Christmas music to relax: Three songs to close your Christmas Eve with

We are just a day away from that special day when you have to run into family and then get to hang out with friends. At least there will be merriment and drinking (even if it is just a glass of milk) and, hopefully, lots of wonderful moments. That is what Christmas is about, right?

To be fair, I do realize that not all the world celebrates Christmas. Some people even hate it for different reasons. I am also assuming that those people are likely not reading this article.

So thank you to those who are. And I hope you are not disappointed with the suggestions. Heck, the second one might even put you to sleep before waking up on Christmas morn.

Three songs to close your Christmas Eve with

Dream Theater - "O Holy Night"

Dream Theater is a progressive metal band from Boston, and they reportedly recorded the song below during a soundcheck before a concert in 1993. You can tell the production isn't quite album quality, but that isn't the point. "O Holy Night" is a tough song to sing but great for warming up.

And the band pulls it off, even if they did not mean to. Who knew that someone would record the song and then the band would like it? But we are lucky they did because we are all the better for it.

The Lumineers - "Deck the Halls"

The basis of any good cover is to not sound like everything that came before it. Otherwise, a great rock band might as well be doing karaoke. There's no added value in entertainment there.

Thankfully, the Lumineers make the overly jaunty "Deck the Halls" into more of a ballad. It's magnificently paced and sung. Sure, it sounds somewhat sorrowful, but this is the Lumineers after all.

David Bowie and Bing Crosby - "Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth)"

This might be my favorite Christmas song ever simply because of the story behind it. Bing, of course, is a deity at Christmas. As he was hosting another Christmas special, his daughter wanted to get a Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie involved and Bowie accepted. But the older Crosby was worried about how Bowie might dress.

Instead, Bowie showed up in a suit and with respect to his musical elder. He and Bing had different voices, but they meshed them together well. It's perfect Christmas magic.

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