#1 - Top 25 Christmas Songs (According To Me!)

Merry Christmas to one and all!  I certainly hope that it has been a good one to you!  Things are great here - well, minus the three feet of snow we received the last couple of days.  But, hey.  You know me.  I love a white Christmas!  Seriously, it was #6 on my list of Top 25 Christmas songs of all time!

But here we are.  Day #25 and the final day of the POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR.  You know, 2017 has been a rather unusual year where time slipped away from me, but it has been good to be on here every day for the month of December.  I can't guarantee that I will be able to do this every month, but it was a great time!

Now, I'm sure most of you are guessing what my favourite Christmas song of all time is.  Believe me, it's a choice that might seem unusual to most of you.  But it always has been a song that has resonated with me because of the meaning behind it, and it comes from one of my favourite holiday specials.

You know, watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as a child, I always looked forward to seeing Rudolph, Hermie, Yukon Cornelius, Clarice, and all of the other characters featured in the show.  But admittedly, I was not a fan of Donner or Santa in this show.  I mean, yeah, eventually both of them saw the error in their ways and saw Rudolph as being a fine asset to the team.  But both of them were incredibly cruel and insensitive to Rudolph because of the fact that he was born with a shiny red nose.  It was really uncomfortable to watch Rudolph get the shaft all the time because of something he couldn't control.  It also made me not like Santa for a while after watching.

And while we are on the subject, poor Hermie was also rejected because instead of making toys, he wanted to fix cavities.  And the elves made him feel so uncomfortable about himself that he quit his job and ran away!

Rudolph and Hermie eventually meet up with each other, and along the way Yukon Cornelius joins them on their journey to freedom, and somehow they find themselves on a strange island.  And this island is the source of my favourite Christmas tune ever.

But the reason why "The Island of Misfit Toys" is my favourite Christmas song ever is quite complex. 

Now, on first glance, the song is well composed, and the vocalists are very talented.  It's a nice happy tune filled with happiness and hope that the residents of the Island of Misfit Toys will find a home for Christmas Day.  

But look closer at the residents of the Island of Misfit Toys.  They are all toys that have some sort of defect that make them abnormal from their toy counterparts.  Like a train with square wheels, or a water pistol that squirts jelly, or an elephant with polka dots all over him.  Now, other than their physical differences, the toys are as friendly and kind as could be, and they treat Rudolph and his friends with kindness.  It amazes me that because they look different, or that they do unusual things that they are rejected and forced to live on a deserted island.

What is also amazing is that even though the outside world sees the toys as "misfits", they have bonded in such a way that they really are like family to each other.

Ironically, Rudolph and Hermie want to join the Island of Misfit Toys, but the king won't let them because they are not exactly toys - meaning that you can be a misfit from the island of Misfit Toys.  But Rudolph makes the toys a promise that he will find each and every one of them a home for Christmas.  And true to his word, Rudolph keeps his promise.

I guess it comes as no surprise why I love this song.  I honesty feel like I should be a part of the island of Misfit Toys because I've felt like a misfit my whole life.  Definitely a misfit from my classmates.  Most likely a misfit from my work colleagues.  Some days, I feel like a misfit within my whole family, and it's not because I don't love them - it's because I am so incredibly different from them that I feel like I have nothing in common with them.  But you know, Christmas Day is one of those days in which being a misfit doesn't matter.  It's a day in which everyone comes together to share love, food, gifts, and joy...and where nobody is ever left behind. 

And, that's why I love "The Island of Misfit Toys".  Because when Christmas Day is here, it truly is the most wonderful day of the year - even for self-confessed misfits like myself.

That's the list!  To close it off, here's the full list for you.

25.  Here We Come A-Wassailing Medley
24.  Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
23.  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
22.  Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

21.  Merry Christmas Everyone
20.  Step Into Christmas
19.  Same Old Lang Syne
18.  O Christmas Tree

17.  The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)
16.  Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
15.  Frosty the Snowman
14.  Merry Christmas Darling

13.  Santa Claus is Coming To Town
12.  Silver and Gold
11.  Sleigh Ride
10.  It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
09.  Christmas Wrapping
08.  Snoopy vs. The Red Baron
07.  Carol of the Bells
06.  White Christmas
05.  O Holy Night
04.  Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

03.  Linus and Lucy

02.  Christmas Star
01.  The Island Of Misfit Toys

I have a few surprises coming up for the last week of December (and 2017), so stay tuned!  In the meantime, have a wonderful Christmas!