Christmas songs can help elderly individuals relive numerous happy memories. The majority of the Christmas songs we sing each year have existed for generations. And, for the vast majority, we can recite the choruses and a few stanzas by heart.
The elderly experience several kinds of memory problems as they age, however, the brain does have a ‘music memory,’ which allows adults with memory problems to immediately remember song lyrics. Christmas song lyrics are among the most style-repetitive because they are performed year after year.
It thus implies that they could be more profoundly ingrained in the ‘music memory’. Sing-along DVDs are a worthwhile option to take into consideration when searching for some Christmas music for older adults.
If you choose the right kind of sing-along DVDs, even an unconnected senior will most definitely gain from ‘group’ action. Search for those that include printed or printable song lyrics so that you can make them big enough for older adults’ eyes to peruse without tension.
Best Christmas Songs to Sing at Nursing Home
-
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
We Wish You A Merry Christmas, the original Christmas carol, was voiced in the 1500s by everyone from the poor to the rich. If you pay close attention to the words, you’ll notice that ‘now bring us a figgy pudding’ and ‘we won’t leave until we get some’ instantly make logical sense!
The carol performers would refrain from leaving the houses’ porches unless food rations or cash were exchanged for the carols. Such audacity!
-
White Christmas
This is a tune we only ever listen to on repetition while wishing for snow to fall outdoors. This song first appeared in the film Holiday Inn, where Bing Crosby could be seen humming it while tanning in sunny California.
What you may not understand is that the authentic 1st stanza was removed from the re-release of this solo because the production company didn’t believe it would make logical sense beyond the context of the film. Elvis Presley and Lady Gaga have both recorded versions of this song.
-
Jingle Bells
We’re all accustomed to wanting to hear the vintage bells clanging in the song; however, The Singing Dogs did a strange cover of it. Don Charles, a Danish ballad singer, featured 4 of his flapping-tailed doggy pals barking out the melodies. I suppose, if you really like dogs, that’s going to be a big hit.
-
Winter Wonderland
Although this lyric does not explicitly reference Christmas, the true essence of the melody makes it a very attractive option for the holiday periods. We might very well envision Winter Wonderland in our minds; however, the plot behind the whole song is far from cheerful. Richard Smith wrote this in the 1930s about what he’d be doing if he hadn’t been diagnosed with tuberculosis.
After finishing the poem, he gave it to his buddy Felix Bernard, who wrote the familiar melody, but Smith died without being able to witness it become a reality. Without his towering intellect, Christmas enthusiasts all over the globe might not be able to relax in a Winter Wonderland.
-
Driving Home For Christmas
A melody we always sing on the journey back to our families’ houses on the highway. Yes of course, it begins off happy, though by the tenth time you hear and you’ve also barely moved a bit from the highway, it’s met with a writhing brow as well as a grimace.
Because you basically connect your way through into the lyrics, this Xmas masterpiece is ideal for individuals who have moderate to low vocal ability.
-
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
If songwriter Robert L. May had chosen to title the reindeer Rollo or Reginald, the title Rudolph might have been axed! This holiday classic is premised on May’s childhood experience of being treated badly by his fellow students for being the smallest member of the group. They had no idea that 77 years later, this Christmas melody would still be chanted.
-
The Christmas Tree Is Rockin’
Is this melody immediately reminiscent of Home Alone? Johnny Marks wrote this song, along with Holly Jolly Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
He certainly understands how to compose a Christmas blast! Brenda Lee was only 13 years old when she recorded this song in 1958, which has remained a masterpiece since then. Cyndi Lauper and Kelly Clarkson have both covered Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.