Tag: Christmas
Jimmy Buffett Has A Christmas Album
by Luca DeLucia ’28 on December 11, 2025
A&E - Music
How Does It Stack Up?
Every holiday season, the same artists play non-stop on the radio with their classics and covers: Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Michael Bublé, Elvis Presley, and Mariah Carey, to name a few. However, so many other artists have Christmas albums that don’t get the spotlight for one reason or another.
It was once quite a common thing for artists to make Christmas albums. Most holiday songs are within the public domain, meaning they don’t have to pay any royalties to sing them, and most Christmas albums make a lot of money due to their recurring relevance every year. They are a low creative risk, and they make a big profit: what’s not to love? Bob Dylan, Chicago, and even Weezer are some big-name artists with lesser-known Christmas albums, each incorporating their own style of music into the classics. One day, three years ago, at my local record store, I came across a CD that was from yet another artist whom I never knew made a Christmas album. It was Jimmy Buffett’s Christmas Island (1996). Jimmy Buffett? The tropical rock guy? He has a Christmas album? That seems like an odd pairing, but the CD was only three dollars, so I bought it. Three years later, do I regret my purchase?
Buffett’s Christmas Island is his 21st studio album, and his first of two Christmas albums. It is composed of 10 songs, one hidden track, and has a runtime of around 43:34. Of the 10 songs, three of them are originals by Buffett: “A Sailor’s Christmas,” “Ho Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rhum,” and “Merry Christmas, Alabama (Never Far From Home).” The other eight songs are all covers rejuvenated to fit Buffett’s easy, relaxed style of tropical rock, from classics such as “Jingle Bells” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” to more contemporary hits like John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” Of the little reviews I could find, the album has garnered mixed opinions; many people seem to agree that Buffett and Christmas are an odd pairing.
I never found the original songs on this album to be too amazing, but I’ve grown quite fond of how he reinvents the classics. His version of “Jingle Bells” is quite different from any I have heard, but I find other versions of this classic to be better. His rendition of “Run Rudolph Run” is the most energetic song of the album and is quite a fun ride. For me, the album shines in two songs that were seemingly made for Buffett to cover. The first of these is the title track, “Christmas Island.” It doesn’t even feel like a cover because the song fits so well into what Buffett does best: “Let’s get away from sleigh bells / Let’s get away from snow / Let’s make or break some Christmas, dear / I know the place to go.” Buffett understands that he’s not the guy to make a Christmas album, but he’s gonna do it anyway. The other track (and my personal favorite song off the album) is his rendition of “Mele Kalikimaka.” It’s another match made in heaven for Buffett, as it’s another song about escaping the traditional white Christmas for some tropical fun. And his version is catchy! It always gets stuck in my head after a listen.
I don’t think Buffett ever thought his album would become part of the rotation of classic Christmas music, because I don’t think that was ever his intention. Whether he made this album for the low-risk and high-reward that comes with making a Christmas album, or simply because he wanted to remaster some Christmas classics into his own style, Christmas Island is a fun time all around and brings something new to holiday music. Buffett was born on Christmas Day, after all; perhaps this album was inevitable. As I myself will be having a green Christmas in the blistering sun of Florida, I have no doubt that Christmas Island will be playing more often than not to fit my environment. And yes, the album was worth the three dollars I paid for it.
A Christmas (Play) List
by Sophia Caneira ’29 on December 11, 2025
A&E - Music
- Music of Christmas (1954) — Percy Faith and his Orchestra
In my family, we aren’t allowed to head downstairs on Christmas morning until we hear the opening notes of Percy Faith’s “Joy to the World.” My dad pops the disc into the CD player and queues up the Music of Christmas album, and only then can we head into the family room to open our stockings. Listening to Faith on Christmas morning is one of my favorite family traditions—one started by my great-grandfather, who played the album for my dad when he was growing up. Likewise, I hope to carry on the tradition with my own kids. Hearing Faith’s “The First Noel,” “O Holy Night,” and “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful” instantly reminds me of my great-grandfather and provides a reminder of what Christmas is all about.
- The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet Score) (1995) — Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, David Maninov
Another album particularly close to my heart is composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker score. As a lifelong dancer, the familiar tunes from Clara’s magical journey hold for me both inexplicable joy and bittersweet nostalgia. One of the most recognizable tracks from Tchaikovsky’s score is the “Pas de Deux: Dance of the Prince and the Sugar-Plum Fairy.” This one is my favorite by far, yet regarding tone, it is completely different from the rest of the ballet. Amidst an otherwise upbeat, festive score, the movement is incredibly tragic. It is a beautiful piece because of its melancholic sound. The melody builds to the end of the song, giving me chills every time.
