The upheavals of adolescence silenced 'A Christmas Carol' for a few years. I became a firebrand atheist. Christmas - humbug! Too commercial! Then I became an agnostic. Christmas was a pro-forma affair basically a chore. Buy mother a book dad a new tie my brother and sister small gifts. Pretend thanks for the fountain pens and shirts I received.

Every Christmas now for years I have found myself wondering about the point of the celebration. As the holiday has become more ecumenical and secular it has lost much of the magic that I remember so fondly from childhood.

It felt very natural to me to write a Christmas song but at the same time I had to really put all sorts of pressure aside and just let the creativity flow and see what came out.

Yes my first memory of singing in general was of a Christmas song. And then listening to Christmas music was really the first music I was ever connected to.

I might do 'X Factor' next year. It's looking good that I won't get the sack at Christmas.

I intend to keep writing Christmas songs. There's still a lot more about Christmas that can be captured and feel like old-time Christmas. A lot of the traditions haven't been explained in song.

I don't want to see people decorating a house or digging a garden. As for guys like Jonathan Ross he got an award there last Christmas. What for? He doesn't sing dance or tell jokes does he?

Dad bought me a toy drum one Christmas and I eventually destroyed it. I wanted a real drum and he bought me a snare drum. Dad continued to buy me one drum after the other.

In fact I was one of the few trusted people that Lucy allowed to play with their kids. I spent time at their summer home rode horses at their ranch and swam at their beach house. I even spent a Christmas with them at Palm Springs one year.

I've also just finished filming the role of Robert Brown in 'Just William ' which is due to transmit on BBC One at Christmas.

I've also committed my time and resources to many local organizations like Christmas in April Catholic Community Services and Hudson County Meals on Wheels.

I started DJing breakdancing and MCing in the '70s and I got my record deal in 1979 with 'Christmas Rap.'

I used to know Jennifer Love Hewitt. We lived in the same apartment building when I was about... jeez I guess it was when I was doing 'Christmas Vacation' so I was about 13 or 14.

Besides the two Christmas things we've got a about a dozen new tracks we're working on.

But Tammy Faye calls me and Ron Jeremy calls me Erik Estrada sends me a Christmas card every year.

Chum was a British boy's weekly which at the end of the year was bound into a single huge book and the following Christmas parents bought it as Christmas presents for male children.

Our whole family assembles in Chicago at Christmas and usually in Aspen in the summer.

I'm not going to put out a Christmas CD until it's coming out of me naturally.

During the holidays everyone needs a break from studying for exams and Christmas shopping. I wanted to put together a diverse tour that rocks in many musical directions but always points to Christ.

A typical Christmas is me shucking oysters. I love them and I always get them in at Christmas.

There are very few people who have done more than one Christmas album.

Christmas albums are not something you do frequently.

Well because I have twin seven-year-old boys I enjoy the gift giving stuff a great deal. We do both Hanukkah and Christmas so it is a costly though extremely pleasing proposition.

I'm well-travelled so I can see places coming up. I went to St. Croix in the West Indies at Christmas and it had been hit by a really bad tornado. Values there have gone down but I guarantee they will be up again in eight years. So I'll get in now while it's cheap as chips.