To me Christmas is synonymous with this song and it just wouldn’t be the holiday season without it.

Written in 1951 by Meredith Wilson, it was originally called “It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas”. Although it was a hit for Perry Como, my favorite rendition is the one by Johnny Mathis.

Why is this one of my favorite Christmas songs? The lyrics are so picturesque: “there’s a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well, the sturdy kind that doesn’t mind the snow…” and “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Soon the bells will start, And the thing that’ll make ’em ring is the carol that you sing, Right within your heart”.

Mathis didn’t record his version until 1986 and his version became even more popular when featured in the movie “Home Alone 2: Lost In New York”