- A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) — Vince Guaraldi Trio
Of course, Christmas cannot be had without classic movies like A Charlie Brown Christmas and their soundtracks. The smooth jazz composed by Vince Guaraldi has become iconic—the piano melody of his song “Linus and Lucy” is particularly well-known. I have found that this album is also great for studying during the Christmas season—festive, but not too distracting (although, whenever I hear “Christmas is Coming,” I’m always struck with the desire to get up and dance). Guaraldi’s score perfectly complements a timeless, feel-good Christmas movie that reminds us of the true meaning of the holiday—not Snoopy’s commercial quest to win an award for the best Christmas decorations, but the love Charlie Brown shows to a little tree no one else wanted.
- “Christmastime” (1998) — The Smashing Pumpkins
Another one of my favorite holiday numbers is the somewhat obscure “Christmastime” by none other than The Smashing Pumpkins. I used to be stuck in my ways when it came to The Smashing Pumpkins—my sister and dad both loved their music, but I was far from convinced. A few years ago, however, I heard the song “Christmastime” on a Christmas music compilation CD, and my sister asked me, “Do you know what band this is?” I was horrified to learn the very band I had sworn not to like was responsible for such a beloved Christmas song. Eventually, I accepted my defeat and grew to love all of their music.
- “The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)” (1960) — Nat King Cole
Perhaps my favorite Christmas song of all time is none other than “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole. Each time I listen to this masterpiece, I am captivated by the wistful melody. Cole’s voice is so beautiful, and his piano in the bridge is incredibly emotional. I find it remarkable that artists like Cole have created such melancholy and sentimental music that still feels appropriate for the holiday season.
- “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (2004) — U2
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” seems appropriate as the closer, given that it is the final track on one of my family’s favorite Christmas CDs. As is expected from The Edge, the guitar on this track is explosive. Bono’s vocals are heart-wrenching. Like many Christmas songs, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” has been recorded by many artists over the years, but in my book, U2’s rendition outshines them all.
Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas
by Isabelle Camoin ’26 on December 11, 2025
A&E - Film & TV
Produced in 1977, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is a 48-minute-long puppeted musical film that played every holiday from the DVD player in my grandma’s living room.
The story is a timeless one that celebrates the gift that really matters in the spirit of Christmas: love. Ma, the only living parent to Emmet, is a widow. She lives paycheck to paycheck by doing laundry and rowing along the riverbank. Notoriously kind, the family is always willing to lend a hand, which has helped them build a community of friends.
As Christmas approaches, the Otters find themselves experiencing a sense of bittersweetness. Wishing they had more money in the bank to spend on a gift for each other, they find beauty in life’s simple pleasures; in play and in song. What keeps them grateful, outside of their cherished relationship, is that there “ain’t no hole in the washtub,” meaning that as long as there isn’t a hole in the wash tub and everything can be kept clean, it’s a sign that everything will be alright.
A talent show with a $50 cash prize is set to take place a few days before Christmas. Both Emmet and Ma seek to enter to win the prize to buy the other a Christmas gift. In order to enter, they must make sacrifices, participating in the economic cycle of spending money in hopes of making it. Ma sells the deceased Pa’s tool kit, which Emmet typically uses to do side jobs, to afford new materials for a costume, and Emmet puts a hole in the washtub to make a tub base.
Emmett enters a competition with friends to start a jug band, where they perform “Brothers,” a song about treating each other with brotherly love and acceptance. With each of them playing instruments made out of household appliances, including a jug, the group demonstrates that music does not take much to create and share.
Ma sings solo in the competition, a beautiful rendition of “Our World,” a song about the shared beautiful place in which we all live. As she sings, Ma poetically characterizes the Earth as “ours.”.
Both performances are rooted in an appreciation for one another and in the life that brought them together.
The antagonist of the story, The Nightmare Band from River Bottom, comes into the competition last minute, loud, rowdy, and with all the instruments and technology money can buy. With a performance of deep intensity and electronica, the band wins the competition and the $50 prize.
Ma and Emmet are left without a toolbox, a washtub, and money to buy each other Christmas gifts. During their walk on the River’s ice home, they still connect with their love of music and each other. They are overheard by the locals, including Doc Bullfrog, who says they had lost the competition because they were missing something, and it wasn’t until they came to work and sang together that they really made something amazing. Recruiting the band and Ma to play in his restaurant for regular gigs, their paycheck crunch is solved, and the hole can be plugged up in the washtub!
