Love Actually IS All Around Us

During my first holiday season of blogging I shared two of my favorite Christmas videos. When my second holiday season of blogging rolled around, I shared the two videos from the first year and added a couple of new favorites in the same post so I could easily find them when I needed a holiday pick-me-up. The third holiday season I narrowed down the videos from years past and added a few more. Same thing during the fourth through ninth holiday seasons, and now in the 10th (?!?!) holiday season, the tradition continues.

So here they are: my favorites from past years and this year. Music videos and flashmobs and even commercials, all in one place, so anyone who needs an emotional or spiritual lift - myself included - can find them when the need arises. 

Happy holidays, friends!

In case you're wondering, my criteria is simple…if the song, performance, or commercial gives me chills, brings tears to my eyes, or makes me laugh out loud, it makes the cut. I'd love to see and listen to your favorite Christmas videos - I'm always growing my playlist - so please send them my way!

Little Drummer Boy: For King and Country

I love how this performance is high energy and high 

impact but also committed to the message of the song.

All I Want For Christmas is You: 

Mariah Carey, James Corden, and more...

Who doesn't love listening to this song at Christmas time?!

Hallelujah: Pentatonix

Perhaps the best song - and one of the best versions of it - ever.

The low notes in particular, especially during the fourth verse, 

make me feel like I'm having an out-of-body experience.

(YouTube won't allow me to embed this video - here's the link.)

Deck the Halls

My favorite flashmob of all time.

The Christmas Scale

"It's hard to believe that the greatest message the 

world will ever hear is contained in one simple scale."

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

Another flash mob, this one by the talented Air Force Band.

Angels We Have Heard on High: The Piano Guys

I still get chills every single time I watch/listen to this video.

(Once again, YouTube won't allow me to embed this video. Here's the link.)

Joy to the World: Mormon Tabernacle Choir
I have always loved both this choir and this song; 
when they combine they sound like Christmas should!

O Holy Night: Boyce Avenue
I'd never heard of Boyce Avenue until this year, but I love their voices and 

the beautiful simplicity of their version of this elegant Christmas classic.

I Saw Three Ships: The Piano Guys

This one's for my husband. If you know him, you'll understand; if you don't, 

I hope someday you will, and that you'll have an opportunity hear him play the 

piano...while wearing a motion- and sound-driven light suit he built from scratch. 

Last but not least, a collection of my favorite Christmas adverts from 2020. While these are technically commercials, they don't feel like it; instead, they feel like tributes to family and friends, and I didn't make it through a single one without free-flowing tears.

• What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
• Give with all your heart.
• Well done, Disney. Well done.
• You too, Amazon.

Love actually IS all around us…we just have to look for it. On YouTube.