“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” has been a seasonal music staple for nearly seven decades. Now Brenda Lee’s iconic holiday hit has inspired a new guide to yuletide festivities from Harper Celebrate, a new imprint from HarperCollins Focus.
Set for release on Sept. 23, the coffee table book Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree is billed as a retro and nostalgic festive guide to celebrating the holidays. In a quote on the cover, Lee says it’s “full of joy, spirit, and laughter—just what I hope for your Christmas.” It sounds like a great item to pick up if you’re hoping to spice up your gatherings this holiday season—or to purchase as a stocking stuffer for hospitable friends to help them get a head start on planning next year’s festivities.
Buy Brenda Lee’s music on vinyl and CD now.
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree includes recipes for meals like Christmas Tiramisu and Brioche Bread Pudding with Warm Vanilla Sauce, as well as drinks like Cranberry Sleigh Ride Cocktail and Festive Fancy Mimosas. There are also craft ideas including a DIY Advent Calendar, a Gingerbread Competition, and an Outdoor Winter Garden Party. Christmas tree enthusiasts may also appreciate the pages on how to choose your tree and the history of mistletoe.
As for the music that inspired the book, Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is available on special limited edition powder pink vinyl via MCA/UMe, with updated cover art and a Christmas card digitally signed by Lee herself. Besides her signature hit, the album includes Lee’s renditions of “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” and other Christmas classics.
In 2023, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time. The track’s arrival at the top of the chart set a record for the longest tenure between a song’s debut on the chart and its ascent to No. 1—a gap of 65 years, far surpassing the 25-year climb to No. 1 by the previous record holder, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
