Just the word "Christmas" starts playing tunes in your head, doesn't it? Whether it's a carol like Silent Night, the children's favorite Jingle Bells, or Elvis crooning "I'll be home for Christmas", the festival has music as a part of its soul. Embrace it this year with the help of a few websites.

The internet has a little bit for everyone. If you want to do the singing, there are Christmas-centric karaoke apps. You can listen to Christmas music online for free. Or for the religious significance, you can learn the carols and the true meaning behind them. Whatever floats your boat, these five sites have you covered.

1. Radio Santa Claus

Radio Santa Claus

There are plenty of online radio stations for Christmas songs. But when you're with your family and want some music in the background, head to Radio Santa Claus. It's an easy name to remember, and it works on all devices.

The playlist at Radio Santa Claus isn't much different from what you'll get from other online stations. It's mostly Christmas-themed pop songs, though it has much more variety than your average radio station. It's not just one station, either.

After pressing Listen Live, you're cast into the default Radio Santa Claus stream. Scroll down to try other holiday-themed stations, including Radio North Pole and Radio Natale. Radio Santa Claus is also available on other platforms.

If you have Google Home or Amazon Alexa, you can ask them to play Radio Santa Claus. In the Android app, you can stream Radio Santa Claus in regular quality or HD (you'll definitely notice the difference) and explore other stations in the network. Check out the North Pole location for all the network's festive channels.

2. Tinsel and Tunes​​​

Tinsel and Tunes

If Radio Santa Claus's collection isn't for you, try this alternative free Christmas radio station. It's committed to avoiding "bad Christmas music". You won't find cheesy or silly songs here, nor any commercials. Instead, you'll enjoy the "finest mix of Christmas and holiday songs" from November 1st all the way through January 1st.

Note that Tinsel & Tune's website doesn't run an SSL script, hence your browser may warn you that it's insecure. Use it at your own risk or, better yet, access it through a different platform.

As with Radio Santa Claus, you can ask your Google Home or Alexa speaker to play Tinsel and Tunes. At the time of writing this article, the Android app wasn't available yet, but you can try Tinsel and Tunes on iOS.

3. Musical Advent Calendar

Music and Beyond Musical Advent Calendar

If your heart is beating for classical music, or you've had enough of "Last Christmas" and "All I Want for Christmas", then Music & Beyond's Musical Advent Calendar might be a refreshing change. Besides, it's never too late to start your advent calendar.

Behind each door of the advent calendar you'll find a YouTube video. The videos feature recordings of classical compositions, such as Bach's uplifting "Minuet in G major", the animated "March of the Toys" by Victor Herbert, or the traditional "Londonderry Air". All music is performed by professional musicians, bands, and entire orchestras.

Being instrumentals, these are the perfect backdrop for a quiet afternoon. If you want, you can string the videos together to make your own YouTube playlist. If nothing else, check out the festive facts featured at the top of every page.

Music and Beyond Festive Fact Day 3

Listening to classic music is a lovely way to get into the festive spirit, much like watching classic Christmas movies on Netflix.

4. 'Tis the Season to Be

Christmas Karaoke

Who doesn't love a good karaoke night? And when the whole family has gathered together, whip out that microphone and make Nana belt out a few golden oldies. Now, you could buy a karaoke machine or use a free karaoke app, but this website probably has every Christmas song you'd want.

'Tis the Season to Be divides its catalog into two: carols and songs. Pick your genre, pick a song from the list available, and start playing. You don't really need a microphone or a fancy karaoke machine for this. Just keep along with the lyrics and have a good time. If you have some time to plan, you can print out the lyrics beforehand and pass them around, so everyone can participate together.

The volume tends to be a little low on these songs, and it'll get drowned out once people start singing along. So, you might need a good set of Bluetooth speakers, so everyone can hear the music.

5. The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

The Hymns and Carols of Christmas

Many of the hymns and carols sung around Christmas-time today are not that old. "O Holy Night", for instance, was written in the early 19th century. The history and tales behind these are fascinating, and collected in one place on this site.

Given how far Christianity has spread across Europe, it's no surprise that several popular carols of today actually originated in a different language. For example, if you want to know the story of "Silent Night", the website will take you to the original Austrian "Stille Nacht". There, you can see how it was originally written, and even find notes and videos about the history behind the carol.

The Hymns and Carols of Christmas is largely an academic endeavor. Its Table of Contents is what you'll need the most, since browsing the site is difficult. But when a child asks you a question about the carols or hymns, wouldn't you like to know the actual answer?

What's More Festive: Carols, Songs, or Instrumental?

So, dear reader, which of the major types of Christmas music would you prefer to play to get into the festive spirit? Do carols do it for you, or are Christmas pop songs ideal? Or do you leave out the vocals altogether and go with an instrumental background score? The choice is yours! Whatever you choose, we wish you a merry Christmas season filled with joy and delicious treats.