We all have our favorite holiday song. Some of us go for a classic, like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” or “White Christmas.” Some of us prefer those ’80s hits, like “Last Christmas” or “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

Then there are those of us who love a newer hit, like Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” or Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me.”

Behind all of these songs is a story — and some of these stories are pretty surprising. For instance, a few holiday staples had very dark origins, like the Cuban Missile Crisis or the loss of a child. Another song was used as a code for a mass evacuation after the Vietnam War. And on a lighter note, some songs were just so full of holiday cheer that they instigated a spontaneous truce on the battlefields of World War I.

Ring in the holiday season with some of our favorite facts about holiday hits.
It’s difficult to put the holiday spirit into words: it’s something that just happens around the holidays. And it seems the holiday spirit was very much present on the front lines of World War I battlefields.
When the war had started in August 1914, many soldiers were convinced it would be over by Christmas. (Sadly, the war wouldn’t conclude for four more years.) And when one of the first snows of the year happened to fall on Christmas Eve, the troops were reminded even more of their Christmas traditions and those who were back at home.
This led to several battlefields calling an unorganized truce, instigated by the Germans in several places. When both sides were sure it wasn’t a trick, everyone enjoyed a much-needed evening of rest. Germans were singing “Silent Night” while the Brits belted “The First Noel.” Some soldiers even shared whiskey with the other side, walking out to “no man’s land” and shaking hands with their adversaries.

‘O Holy Night’ Was The First Piece Of Music Ever Broadcast Over The Radio

To date, there are roughly 1,600 iterations (in English and the original French) of “O Holy Night,” making it one of the most popular holiday tunes.
The song also holds a special title: it was the first piece of music to be broadcast over the radio. This was thanks to Reginald Fessenden, one of the pioneers of radio technology.
On Christmas Eve in 1906, it’s said that Fessenden decided to read the Nativity story from the Gospel of Luke into his newly-created microphone. Then, he played “O Holy Night” on his violin. This would end up being the very first radio broadcast in history.
And it turns out that Fessenden had an audience: some pretty gobsmacked sailors of the United Fruit Company who were sailing in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
In 1975, ‘White Christmas’ Was Used By The US Military As A Secret Signal To Begin Evacuating Saigon

Most of the United States military pulled out of Vietnam after the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, but roughly 1,000 Americans stayed behind in Saigon to assist the locals and tie up loose ends. However, in April 1975, North Vietnamese troops began bombing the Saigon airport.
This meant that the only way for the Americans – and some 6,000 at-risk Vietnamese – to escape was by helicopter.
Not wanting to give away the timing of this evacuation, the US military came up with a code to signal the beginning of the evacuation:
When the evacuation is ordered, the code will be read on Armed Forces Radio. The code is: “The temperature in Saigon is 105 degrees and rising.” This will be followed by the playing of “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.”
Harrison Ford Corrected Adam Sandler After Sandler Claimed Ford Was ‘A Quarter Jewish’ In ‘The Chanukah Song’

One of the most well-known Hanukkah songs has to be the one Adam Sandler first played on Saturday Night Live in 1994.
Appropriately named “The Chanukah Song,” Sandler famously names off celebrities who are Jewish throughout his comedic song. This includes:
David Lee Roth lights the menorah
So do James Caan, Kirk Douglas, and the late Dinah Shore-ah
Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli?
Bowzer from Sha Na Na and Arthur Fonzarelli
Later in the song, Sandler sings “Harrison Ford’s a quarter Jewish, not too shabby.”
It turns out that Sandler wasn’t able to fully fact-check his name drops before he had to perform the number. So when he saw Ford after the song was released, Ford quickly corrected him. Sandler recalls,

Brenda Lee Became The Oldest Woman To Lead The Hot 100 When ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ Hit #1 On Its 65th Anniversary

Most of the singers of our classic holiday songs passed away long ago. But there’s one notable exception — which is even more impressive when you consider the hit song came out in 1958.
The song? “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree.”
The singer? Brenda Lee, who was just 13 years old when she recorded the song.
Lee is still very much around, even recording her first music video for the song in 2023 to celebrate the milestone anniversary. Not long after the video’s release, Lee earned her #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her the oldest woman to hold the title at 79 years old.
Thurl Ravenscroft, Singer Of ‘The Grinch’ Song, Not Only Provided Voices For Several Disney Characters But Also Tony The Tiger

When you see: “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch,” you can’t help but read it in the booming voice of the narrator of the classic animated film. This signature tone belonged to Thurl Ravenscroft (whose name perfectly fits that voice).
Ravenscroft wasn’t just a one-hit wonder either. He showed up in dozens of roles that many of us are familiar with:
Tony the Tiger with his famous “They’re grrrreat!” line? That was Ravenscroft.
The singing dogs in Lady and the Tramp? Ravenscroft and his quartet, The Mellomen.
The goblins in the 1977 animated The Hobbit? All Thurl.
His voice is also a constant on rides through Disney’s parks, including being a pirate on the Pirates of the Caribbean and the singing bust Uncle Theodore on the Haunted Mansion.
Many Of The Most Popular Christmas Songs Were Written By Jewish Songwriters

People of all faiths enjoy the traditions and carols of Christmas. In fact, many of our most popular Christmas songs were penned by Jewish songwriters. Below is a list of some of these songs:
The music in “Winter Wonderland” was composed by Felix Bernard.
The words and music for “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting..)” were written by Mel Torme and Robert Wells.
Mitchell Parrish wrote the words to “Sleigh Ride.”
Irving Berlin wrote the words and music for “White Christmas.”
“Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” was composed by Julie Styne, with words by Sammy Cahn.
“Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer” is by Johnny Marks.
The lyrics for “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” were written by Eddie Pola, with music by George Wyle.
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” has music by Walter Kent and words by Buck Ram.
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is from Johnny Marks.
“Silver Bells” was composed by Jay Livingstone and Ray Evans.
Mariah Carey Earns An Estimated $3 Million Every Year Just From The Royalties For ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’

It’s no secret that if an artist truly nails a Christmas song, they’ll get precious airtime (and a nice royalty check) every year during the holiday season.
While many of the most popular Christmas songs are 40 or even 50 years old, there have been a few more recent tunes that have become holiday staples. And the best example of this is none other than Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Released in 1994, the song immediately became a hit and has seemingly only grown in popularity in recent years (perhaps helped by Carey’s self-promotion of her status as the “Queen of Christmas”).
And Carey has raked in some major moolah from singing and co-writing the song. She’s said to have earned $60 million from the song since its release, earning upwards of $3 million a year in royalties.