''Songs for Christmas'' (stylized as ''Sufjan Stevens Presents Songs for Christmas'' on the cover) is a box set of five separate EPs of

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

-related songs and

carols A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with Christian church worship, and sometimes accompanied by a dance. A caroller (or caroler) is someone who sings carols, and is said to be carolling (or caroling). ...

recorded by independent musician

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomina ...

between 2001 and 2006. The EPs had been given as gifts to friends and family of Stevens over the past six years, except for 2004 when he was too busy recording the ''

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

'' album. Though the first three EPs had already been available on Sufjan Stevens-related fansites for several years, ''Songs for Christmas'' is the first official release of these EPs. Most of the tracks are versions of traditional Christmas songs, with a number of original compositions such as "Sister Winter" and "Star of Wonder". Sufjan Stevens has developed a reputation for being a devoted Christian and many of the songs he chose for inclusion on ''Songs for Christmas'' are religious in nature, including his original compositions. The box set includes a poster of Sufjan Stevens, an animated short for "Put the Lights on the Tree" by Tom Eaton, an essay by

Rick Moody Hiram Frederick Moody III (born October 18, 1961) is an American novelist and short story writer best known for the 1994 novel '' The Ice Storm'', a chronicle of the dissolution of two suburban Connecticut families over Thanksgiving weekend in 1 ...

, two original short stories by Stevens, stickers, comics and a sing-a-long book for all five discs. During Stevens' international tour in the later half of 2006, he regularly performed the original song "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" while releasing inflatable Santas into the audience for fun. ''Songs for Christmas'' was generally well received by music critics. Stevens released a follow-up, '' Silver and Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6-10'', in November 2012, which contains a further 58 original and traditional songs.

Track listing

Charts

Notes

References

External links

Songs For Christmas
at

Asthmatic Kitty Records Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheez ...

{{Authority control 2006 Christmas albums 2006 compilation albums Christmas compilation albums Albums produced by Sufjan Stevens Asthmatic Kitty compilation albums Christmas albums by American artists Sufjan Stevens compilation albums Folk Christmas albums