Celtic Christmas

Those ancient Celtic druids were a merry bunch. They gave us "wassailing" (the art of door-to-door Christmas caroling and the festive drinks that accompany) and a deep respect for evergreen foliage that would result in the Christmas tree. However, they never had a range of seasonal tunes as wide as those we offer here, from Ashley MacIsaac to Kate & Anna McGarrigle.

Transport yourself in an instant to an Emerald Isle pub in December, where the jukebox has been unplugged in favor of flautist James Galway, who adds his signature Celtic flourishes to "Christmas Eve, Ellis Island" accompanied by Phil Coulter. There's more flute on "Huron Carol," as a counterpoint to Lori Pappajohn's famed Celtic harp.

Christmas seems more rootsy when experienced through our Celtic sound filter. The Celtic Nots ("Sing Noel") throw the kitchen sink into their percussion section, which has a Celtic and African rhythmic backbone, while the flawless vocal interplay between Dawn Langstroth and John McDermott on "O Holy Night" is tighter than Santa's belt.

In the Celtic version of Christmas, pipes and fiddles are the instruments of choice, the halls are decked with boughs of shamrock, and the fairy at the top of the tree sounds a lot like Holly Cole. Ever wondered why Santa's toy-making elves wear green? It's because they're actually leprechauns, and they're paying sartorial homage to the Celtic roots of a celebration based on good times and great tunes. Fuel your dreams of an emerald Christmas with our seasonal Celtic mix. To be sure.