am – then this will be a fun time. Yes it’s a kids’ show, but Phineas and Ferb has always been a series that holds some appeal to adults too, so it’s not without merit here. It’s by no means an original premise, but it is a uniquely Phineas and Ferb take on that premise, and as a fan of the series it’s great to come back to this special at this time of year.

The soundtrack album (which also includes a few tracks from a couple of other holiday episodes) is also well worth a listen. Yes, I bought it.

Number 8: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

DVD box art for *Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.*

Every family has different Christmas traditions, and these traditions vary an awful lot from country to country. It wasn’t until I spent a Christmas in the United States that I became aware of this charming stop-motion film, and I think from people I’ve spoken to that it doesn’t have as big of a following over here.

Despite first encountering Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer as an adult, I had a fun time with this film and enjoyed a look at another country’s idea of a Christmas classic. And a classic it certainly is – it was on TV dozens of times in the run-up to Christmas when I lived in the States, and almost everyone I spoke to reacted with incredulity when I said I’d never seen it.

It’s a re-telling of the Rudolph story with a few original characters that haven’t appeared elsewhere, like Yukon Cornelius, and Hermey the elf who wants to be a dentist. After facing rejection, the characters run away together, only to be welcomed back after their adventures in a heartwarming tale of… bullies that decide to stop bullying? I guess.

Number 9: Delia’s Classic Christmas (2009)

*Delia’s Classic Christmas* DVD box art.

I wanted to put at least one cookery programme on this list, because of all the various holidays and events throughout the year, none are so intrinsically linked to food as Christmas.

Delia Smith is the original British television cook, appearing on TV since at least the 1980s. Her 2009 outing – Delia’s Classic Christmas – is exactly what it sounds like. British Christmas classic dishes, presented in her trademark gentle style.

As a collection of classics, don’t expect much outside the mainstream of British cuisine. That’s actually what I like about this television special, because in many ways, Christmas is the one time of year where traditions dominate and it’s great to celebrate that. In this case, we’re talking about food traditions like roast turkey with all the trimmings. For my American readers, Turkey has been traditional Christmas fare in the UK for at least the last century. Though some families will still opt for ham or beef as their main meat of choice, turkey is still the king. And because we don’t have Thanksgiving, this is for most people their main turkey dinner of the season – possibly of the whole year.

But to get back to Delia’s Classic Christmas for a moment, Delia Smith’s style of presenting is just pleasant and enjoyable to watch. This is pure light entertainment at its festive best, and even if cookery shows wouldn’t normally be your thing, maybe you can make an exception at this time of year. It does wonders to get me excited for my Christmas dinner, anyway!

Number 10: Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis on the poster for *Die Hard*.

I debated whether or not to put Die Hard on this list. Is it a Christmas film? Or is it an action film with a couple of Christmas references? That argument will rage on and on, I fear.

Christmas film or not though, Die Hard is a classic of the action genre. While its sequels haven’t really lived up to the original, that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment here. Bruce Willis is on form as action hero John McClane – trapped in a building under siege and where terrorists have taken hostages (including his wife), McClane slowly cuts his way through the terrorist troupe.

Alan Rickman features on this list for the second time, in his iconic role as terrorist leader Hans Gruber. Though protagonist and antagonist only meet at the film’s climax, their radio communication earlier in the story is fantastic and the way Willis and Rickman portray their characters’ hatred for one another in this limited format is really something to witness.

Die Hard could’ve ended up like so many other action films of its day – a fun but mediocre gun-fest. But there’s something about the two leads, perhaps aided by the Christmas backdrop, that elevates the title to something better.

Number 11: Jingle All The Way (1996)

Poster or DVD box art for *Jingle All The Way*.

In the entry above for the Star Wars Holiday Special, I mentioned that sometimes a bad film can be entertaining. And make no mistake, Jingle All The Way is, by practically every conceivable measure, a bad film.

It’s on this list purely as a guilty pleasure, and were it not for its Christmas theme it would probably be long-forgotten. In Jingle All The Way, Arnold Schwarzenegger (future Governor of California) has to get his son a must-have Christmas toy… but they’re all sold out. What follows is a slapstick comedy in which Arnie fights with another kid’s dad to find the last one on Christmas Eve.

It really is as bad as it sounds – Arnie’s acting has always been wooden at best, and this is certainly not his best performance by a long way. The premise is dumb, and the comedy is really quite stupid in parts, but what’s hiding just below the surface is a story worth telling – one of a family man recognising his flaws and trying to redeem himself in the eyes of his son. Christmas is both the setting and the driving force for the main story, but the idea of a family coming back together from the brink of falling apart is a timeless one in many ways, and one that epitomises Christmas.

Number 12: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (1989)

Several main characters from *The Simpsons*.

Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire is actually the first ever episode of the long-running animated sitcom. And it is a classic in its own right, as Homer tries to turn his financial troubles into a successful family Christmas.

Much of what makes The Simpsons great is on display here. At the end of the day, the series has been so successful and lasted so long because it has heart. There are plenty of funny moments, but despite his failings, it’s easy to root for Homer. He’s a likeable protagonist in this episode.

Arguably this isn’t The Simpsons at its best, because the show probably took at least to the end of the first season to really hit its stride, but despite that, and despite the fact that many of what would become the show’s principal supporting cast aren’t present, it’s a solid episode.

And as a Christmas story, it’s oddly timeless. The down-on-his-luck dad, trying to hide his finances from his family and then having to get into deeper and deeper trouble to cover it up, all while trying to provide them with Christmas gifts is, in an unfortunate way, still as relevant today as it was thirty years ago. While life has changed in many ways since The Simpsons premiered, there are still too many people who don’t have enough money at this time of year – or indeed all through the year. That sense of a real-world situation comes through, despite the fact that we’re looking at a cartoon, and I think that’s what makes it so relatable.

Honourable Mentions:

I couldn’t possibly cover every Christmas film or television special on this list. There are far too many, and there are some real classics that I’ve probably forgotten all about. Here are a few more that could’ve made this list, and are definitely worth a look.

Santa Claws (2014) – Not to be confused with the 1996 horror film of the same name, this family adventure sees a litter of kittens save the day and deliver Santa’s presents – after he has an allergic reaction to them.
The Snowman (1982) – The predecessor to the 1991 film Father Christmas listed above, this animated short sees a boy and his magical snowman go on an adventure.
Home Alone (1990) – A holiday classic. When a young boy is left behind by his family, he has to cope on his own while fending off burglars who want to rob his mansion.
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) – After losing his firm’s money, a desperate man contemplates taking his own life and wishes he was never born. His guardian angel shows him the effect his life has had on others.
The Flight Before Christmas (2008) – A reindeer who’s afraid of flying saves the day in this cute animated film.
Elf (2003) – A human raised by Santa’s elves at the North Pole travels back to the human world in this lighthearted comedy.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Is it a Halloween film or a Christmas film? Either way, this stop-motion film directed by Tim Burton has become a classic.
The Morecambe and Wise Show Christmas Specials (1968-83) – For well over a decade in the late 1960s, ’70s, and into the ’80s, these variety shows by a comedy duo were the most-watched thing on British television on Christmas Day.
The Nativity Story (2006) – Future Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac features as Jesus’ father Joseph in this re-telling of the Biblical story.

So that’s it.

A few Christmas specials and films to get us all in the holiday mood now that we’re on the home stretch. Only four days left and then it’ll all be over for another year!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

All titles mentioned above are the copyright of their respective studios, networks, and/or distributors. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.