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The Best Christmas Songs to Power Your Workout

If you thought Christmas music was just for decorating the tree or awkward family car rides, think again. Apparently, it is also perfect for breaking a sweat.

A new study looked at holiday songs that actually work for workouts, and the results might surprise you, or at least make your gym playlist a lot more festive.

The research comes from a site called MyBodyTutor, which analyzed 500 Christmas and holiday songs on Spotify. The goal was simple, find tracks with the right tempo to keep you moving.

According to fitness experts, songs with 120 to 150 beats per minute are ideal for moderate to high intensity workouts like running, cardio circuits, and strength training. Faster songs help keep your pace up, while slower ones are better for cooldowns.

Topping the list is a song nobody is shocked to see, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” At 150 beats per minute, it hits the sweet spot for high energy workouts and officially earns its crown as the most fitness friendly Christmas song of all time. Love it or roll your eyes every time it comes on, Mariah might actually help you shave a few seconds off your mile.

Here is the full Top 10 Christmas songs to work out to, according to the study:

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, 150 BPM
“Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano, 149 BPM
“Jingle Bells” by Frank Sinatra, 148 BPM
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee, 146 BPM
“Jingle Bells” by Michael Bublé, 143 BPM
“Christmas Time Is Here” by August Burns Red, 143 BPM
“The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole, 141 BPM
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” by Bruce Springsteen, 141 BPM
“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby, 138 BPM
“Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber, 128 BPM

If you are doing high intensity interval training and really want to push it, the study points to Ariana Grande’s “Last Christmas,” which clocks in at a wild 206 beats per minute. That one is basically a sprint in song form. On the flip side, if you are winding down with stretching or yoga, Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” is a better fit at a calmer 95 BPM.

So yes, Christmas music can absolutely be workout music. And if Mariah Carey gets you through leg day, who are we to judge?

Do We Like Naked Christmas Trees Now?

The internet is stripping down for the holidays — literally.

“Naked Christmas Trees” are now trending, and you should be able to google that phrase at work. It’s just Christmas trees with no ornaments, no tinsel, and in some cases, not even lights.

If this feels like something your tree would complain about in a therapy session, you’re not wrong. One viral post even imagined the tree wondering, “What am I even doing here?” The look is intentionally minimalist, featuring a stark, undecorated tree that might be sparsely strung with soft white lights if it’s feeling fancy.

It’s part of a broader trend in holiday decor that leans into modern, chic, and visually calm over the more traditional tangle of garland, baubles, and glitter bombs.

The aesthetic has been embraced by influencers and celebrities alike. Stars like Julianne Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, Victoria Beckham, and Khloé Kardashian have shown off their bare branches online, giving the trend some serious celebrity clout. And with that kind of star power behind it, the look is gaining traction across platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Supporters of the trend say it’s a cleaner, more elegant way to celebrate the season, and fits better with neutral home decor. Critics (and a lot of regular holiday lovers) say it’s just plain lazy, or worse, joyless. After all, isn’t decking the halls the best part?

But in the age of aesthetics and curated content, the naked tree fits perfectly. It’s easy to set up, looks good on camera, and doesn’t require digging through years of tangled ornament hooks and glitter-covered school crafts. It’s also cat-proof, toddler-safe, and completely judgment-free — unless you’re a pine tree longing for your sequin era.

So if your December vibe is more calm and cozy than chaos and color, the naked tree might be your new holiday hero. Just maybe give it a blanket. It’s feeling a little exposed.

The Most Christmas-y Christmas Movies of All Time

Everyone has that one holiday movie they’ll defend with the passion of a thousand jingle bells.

But instead of arguing over hot cocoa again this year, we finally have something resembling science to settle the debate. A new study took 20 popular holiday films and ran them through 20 different data points to determine the ultimate Christmas movie of all time. Yes, it is possible to quantify festive spirit, and yes, someone actually did it.

Researchers broke their ranking into four main categories. They counted Christmas references in each movie, including things like Christmas outfits, holiday songs, uses of the word “Christmas,” and any direct Santa sightings. Then they compared that with the film’s box office success, critic and audience reviews, and how much festive buzz each movie still generates across social media and search trends every December.

And according to the data, the most Christmas-y Christmas movie of all time is the original Home Alone.

Surprised? While it scored lower than you’d expect in sheer Christmas references, the movie crushed the competition in box office performance and long-term holiday hype. Even with just five shots of Christmas outfits, 11 Christmas songs, 13 uses of the word “Christmas,” and a single Santa cameo, Kevin McCallister still reigns supreme.

