United States

Holiday music

Also known as Holiday music, seasonal holiday music

A catch-all for music tied to holidays outside the Christmas/New Year’s lane, ranging from spooky seasonal songs to Thanksgiving reflections and Easter devotionals.

Origins and context

The category is used for music tied to specific holidays and celebrations, with documented sub-areas such as Thanksgiving, Easter, and Halloween appearing in broader holiday-music coverage.

United States

The sound

Characteristics

Varies by holiday and tradition
Folk instruments
Acoustic guitar
Choir/vocal ensemble
Piano
Orchestral colors

How to listen

Start here

Phoebe Bridgers' 'Halloween'
Ben Rector's 'The Thanksgiving Song'
Mannheim Steamroller's Halloween material

Mood

Seasonal
Ceremonial
Playful
Reflective

History

AllMusic treats holiday music as a broader category for music heard in celebration of a given holiday event, not just Christmas, and its style pages separate out traditions such as Thanksgiving and Easter as distinct corners of that larger family. In practice, the label covers a long-running mix of older seasonal songs and newer originals, with holiday-specific material appearing whenever artists and listeners want music that fits a particular observance rather than the winter season generally.

Notable artists