The movie’s themes of love, joy, harmony, community, and music all tie into the larger spirit of Christmas. It’s not about what you get or how new your materials are; it’s about who you’re sharing your time with and the love you share in the face of any sort of adversity.
Ed Column
by Olivia Gleason '26 on December 11, 2025
Opinion
Hi Cowl readers! It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only two weeks away and that we have reached our final issue of the semester. The past three months were full of exciting learning experiences with The Cowl as Sarah and I navigated coming into this role together, and how quickly they flew by has gotten me into a very reflective mood.
To me, reflecting on your life feels especially natural in the wintertime, particularly in December as the calendar year comes to a close. This is probably why, ever since I downloaded the Spotify music app, I have always enjoyed the arrival of Spotify Wrapped in December, and it’s almost too perfect timing. For those who have not heard of this before, Spotify Wrapped is a marketing tool used by the music app that provides each user with a summary of their top artists, albums, and songs throughout the calendar year. Every year, as the days get shorter, the campus quiets down, and we prepare ourselves for the new year, Spotify users (and Apple Music users, I suppose) receive this little present on our phones, serving as a miniature time capsule of who we were and who we have become throughout the year.
The music we gravitate to is more often than not a reflection of our emotions, wants, and needs at any given moment. We reach for specific songs, genres, and artists for a plethora of reasons—comfort, motivation, nostalgia, or simple joy, to name a few. Maybe this comfort is found in a Beatles song your dad used to play in the car growing up, or the soundtrack to your favorite Broadway show. Maybe you queue an artist you’ve never listened to when you’re feeling like your life needs a change. Whatever the reason may be, it becomes clear that the music we gravitate towards, and the playlists we build in our Spotify apps, serve as emotional time capsules of ourselves.
One of my favorite parts about the Spotify Wrapped release is getting to share and compare results with friends. In many conversations I’ve had with them, we’ve discussed our frustration with how we might not exactly relate to the results now. For example, one of my listed top five artists is someone I barely listen to now, but was playing nonstop at the beginning of this calendar year. The more I thought about this, though, the more I realized that this disconnect is actually something to embrace and hold close. Something as simple as Spotify Wrapped, by capturing these previous versions of ourselves, can remind us that we are constantly evolving, and that is an exciting thing. I don’t remember exactly when I stopped listening to this particular artist and started gravitating toward others, but this shift is a subtle reminder that I have grown over the course of the year; I have coped, celebrated, learned, and let go through a variety of different songs.
All of this is to say, I think it is worth taking the time to reflect on your life and experiences in 2025 as it comes to a close, and your Spotify Wrapped is the perfect place to start.
The Gift that Keeps on Giving
by Courtney Wight '26 on December 11, 2025
Opinion - Campus
Christmas time is coming around, which means fun movies, baking, and decorating. Yet, I find myself stressed for the upcoming weeks, and not just from finals. Christmas time also means buying gifts for loved ones. Choosing and buying gifts can be stressful! While Christmas gifts are a central part of the holiday season, the excessive waste that goes along with buying gifts is often overlooked.
Whether it is a new book for your brother or another sweater for your grandma, gift giving to most people means buying something new. Choosing which gift to buy can be hard to figure out. No one wants to open a present and see something they’re never going to use, creating a need to balance buying things people actually want without making it boring. I am ashamed to admit it, but I have reached the age where a new pair of socks for Christmas is actually a great gift. While they may not be flashy, like a new iPad or Xbox, they will be used constantly.
Another tip to reduce waste could be to not buy a “thing” at all. Instead, think about giving an experience. I love watching musicals, and my mom likes to give me tickets to see a show on Broadway as part of my Christmas gift. This can also be something as small as gifting your family a Spotify Premium subscription. Again, while this might not be the most glamorous gift, physically sitting underneath the tree, it will definitely be used consistently throughout the year.
It can also be hard to find a gift for everyone, especially in large groups. To reduce gift-giving stress, try to organize a Secret Santa-style gift exchange if possible. This will reduce the overall amount of gifts purchased, not only helping your wallet but also leading to better gifts. For example, if you need to buy all of your cousins’ gifts, you probably cannot spend as much on each person. However, in this case, you can focus on finding one really good gift for a singular person, hopefully reducing some holiday stress.
