Folk Songs About Christmas

Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. It occurs on December 25th, shortly after the winter solstice.

Yo Yo Ma with Jake Shimabukuro - "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" - from the Yo Yo Ma Christmas album "Songs of Joy and Peace".

From Twang Nation:
Gene Autry – Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Willie Nelson – Pretty Paper
John Prine – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Emmylou Harris – O Little Town of Bethlehem
Drive-By Truckers – Mrs. Claus’ Kimono
Steve Earle – Nothing But A Child
Johnny Cash – Silent Night
Commander Cody – Daddy’s Drinking Up Our Christmas
George Jones – Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus
Dolly Parton – Hard Candy Christmas
Michael Martin Murphey – Two-Step ‘Round The Christmas Tree/Two-Step Medley
Waylon Jennings – Away In A Manger
Dwight Yoakam – Run Run Rudolph
Merle Haggard – If We Make It Through December
The Mavericks – Santa Claus Is Back In Town
Alan Jackson with Alison Krauss – The Angels Cried
Clay Walker – Blue Christmas
Chris LeDoux – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Suzy Bogguss – Two-Step ‘Round The Christmas Tree
Deana Carter – Carol Of The Bells
George Strait – White Christmas
Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys – Christmas Time’s A-Coming
Dwight Yoakam – Here Comes Santa Claus
Neko Case – Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis
Asylum Street Spankers – Zat You, Santa Claus?
Jim Lauderdale – Holly & Her Mistletoe
Otis Gibbs – Jesus On The Couch
Robert Earl Keen – Merry Christmas From The Family
Lyle Lovett – Christmas Morning
James McMurtry – Holiday

[played 2008]
Ukulele Lennon \ Happy Xmas (War is Over) \ Ukulele Lennon \ ?
Denise Jordan Finley \ How Fair Is My Baby \ Hauntress \ Self
Finest Kind \ Shepherds Arise \ Feasts & Spirits \ Fallen Angle
Joel Mabus \ How Like The Holly \ How Like The Holly \ Fossil
Victoria Vox \ Christmas With You \ And Her Jumping Flea \ ?
Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer \ Giddyup Said Santa Claus \ American Noel \ Signature
Telynor \ Chrisimas Day / Robin Hood's Dance / La Montagnard \ Off The Beaten Track \ Self
John Fahey \ Good King Wenceslas \ Christmas Guitar \
The Seldom Scene \ Silent Night \ Sugar Plums (VA) \ Sugar Hill

[homeless at Christmas]
Ian Robb's "Homeless Wassail"
Mary Gauthier's "Christmas in Paradise"

[Christine Linde's holiday song list 2007]
Ralph Stanley\ several songs\ Clinch Mountain Country
Mary Gauthier\ Christmas in Paradise\ Filth & Fire
Mark Erelli\ Ain't No Time Of Year To Be Alone\ Hillbilly Pilgrim
Asleep at the Wheel\ Switchin' in the Kitchen\ Stony Plain's Blue Christmas
Stephanie Davis w/Ray Price\ All I Want for Christmas is You\ Home for the Holidays
Webb Pierce\ Holiday for Love\ Greatest Hits - Finest Performances
Patsy Cline\ If I Could See the World (Through the Eyes of a Child)\ Patsy Cline Collection, Vol. 1
Ernest Tubb\ Blue Christmas\ Texas Troubadour
Kelly Wills & Bruce Robison\ A Winter's Tale\ Happy Holidays
Maddox Brothers and Rose\ Silent Night, Holy Night\ Live - On the Road
Gene Autry\ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer\ The Essential
Hank Snow\ The Reindeer Boogie\ The Singing Ranger
Tex Ritter\ Old Tex Kringle\ High Noon
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys\ Silver Bells\ Encore
Hank Thompson\ It's Christmas Every Day in Alaska\ Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys
Jim Lauderdale\ Holly & Her Mistletoe\ To Kate - A Benefit for Kate's Sake
Roger Miller\ Old Toy Trains\ The Genius of Roger Miller
Claire Lynch\ Your Prescence is My Favorite Gift\ Crowd Favorites
Wil Maring\ Christmastime in My Hometown\ An Ocean from Home
Mark Schatz and Friends\ Season of Joy\ Steppin' in the Boiler House
Kate Campbell\ Madonna with Child\ Dear Little Stranger

