Which Musical Artist Embodies Your Childhood Memories of Christmas?

Which musical artist embodies your childhood memories of Christmas?  For me, it is Burl Ives. There are many other great singers and many other treasured singers of Christmas songs, but for me, Burl Ives brings back the most memories. You see, his Holly Jolly Christmas album was my favorite. I would confiscate it from the family selection of albums and head to my room where I would play it over and over again while playing, crafting Christmas ornaments, making presents, or trying to fall asleep. Our family played it as we decorated the tree every year, that is, until the summer when Mom left me in charge of the yard sale.

At twelve years old, my mom figured I could handle the yard sale for an hour while she ran a few errands. While she was gone a man stopped and asked if we had any records or albums. This being the beginning of the CD generation, and the time when cassettes had pretty much taken over record sales, I thought "who needs records?" I told him to wait a minute while I ran inside and grabbed a stack of records. I knew many of them were scratched, and most were not "cool" singers in my twelve year old mind. I mean, there was a Jim Neighbors album? Come on, who listens to Jim Neighbors? I didn't take time to go through the stack of about twenty records, and neither did the man who offered me $5.00 for them.

When my mom returned home, I thought I had done pretty well, having sold the records for $5.00 and her wool coat for $3.00.  I was informed that I was wrong! The coat should have gone for much more and the records should have never been sold. I should have never left the yard to go inside while a customer was there. Well, you get the idea -- she wasn't very happy with me! We both learned lessons. I learned to only sell what was put out in the yard sale unless I talked to my mom first.  My mom learned not to leave a yard sale to a twelve year old with out marking prices on everything, and well, not to leave a yard sale to a twelve year old.

I didn't realize my full punishment until Christmas that year, when I went to go get the Holly Jolly Christmas album. It was gone - a part of the albums I had sold to the man at the yard sale! Every year I searched stores to find the album, but couldn't. I grew up and got married, and on our second Christmas as husband and wife I got a surprise in my stocking. It wasn't the Holly Jolly Christmas Album. Apparently they do not make that exact album anymore, but there was The Best of Burl Ives CD in there! I was so excited. I will treasure it forever, and if my kid ever sells my CD to a man at a yard sale, well, I will forgive her, but I will surely hope it won't be so hard to replace again!

I am listening to my Burl Ives CD as I write now. It just makes me feel like Christmas is really here. Loving memories of Christmases bygone flood my memory and a sense of love and peace fill my soul. I wish you all a Holly Jolly Christmas and that the same sense of love and peace will fill your soul! Now, tell me. Which musical artist embodies your childhood memories of Christmas?