Finally, try to find gifts locally if possible. Whether it is going to your local thrift store or Christmas market, there are amazing secondhand and handmade gifts for the Christmas season. It may be easier to simply order everything on Amazon, but a truly thoughtful gift cannot be chosen and shipped overnight. I recently visited the Providence Flea Market and found an amazing gift for my sister. While I could have bought something similar on Amazon, it felt better to support a local artist who is actually passionate about their work rather than a corporation.
So this holiday season, try your best to find a thoughtful, useful, and hopefully locally purchased gift for as many of your loved ones as possible.
Acts of Service: Expressing Love & Kindness During the Holiday Season
by Rachel Barter ’27 on December 11, 2025
Opinion - Campus
This holiday season, I want to remind everyone of the importance of visiting with your grandparents and older relatives. For a retired person, the holidays can either be a time of longing for company or being connected and supported by loved ones—especially ones they may not see often. We all have the ability to make sure our older relatives feel extra love and appreciation during the holiday season.
Although your presence and company are certainly enough to show your love to your relatives, we can be inspired by the holiday season to do more for them when we have the time off from college. You do not need to buy your grandparents or great aunts and uncles extravagant gifts, but you can offer acts of service which show your love and appreciation while also taking the weight off of your grandparents.
For instance, this past weekend, I was inspired to help my friends’ grandparents bring up all of their Christmas decorations from the basement and decorate their house for the holiday season. Not only did we show our appreciation and gratefulness for them by taking our own time off from studying, but we helped them decorate for Christmas which took something off their to-do list and prevented them from having to complete any strenuous tasks that could affect their health.
I want to inspire you to do the same, not just for your own grandparents, but perhaps your neighbors or even your parents. No matter the age of the person you are helping or whether they would have been able to complete the task without your help, it shows your love for them and alleviates stress, especially during the busy holiday season.
In general, acts of service are important and accessible ways that we can express our love and kindness to everyone, including strangers. At Providence College, we pride ourselves on holding doors for others (an act of service); I implore you to extend your acts of service when you go home for the holidays and when you come back to campus in the spring.
After all, Christmas and the holiday season is the perfect time to remind ourselves of the love and kindness we should be showing others throughout the entire year, and perhaps we can start with acts of service.
Sweetly Sour
by Sara Junkins '23 on December 8, 2022
Portfolio Staff
Portfolio
Joyful carols carried by wind, crazed shoppers hunting for bargains, and cookies cut into cute snowmen, sprinkled with crushed candy cane. Christmas time again. But it wasn’t always so merry. Not for my village.
They still talk about the mysteries of Mistletoe Wood today, which looms outside our village.
The legend starts with gingerbread.
It was a crisp December afternoon, and two girls were skipping home from school. All bundled up with rosy cheeks, they looked like little dolls. They carried baskets of goodies from the bakery that bounced with each step and were about to take the shortcut, which happened to lead directly through the Mistletoe Wood.
All of a sudden, a gaunt girl, Bertha, stepped out in front of them, dressed in rags and tatters. She wore a crown made of mistletoe. She begged for food.
“All we have is gingerbread cookies,” Gertrude offered, and the girl received them with gratitude.
Millicent, being proud as ever, declared, “We paid good shillings for those. Now we need something in return.”
“I don’t have anything,” Bertha frowned.
“I see you do,” Millicent’s eyes glimmered cruelly. “That crown is beautiful. Give it to me.”
Bertha took a step back in defiance.
“Milicent, stop being so wicked. Let’s go,” Gertrude interjected and took her friend by the arm.
With fiery eyes, Milicent snatched the crown off Bertha’s head.
Bertha tried to retrieve it, but Milicent was a good foot taller and held it way above her head.
Gertrude, being small herself, couldn’t recover it either as she pleaded with her friend to give it back.
“Okay, I’ll give it back,” Milicent finally acquiesced, and added slyly, “but only if you win. I challenge you to a bake-off. Whoever makes the best gingerbread wins. Tomorrow.”
Bertha agreed and stormed away.
Gertrude once more reprimanded Milicent, who shushed her.
A roaring sound rang through the forest, as if a grumpy bear had been awakened from a deep slumber, and the girls scurried off.
Gertrude and Milicent awoke the next day to a commotion outside. Shouts of amazement. Right outside of town, stood a huge gingerbread house with candied windows, icing and gumdrops. Beside it was Bertha, eyes twinkling.
The townsfolk stared in awe.
“It’s mistletoe magic,” Bertha said coolly. “The forest heard how rude Milicent was and for the first time ever, it uprooted itself. It helped me build this just to make a point. These trees labored over this thing all night. They assembled the roof, carefully passing pieces from fellow branch to branch. And voilà. I won.”
