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I have over three hours of Christmas music on my iPod, and I still need to track down my Wintersong. Whee!

My favourites range from very churchy (Adeste Fideles done by the Canturbury Choir) to very contemporary (Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid (the real version)).

Do you prefer secular or religious Christmas music?

Do you have a favourite carol? What is it?

Have you decorated for Christmas yet?

Remember the days of the WD Christmas gift swap?

Is it odd that even though I am not a Christian this is my favourite time of year?

Cheers everyone! *hands around eggnog*

Do you prefer secular or religious Christmas music?
I like a nice mixture of both. There really is no "prefer" about it, I like it all!

Do you have a favourite carol? What is it?
I love Adeste Fideles, it's one of my favourites to sing in church. But I also like the English version Oh Come All Ye Faithful. It's the version that's most often sung, and I belt out the descant with gusto (I have no shame!). I've also fallen head over heels for this version of Oh Holy Night. It's never been one of my favourite hymns before, but this version is just absolutely beautiful.

Have you decorated for Christmas yet?
Not yet. I'm planning on doing it tonight, but I'm so tired that I don't know if I have the energy. I think decorating the tree is fun as a group activity (like last year when my sister's were visiting and helped me), but when it's just me doing it on my own, I sometimes wish I had a magic wand to be able to do it in an instant, so that I could get down to the more important activity of admiring my decorated tree! I love sitting in my living room with no lights other than my Christmas tree.

Remember the days of the WD Christmas gift swap?
Yes I do. It was a lovely idea, but I was usually pretty unimaginative I'm afraid.

Is it odd that even though I am not a Christian this is my favourite time of year?
It's not odd at all, I don't think there's anything wrong with non-Christian's celebrating the secular aspect of Christmas. What does get me though is when people start calling for the Christian aspect of Christmas to be removed completely and focus solely on the secular aspect. If they want to do that personally that's fine, I want to reiterate that I have absolutely no problem with that, but it is a Christian celebration whether they like it or not. (And yes, I know elements of it have been appropriated from Paganism, etc, before anyone pipes up with that, but Christmas itself is Christian celebration.)

Sorry, I didn't mean to go off on a rant there, but it's something that piques my annoyance. But it absolutely was not directed at you, it was at the faceless few who write into newspapers, etc.

*Takes a cup of eggnog*

Mince pie, anyone?

Do you prefer secular or religious Christmas music? I love them both.

Do you have a favourite carol? What is it? Not really. It's frequently whichever one I happen to be listening too at the time .

Have you decorated for Christmas yet? No. I'm not planning on it this year - unfortunately I'm just not in the holiday mood this year.

Remember the days of the WD Christmas gift swap? Yep. I loved it - but like Eileen, I was usually dreadfully prosaic in the gifts I gave.

Is it odd that even though I am not a Christian this is my favourite time of year? I don't think so. I'm the same way - and it's not just the secular aspects. I love all of it, the sacred & the secular. Usually it's a time that just makes me feel all warm & fuzzy & humanity-loving. It's kind of like that line from Walking in Memphis:
And I sang with all my might
And she said --
"Tell me are you a Christian child?"
And I said "Ma'am I am tonight"

Gandalf wrote: Do you have a favourite carol? What is it?
I love Adeste Fideles, it's one of my favourites to sing in church. But I also like the English version Oh Come All Ye Faithful. It's the version that's most often sung, and I belt out the descant with gusto (I have no shame!).

I don't even know the English version of Adeste Fideles anymore beyond the first verse. Curse you, pretentious high school!

Do you prefer secular or religious Christmas music?
There are a lot of secular songs I enjoy, but I think religious Christmas music is some of the most beautiful sacred music there is.

Do you have a favourite carol? What is it?
I have two: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Once in Royal David's City.

Have you decorated for Christmas yet?
I won't decorate. I did two years ago, and my cats destroyed my Christmas tree so badly I had to toss it out two days after I put it up, along with dozens of destroyed ornaments. Last year my roommate decorated in the common areas of the house, which worked out because my cats were kept cordoned off in my private rooms. But now the roommate is gone and the cats have free reign.

Plus, I'm really, really lazy.

Remember the days of the WD Christmas gift swap?
No.

Is it odd that even though I am not a Christian this is my favourite time of year?
I don't think it's odd. I don't identify as Christian anymore, but I did make and am using an advent wreath this year to help me be more centered and thoughtful.

Do you prefer secular or religious Christmas music?
I don't know - There are songs played around Christmas that have nothing to with holiday, yet the are considered "Christmas Songs" if not carols. This like "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" and "Frosty the Snowman", which I like but sing all season, not just around Dec 25. Then there's songs like "Santa Clause is Coming to Town", "Blue Christmas" (one of my favorites), "Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire" (Nat King Cole's version), and others. Then there's the liturgical music, including the carols. Hmmm...I have a hard time answering your question - if I had to choose, I'd say I prefer the religious by a slim margin.

Do you have a favourite carol? What is it?
Carol: "Silent Night"
Overall Christmas song: "Oh Holy Night"

Have you decorated for Christmas yet?
Nope

Remember the days of the WD Christmas gift swap?
Yes. someone gave me a picture of Cordilia riding a locomotive -That struck me so funny.

Is it odd that even though I am not a Christian this is my favourite time of year?
No, things are really positive and festive. Then there's the ultimate party night a week after Christmas, New Years Eve. I can understand why a non-Christian likes this time of year.

Edited: fixed some senrance structure

Do you prefer secular or religious Christmas music?

I prefer traditional carols. Some are religious, some folk.

Do you have a favourite carol? What is it?

It truly varies from time to time. Past (and present) favourites are O Holy Night, O Come O Come Emmanuel, and Born in Bethlehem. My current favourite contemporary is And the Angels Cried by Alison Kraus and Alan Jackson. My favourite Christmas Album is The Bells of Dublin by the Chieftains.

Have you decorated for Christmas yet?

Nope. I may do it tomorrow night.

Remember the days of the WD Christmas gift swap?

Oh yes. I still have some of the pages bookmarked. Sadly, they are all non-functional now. I will miss seeing Iago's Angels!

Is it odd that even though I am not a Christian this is my favourite time of year?

Not at all!

It's kind of like that line from Walking in Memphis:
And I sang with all my might
And she said --
"Tell me are you a Christian child?"
And I said "Ma'am I am tonight"

That is quite possibly my favourite line from my most favourite song!

I made a playlist of my favorites here.