It’s the canon that we seek. The romance and nostalgia of the same tunes, endlessly covered decade after decade to make them feel more exciting. Rarely does a new song enter the criterion. You might have your own recent favorites, but a truly canonical track of eternal mass appeal hasn’t been cemented for 28 years. (You know what it is).

No other style of music is able to take on every other genre while being so impervious to experimentation and evolution. Sleigh bells, major keys, toy pianos, group vocals–they all play a part. We know it when we hear it.

And for 11 months out of the year, most tend to tune out that sensibility. But not us! Like Dickens encouraged, we honor it in our heart, and try to keep it all the year. And with that, we started notice this feeling elsewhere outside of the canon. Kind of like how Die Hard was just another summertime blockbuster, but with an inescapable big yule log energy.

This list attempts to capture the vibe. They’re not Christmas songs, they’re not festive traditions. But we dare you to throw it on during your next holiday party and not be overtaken by that imperceptible umami of the genre. You might say it’s a spirit.