Here is the top ten, in case you need to update your holiday watchlist:

Home Alone (1990)
Elf (2003)
Love Actually (2003)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, Jim Carrey version)
The Santa Clause (1994)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Gremlins (1984)
The Polar Express (2004)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

For the people who insist Die Hard is a Christmas movie and will absolutely not let that argument die, good news and bad news. It did make the list, but it landed just outside the top ten at number eleven. It was followed by Home Alone 2 and Scrooged.

So whether your holiday vibe is cozy, chaotic, romantic, spooky, or aggressively pro-Bruce Willis, now you can cite actual data when declaring your favorite Christmas movie the rightful king of the season. Merry science to all, and to all a good movie night.

Christmas Carols from Hell That Will Haunt Your Holidays

If you think hearing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” 400 times a day is rough, buckle in.

The internet has curated a list of Christmas songs so chaotic, so unhinged, so unintentionally hilarious, they feel like they were handcrafted in the warm glowing fires of holiday torment. And yes, they are all real.

This roundup of Christmas Carols from Hell has been making the rounds again, and honestly, it’s the perfect seasonal content if you enjoy holiday music with a side of chaos. If you’re searching for worst Christmas songs, weird Christmas covers, or just need something to ruin your family’s sanity for fun, this list delivers.

Here are 11 tracks waiting to jingle your nerves:

“Here Comes Santa Claus” by Mrs. Miller
Mrs. Miller was discovered by the announcer from “Laugh-In”, and once you hear her approach to holiday cheer, you will understand exactly how that happened. Imagine your grandma singing karaoke after a sherry or three.
“Silent Night” by Wing
Wing Han Tsang went from hobbyist singer to cult legend in New Zealand. She eventually became famous enough for “South Park” to parody her. Her version of “Silent Night” sounds like your GPS trying to serenade you.
“White Christmas” by Tiny Tim
Tiny Tim’s falsetto already makes this a unique experience, but check out “Silent Night” for a spoken-word rant calling out hypocrites, fornicators, and child molesters. Nothing says holiday spirit like that vibe shift.
“Little Drummer Boy” by William Hung
Yes, William Hung from “American Idol”. And yes, there is an entire generation that doesn’t know who he is. Those of us who do will never forget.
“I Got a Cold for Christmas” by The Three Stooges
Not awful, not great, but definitely something that exists.
“Jingle Bells” by William Shatner, featuring Henry Rollins
Shatner talk-singing while Henry Rollins screams holiday joy in the background. A fever dream in audio form.
“Santa Claws Is Coming to Town” by Alice Cooper
Featuring John 5, Billy Sheehan, and Vinny Appice, because why wouldn’t a Christmas metal track include three legends casually hanging out?
“The Night Before Christmas” by David Hasselhoff
As cheesy as a Hallmark movie marathon, but somehow exactly what you expect from The Hoff.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Regis Philbin
Donald Trump shows up to offer Rudolph a job. That is not a joke. That is actually what happens.
“Jingle Hell” by Christopher Lee
Yes, that Christopher Lee. The metal-loving film icon spent his later years shredding holiday classics like a festive warlock.
“Away in a Manger” by The Brady Bunch
Only Marcia, a.k.a. Maureen McCormick, is featured. It comes from “Merry Christmas from the Brady Bunch”, an album that absolutely belongs in a time capsule.

If you need new holiday music to torture your friends, your family, or maybe even your HOA, this list will do the job. Enjoy responsibly.

The Cities Most Likely to Force Pets Into Holiday Festivities

Pets can tell when the holidays hit. One day everything is normal, and the next, a giant indoor tree appears, the house is glowing like a casino, and their humans are wearing sweaters with bells on them.

Sometimes the pets themselves are wearing the sweaters, which is when they realize humans are absolutely unhinged.

PetSmart just released a new list ranking the cities where people are most likely to drag their pets into the holiday spirit.

This is based on what people are buying in local stores, including festive toys, Santa sweaters, reindeer antlers, and whatever other glittery nonsense pets quietly judge us for.

Here are the Top 15 cities where pet participation is basically mandatory:

Midland, Texas
Dickson City, Pennsylvania
Lexington, Kentucky
Amarillo, Texas
Johnson City, Tennessee
Winter Garden, Florida
Lubbock, Texas
Pensacola, Florida
Florence, Kentucky
Athens, Georgia
Portland, Oregon
West Jordan, Utah
Antioch, California
Roseville, Michigan
Cape Coral, Florida

If your city made the list, your pet has already accepted their fate. They will be in at least one holiday photo… possibly wearing a tiny scarf or a pair of antlers they did not consent to.

