December is synonymous with constant Christmas music, so whether or not you like Christmas songs, you better get used to them for one month out of the year.

I recently made an observation. We have very few new Christmas songs. It's not a bad thing, though. The oldies are good, and they're only played once a year so it's not like we're getting tired of them.

It's standard practice for many current pop singers to release an obligatory "Christmas Album," and though this is probably the label's choice, sometimes they can get stale. This is because they are almost entirely covers of songs we've already heard a thousand times. There is hardly any new material on any of these pop Christmas albums, and if there is, it is probably just 1-2 songs that sound basic and won't become popular.

We have one obvious exception, of course: the queen of Christmas music, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is legendary. It could turn even the Scrooges and Grinches into a mood of holiday cheer. It is, without a shred of doubt, a holiday classic. Yet, it's not even new. It came out in the mid-nineties (meaning it's over 20 years old). What will it take to find a new Christmas classic?!

While we ponder this question, I think it is best to look at what worked in the past.

1. The Original: Traditional Christmas Songs for Jesus

These are the Christmas songs that actually appear in church hymnals. While most of these songs were composed sometime during the 1500s-1800s, some supposedly date all the way back to the fourth century (though we have never heard of most of them). Recently, Pentatonix has gained popularity for performing covers of many of these traditional Christmas songs. Some of the most well-known traditional carols include: "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (early to mid-1700s, meaning George Washington most likely heard this song), "Silent Night" (1818), and "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" (1500s-1600s, most likely). These are the songs that put you in the thankful, humble, and devotional mood. You can just picture a choir of angels singing them.

2. Golden Age Carols

Your grandparents love them, your parents love them, and oh by golly, you love them too, whether you care to admit it or not. The warm, easy listening, harmonic voices of the 1930s-1960s are filled with Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Irving Berlin, Brenda Lee, Frank Sinatra, Nat Cole King, Andy Williams, and many more legends. If you have a record player, these are the Christmas songs you listen to on vinyl. This generation started the tradition of recording covers of Christmas songs, but they were generally the traditional songs being covered. The modern generation covers songs from this golden age of music. Whether it's "White Christmas," "Little Drummer Boy," "A Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting...)," "Silver Bells," "Sleigh Ride," or "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," these songs are sure to make you forget your troubles and feel you with warmth and giddiness inside, surrounded by your family and friends.

3. The Ones From Movies/Secular Christmas Songs

While not all Christmas songs from movies were composed for the movie they were featured in ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was originally composed based on an illustrated children's book of the same name, then turned into a film), they are all forever linked to their subsequent films. Generally, these songs are linked to the wintry, Santa Claus-y, the commercial aspect of Christmas. They are secular, rather than sacred. But, they are good fun. Children of all ages love to sing "You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch," and "Frosty the Snowman." With the advent (no pun intended) of these movie Christmas songs, secular holiday songs became more popular, as well: "Santa, Baby," "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and "Jingle Bell Rock" are just a few examples. While secular Christmas songs have existed for quite a long time ("12 Days of Christmas came out in the late 1700s,) the popularity of the radio in the 1900s brought in many, many more.

4. And, finally, the Pop Covers

We come full circle with this final entry, the epitome of the commercialization of Christmas songs. Yes, they're good. But most of them aren't all that great. (Though Michael Buble does bring back the nostalgia of the Golden Age, which is a plus!) One fun development that came with pop covers was the parody of Christmas songs, adding a little quirky humor to the songs you already know. Also, when cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Friends in Disney's Christmas Collection and Alvin and the Chipmunks in Christmas with the Chipmunks entered the scene, some levity could be added to the family holiday parties.

Maybe it's alright that we don't have many "new classics." Maybe it's just enough to be keeping the tradition alive. Did I miss a category? What's your favorite Christmas song?