When I was a kid my mom would play Christmas music starting Halloween night after we were done trick or treating (yes, this is a true story). Her love for the holidays was infectious, filling our home with the smells of fresh-baked cookies, aromas of mulled wine slowly boiled over the stovetop, the sights of holiday lights spread around the house, and the sounds of Karen and Richard Carpenter filling the living room. No album better encapsulates my mom’s love for Christmas than Christmas Portrait– to say this was a fixture around Christmas at my house would be an understatement. And it only felt fitting to continue her tradition of playing Christmas music throughout a quarter of the year by listening to this album the day after Christmas after the big day wrapped up.
This one is for you mom. Love you very much and thank you for everything you’ve done to make the holidays special for all of us.
Standout Songs: “An Old Fashioned Christmas”, “Sleigh Ride”, “Merry Christmas Darling”, “Christ Is Born”