And if you live in Midland, Texas, which topped the list, your dog is probably already in a costume with a matching hat.

Overall, PetSmart says 90% of pet parents plan to involve their pets in the holidays this year in some way. That includes snacks, toys, apparel, accessories, or whatever festive thing will make their pet briefly tolerate the situation before plotting revenge.

So if your cat gives you side-eye all December or your dog mysteriously disappears every time you pick up a tiny sweater, remember, they knew what season it was the moment the tree came out of the box.

“Eggnog” as a Baby Name? It’s Happened 23 Times in 500 Years

Whether you’re a boy or a girl, you can’t get much more unique and festive than “Eggnog.” Yes, it’s been done.

A site in the U.K. called Find My Past poured through 14 billion historical documents from the past five centuries looking for people with festive holiday-themed names, and this one in particular caught our eye.

At least 23 “Eggnogs” have walked the earth

They found records of at least 23 people in the past 500 years named “Eggnog.” “The Mirror” got their hands on the full list but obviously didn’t have a copy editor take a very close look. Their article says “37,” but the list itself says “23.” (Remember when fact-checkers were a thing?)

Depending on which number you believe, that’s one Eggnog baby every 14 to 22 years over the past five centuries. So come on, people! Take one for the team and name your next kid Eggnog. No one will call child services… probably.

The 20 most common holiday names

Not surprisingly, 23 isn’t enough for “Eggnog” to crack the Top 20. Top honors go to “Ivy,” which is holiday-adjacent at best. (Is Christmas really the first thing you think of when you hear “Ivy”? I think of Wrigley Field… or of that time I went camping and accidentally wiped with the poison variety.)

They found 2.3 million Ivys since the 1500s, and “Angel” is a distant second place. But the list gets more and more fun as you go.

1. Ivy (2,332,758)

2. Angel (652,337)

3. Present (459,150)

4. Holly (452,011)

5. Star (327,747)

6. Wine (311,116)

7. Santa (157,840)

8. Chestnut (141,666)

9. Christmas (131,926)

10. Turkey (27,550)

11. Sleigh (17,843)

12. Pudding (12,022)

13. Crackers (3,711)

14. Reindeer (3,190)

15. Sprout (2,827)

16. Tinsel (2,634)

17. Mistletoe (2,015)

18. Snowman (579)

19. Bauble (293)

20. Nutcracker (284)

Wait, 284 couples have named their child “Nutcracker”? Y’all are nuts. 🤪

The Greatest Christmas Movie Villains of All Time

When it comes to holiday movies, we like to pretend everything is cozy, sparkly, and wrapped in a bow. But deep down, we all know the truth.

Christmas movies would not hit the same without a deliciously grumpy, cackling, chaos-loving villain stirring the hot cocoa.

And thanks to “People“ magazine, we now have an official ranking of the Greatest Christmas Movie Villains of All Time.

It includes everything from old-school classics to modern holiday mischief, and it proves one thing: Christmas might be all about goodwill, but audiences really love a character we can boo from the couch while wearing pajama pants.

Topping the list is Mr. Potter from “It’s a Wonderful Life”, played by Lionel Barrymore.

He is the ultimate Christmas curmudgeon, a man who looks at holiday cheer the way most of us look at expired eggnog. His brand of villainy is grounded in pure greed and zero remorse, which pretty much makes him the blueprint for every cinematic holiday grouch that came after. (Fun bonus trivia: Lionel Barrymore is Drew Barrymore’s great uncle.)

Right behind him is Oogie Boogie from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

If you enjoy your villains with a little musical flair and a whole lot of creepy charm, Oogie’s your guy. He is basically a festive fever dream made of burlap and bad intentions.

Coming in third is the neighborhood tormenter of every kid’s childhood, Scut Farkus from “A Christmas Story”.

His entire personality hinges on bullying children in the snow while wearing that iconic coonskin hat. Generations of viewers still flinch when they hear his name.

It is a fun reminder that holiday movies are not just twinkly lights and heartfelt lessons. They are also home to some of the most memorable villains ever created, the kind we love to hate because they make the hero’s big Christmas redemption feel that much sweeter.

And if People ever expands the list, yes, Stripe from Gremlins absolutely deserves a spot.

Here’s the full list:

Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) from “It’s a Wonderful Life”
Oogie Boogie from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Scut Farkus from “A Christmas Story”
Comet and the Abominable Snow Monster from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) from “Die Hard”
Ted Maltin (Phil Hartman) from “Jingle All the Way”
Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) from “Home Alone”
The Grinch (Jim Carrey) from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
Ebenezer Scrooge (George C. Scott) from the 1984 version of “A Christmas Carol”
Jack Frost (Martin Short) from “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause”

Christmas Spirit Poll: Are You More of a Santa, a Scrooge, or a Grinch?