[played 2007]
Chuck Brodsky\ On Christmas I Got Nothing\ Radio\ Red House
El McMeen\ Angels We Have Heard On High\ The Soul Of Christmas Guitar\ Piney Ridge (instr.)
Jud Caswell\ The Long Walk Home\ Happy Holidays: Volume 2 (VA)\ Hudson Harding
Finest Kind\ Gower Wassail\ Feasts & Spirits\ Fallen Angle
Nowell Sing We Clear\ I Saw Three Ships\ Hail Smiling Morn!\ Golden Hind
Robin & Linda Williams\ Shotgun Shells on a Christmas Tree\ The First Christmas Gift\ Red House
Yogi Yorgesson\ I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas\ Have Yourself A Crazy Little Christmas\ Capitol
John Prine\ Silent Night All Day Long\ A John Prine Christmas\ Oh Boy
Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen\ The Candlelight Carol\ Christmas Morning\ Woodpecker (instr.)
Tim O'Brien\ Making Plans\ Sugar Plums (VA)\ Sugar Hill
John McCutcheon\ Christmas In The Trenches\ Water From Another Time\ Rounder
Dar Williams\ The Christians And The Pagans\ Mortal City\ Razor & Tie
The Burns Sisters\ O Come O Come Emmanuel\ Tradition\ Philo
Amy Speace\ Happy Holidays\ Volume 1: Happy Holidays (VA)\ Hudson Harding
Robert Earl Keen\ Merry Christmas From The Family\ Gringo Honeymoon\ Sugar Hill
Frank Kelly\ Christmas Countdown\ (minidisc)\ ?
Tom Lehrer\ A Christmas Carol\ The Remains Of Tom Lehrer (Disc 1)\ Rhino
Stan Boreson & Doug Setterberg\ Yingle Bells\ Yust Go Nuts At Christmas\
Pam Tillis\ Christmas Waltz\ Just In Time For Christmas\ Stellar Cat
Anne & Pete Sibley\ Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming\ Winter On The Great Divide: A Christmas Album\ Self
El McMeen\ What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)\ The Soul Of Christmas Guitar\ self (instr.)
Lou & Peter Berryman\ Christmas Letter\ Some Days\ Cornbelt

[played 2005]
Robin & Linda Williams\ Shotgun Shells on a Christmas Tree\ The First Christmas Gift\ Red House
Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer\ The Ditchling Carol\ Gentle Arms of Eden (EP)\ Signature
Maria Dunn\ God Bless Us Everyone\ For a Song\ Self
Telynor\ Salutation of the Angel\ Off the Beaten Track\ Self
Stan Boreson & Doug Setterberg\ Yingle Bells\ Stan and Doug Yust Go Nuts at Christmas\ Self
Cathy Barton & Dave Para\ Make My Present Small\ Crazy Quilt\ Self
Ed Gerhard\ Carol of the Bells\ Christmas\ Virtue
Loreena McKennitt\ God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen\ A Christmas Radio Sampler (EP)\ Quinlan Road
John McCutcheon\ Christmas in the Trences\ Live at Wolf Trap\ Rounder
Lou & Peter Berryman\ Christmas Letter\ Some Days\ Cornbelt
Frank Kelly\ Christmas Countdown\ Comedy Countdown\ ?
Aine Minogue\ Silent Night\ A Christmas Celtic Sojourn (VA)\ Rounder
Brooks Williams\ I Wonder As I Wander\ Wonderland (VA)\ Signature
Joel Mabus\ Let's Do Christmas Right\ How Like the Holly\ Fossil
Neal & Leandra\ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas\ Angels and Fools\ Uncle Gus

[also]
California Silent Night \ JIM SAVARINO \ Don’t Let the World Get You Down \ Self
Tingstad & Rumbel! Several good holiday albums

"All That I Want" by the Weepies
on their album "Happiness"

Runrig    This Time On Year
Fred Eaglesmiths version of Cohen's Halleluiah
Gordon Lightfoots  - A Winter Song
Alan Hull's classic Lindisfarne song 'The Winter Song"

Albums:

"Voices Of Winter," Herdman, Hills And Mangsen [Gadfly, 1997]
"12 Steps Of Christmas," Various Artists [Providence, 1997]
"Tinsel Tunes," Various Artists [Sugar Hill, 1997]
"Christmas," Bruce Cockburn [Columbia, 1998]
"Paper Angels," Artisan [Bedspring, 1998]
"Tradition," Burns Sisters [Philo, 1998]
"Winter's Grace," Laurie Lewis And Tom Rozum [Signature, 1999]
"How Like The Holly," Joel Mabus [Fossil, 1999]
"At The Turning Of The Year," Herdman, Hills And Mangsen [Hand And Heart, 2000]
"Wonderland," Various Artists [Signature, 2001]
"Last Month Of The Year," Magpie [Sliced Bread, 2002]
"Gift Of The Magi," Darryl Purpose [Self, 2002]
"Christmas On The Mountain," Various Artists [Universal South, 2002]
"Christmas Island," Leon Redbone [Private, 2002]
"Wintersongs," John McCutcheon [Rounder, 2002]
"Christmas in the Northwest, V6" Larry Murante and others, 2003 I think.

[also]
Larry Murante / Waiting for Saint Nick / Christmas in the Northwest V6 (VA)
"Make My Present Small,"
by Cathy Barton & Dave Parra, from their album, "Crazy Quilt."
Greg Trooper - Muhammad Ali (The Meaning of Christmas) - Floating - Sugar Hill