“Not so fast.” Milicent said, refusing to lose. “It could be a trick.”
“By all means, come inside and see,” Bertha beckoned. “It’s real and fully furnished.”
Milicent trooped forward, but Gertrude whispered at her not to go.
As soon as she stepped inside, the door slammed behind her.
Milicent whirled around and tried the door, but it was sealed shut by magic.
“Hello, Milicent,” a chorus sang. The oven popped open and a band of gingerbread people hopped out. “We’d like our crown.”
At that, Milicent screamed and the door swung open. The crazed cookies chased her outside.
“Run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t outrun us, we’re the gingerbread men,” they chanted in unison.
Milicent stumbled, falling into the cool forest dirt, sullied dress. She scowled as she threw the crown down.
The cookies, who were decorated as little knights, picked it up gingerly and handed it back to Bertha, their rightful queen.
The girls eventually apologized to each other, and all was well again. Milicent learned her lesson and the gingerbread knights became small but mighty protectors. They even accompanied the girls to school.
However, the forest never quite calmed. Its anger and unrest lasted despite the amends that were made. The forest held a grudge against the humans and odd things had been happening ever since it was awakened, always around the time Bertha called it to help. Always around Christmas. We thought it was also because the forest didn’t like how its brethren evergreens were kidnapped and decorated during Christmas time. But a lot of things went missing as the forest played its tricks.
Once we got rid of the gingerbread house, which stood for years and years, Mistletoe Wood finally became still and quiet once more.
Besides, it was not good to leave an abandoned gingerbread house around. That kind of thing attracts unwanted attention. One day, a witch came across it and decided it would be a nice upgrade from the cave she’d been living in for centuries. After the witch was defeated by Hansel and Gretel, we knocked it down to prevent others from inhabiting it.
We still bake gingerbread around Christmas time years later, but we never forget the house and forest. We’re thankful now that Christmas can truly be merry and bright.
Love, Your Christmas Baby
by Meg Brodeur '24 on December 8, 2022
Portfolio Co-Editor
Portfolio
It is December 28, 2001.
For the past month, Grandpa’s record player has been dedicated
Almost exclusively to Nat King Cole’s Christmas album.
It has been 28 days of “The Christmas Song,” “Joy to the World,” and “O Holy Night”
But today your home rests in an unusual state of quiet.
Scraps of wrapping paper and tinsel decorate the floor.
The hardwoods feel the absence of three jovial children and one fluffy, four-legged angel.
Today, they’re down the street at Aunt Jen’s house,
Patiently waiting for the arrival of their newest family member.
Mary is ecstatic and unaware that she will be my second mother,
Katie tenderly welcomes yet another squishy-faced baby into her life,
Chris prays that I’m a boy and drops the phone dramatically
when you call to tell him that he has a third sister.
Luckily his disappointment is short-lived
And when they meet me for the first time, he becomes increasingly concerned about me,
Specifically, the “cuts” and “acne” on my face.
Newsflash, Christopher: I just exited a womb; my skin is doing its best.
Mom, despite having just given birth to your fourth child,
You let everyone pile into your hospital bed
And swaddle me in a soft purple blanket.
Dad, you’re behind the video camera,
Capturing the welcome of a very lucky Christmas baby.
Listomania
by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2022
Portfolio
Best Acts of Kindness for the Holiday Season
- Hold the door for a fellow Friar
- Donate old toys, books, or clothes
- Bake cookies for your friends
- Pick up litter
- Go to your professors’ office hours
- Buy coffee for the person behind you in line
- Do the dishes for your roommates
- Give your professor a holiday card
- Tell your family that you love them
- Thank the Ray workers
- Give your professor a good “Rate My Professor” review
Tiff and Earl
by The Cowl Editor on December 8, 2022
Portfolio
Dear Tiff and Earl,
I want to give Ed Cooley a holiday present. What should I give him?
Sincerely,
Ed Cooley’s #1 Fan
Hey Ed Superfan!
I heard that a coach’s favorite present is the win he gets off the court. Show coach Cooley some holiday spirit and consider showing your Friar giving spirit by donating to a local charity or toy drive this Christmas. Use the holidays to show coach Cooley why he picked the No. 1 school, Providence College!
Show That Spirit!
Earl
Dear Fan,
This will be cute: roll yourself up into a little Christmas basketball and roll down right into his little office and pop out and give him a merry little Christmas scare.
Christmas cheer,
Tiff