It’s December, so you’re probably getting a pretty good idea of where your Christmas spirit vibes are for this holiday season… so are you feeling the joy… or feeling the stress?

There’s a poll that’s kicking around online that asked people if they’re mostly identifying with the giving spirit of Santa… the penny-pinching of Scrooge… or the grumpiness of the Grinch this season.

58% of people said they’re feeling Santa vibes
31% say they’re more like Scrooge
And 11% admitted to being in Grinch mode.

There is some gray area. There are surely people who are not a full-on Grinch… at least not yet… but they’re not prepared to be barreling into the holiday season. Of course, there are others who have been barreling in for weeks now.

Just for fun, here are some playful, naughty-and-nice Signs You’re Way Too into Christmas:

You watched Hallmark Channel the last two months without gagging.
You have a massive nativity scene in your yard. And you’re Jewish.
You attached antlers to your head. Surgically.
You don’t stop at kissing under the mistletoe.
You named your testicles “Naughty” and “Nice.”
To make space in your house for a tree, you got rid of a sofa. And two kids.
You shoved grandma in front of reindeer just to relive the magic of that song.
Your kids have to break it to YOU that Santa’s not real.
Milk and cookies? Please. You offer Santa SEX.

Five Quick Tricks to Force That Christmas Spirit to Show Up

If you’re still waiting for the magic of the holiday season to hit you like a peppermint-scented snowball, you’re not alone.

According to The Guardian, plenty of their staff admitted they don’t naturally feel festive this early, so they listed their go-to tricks for forcing the Christmas spirit to kick in. Fake it ’til you feel it, basically.

And while we’re still a few weeks out, these might just help you jumpstart your seasonal joy early (or at least get you to stop side-eyeing the neighbors who put up their lights the day after Halloween).

Here are five little nudges that might push you into holiday mode:

1. Get your tree up already.
Putting up the Christmas tree, stringing some lights, and blasting festive tunes are classics for a reason. Even the grinchiest folks start to feel something once the twinkle lights come on and Mariah Carey defrosts.

2. Wrap a few gifts early.
You don’t need to have all your shopping done—just grab a couple of presents you have bought and do a little wrapping session. Add a mug of hot cocoa and boom, you’re living inside a holiday rom-com.

3. Eat or drink something festive.
This one’s personal. One Guardian staffer said fish pie does it for her (which, okay…). But for the rest of us, this is your excuse to spike the eggnog, bake cookies, or buy that absurdly flavored peppermint mocha.

4. Hit the ice.
Ice skating is the kind of activity most people only do this time of year, so it naturally comes with those frosty, nostalgic vibes. Fall down a few times and laugh about it—it’s good for the holiday soul.

5. Rewatch your favorite holiday-ish movie.
It doesn’t have to be a straight-up Christmas classic. If Die Hard or Harry Potter screams “holiday season” to you, go for it. It’s all about that personal connection.

Some of the more specific holiday kickstarters people shared included hearing a certain song or even going to a local outdoor sauna (very Nordic, very festive). The bottom line? Everyone’s got their own weird little ritual that unlocks the holiday joy.

So if you’re still not feeling it, no shame. Just trick yourself into it. Holiday cheer is a state of mind—and sometimes, a strategically timed sugar cookie.

What about you? Got a go-to move that instantly makes it feel like Christmas?

Avoid a Christmas Catastrophe: Don’t Listen to “Frosty the Snowman” and Drive!

They call it The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, but Christmas can also be the most DEADLY.

From falling off ladders while hanging Christmas lights, to drinking bad eggnog, to . . . listening to “Frosty the Snowman” in the car. Wait . . . what???

According to a study from Insuranceopedia, songs with over 120 beats per minute can lead to dangerous driving habits. And “Frosty” is one of the most dangerous holiday songs of them all, at 172 bpm.

Here are the Top 10 Christmas hits that can lead to vehicular disaster:

1. “Frosty the Snowman”, Gene Autry: 172 beats per minute (BPM)

2. “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, Mariah Carey: 150 BPM

3. “Feliz Navidad”, José Feliciano: 149 BPM

4. “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”, The Jackson 5: 147 BPM

5. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”, John Lennon, Yoko Ono , and The Plastic Ono Band: 146 BPM

6. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”, Frank Sinatra: 143 BPM

7. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: 142 BPM

8. “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”, Wizzard: 140 BPM

9. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, Judy Garland: 137 BPM

10. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”, The Jackson 5: 129 BPM