Add Christmas Ambience With These 8 Relaxing Videos

I wrote earlier this week that parents can — should, even — ramp up the holiday magic even more than usual this year. It’s all we have right now! But one commenter came in ready to up the ante even further than my suggestions of extra decorations, new traditions, and fancy Christmas dinners.

Kinja user hazelsdottir says:

We’re also hitting up YouTube for assorted Christmas ambience 4K recordings, with or without ASMR in there. These recordings give a wonderful warm feeling to the living room.

Having never searched for “assorted Christmas ambience 4K recordings” myself, I was curious. So I went on a little journey of discovery with these soothing YouTube videos, each of which offers a little something special.

Relaxing fire and instrumental Christmas music

This was my first stop, and I wouldn’t have minded if it was my last. The gentle crackling of the fire, the soft instrumentation; I was kind of stressy when I initially clicked on it, and within minutes I was feeling more, “Aw, it’s Christmastime, life isn’t so bad!”

This is a video to listen as you fall asleep. Want to take a little mid-day snooze? Play this on low in the background and you’ll be blissfully conked out in moments.

A Christmas snowfall

I didn’t really want to leave that first one until it had played all the way through, but I am a professional and I know you need options. Luckily, there are plenty out there, and this one of a Christmas snowfall, with ASMR, quickly captured my heart.

Maybe it’s because, as I write this, the first big winter storm of the season has descended up my home in Eastern Pennsylvania and…wow, I just totally zoned out for a few solid minutes. Maybe don’t watch this one if you really need to concentrate. Save it for when you take your next relaxing bath.

A very Harry Christmas

I had an admittedly hard time pulling myself away from the Christmas snowfall, too, but then I found eight hours of wintery Harry Potter ambience via Hogwarts, The Burrow, and other magical locales. The twinkling of lights, the mysterious flipping of pages, the floating of candles, it’s all very good.

OK then. Time for more fireplace; I want more fireplace.

A fire and a harp

This is the one to put on in the background while you’re cooking dinner, baking cookies or wrapping gifts in the evening. The harp is simple and lovely. The fire might as well be cracking right next to you. You’ll softly hum along with the traditional Christmas tunes. There is nothing not to like here.

But I’m going to go looking for more anyway, because that is what I have been tasked with doing, and oooh wait: Is that a frozen lake and a steaming cup of coffee I see over there?

A frozen lake and a steaming cup of coffee

This one has everything a wintery, Christmasy ambience video needs: sparkling lights, a light snow fall, some dripping noises of some kind, and the occasional bird. Put this on to meditate to, or to curl up and read a book to, or to fall asleep to.

Oh, I just notice the semi-sleepy cat, too; yes, this one is good.

A little bit of everything

This one has a little bit of everything I like. The crackling fire, soft music, a light snowfall and a bit of howling wind far off in the distance. It is really freaking cosy, too, and if I had a grandma who lived here, I would absolutely visit (after she’d been vaccinated).

Ever-so-slightly muffled

This one has a delightful little muffled quality to it, to give the sense of the music travelling to you from another room. And if you want to daydream about all the big family celebrations you are normally able to have, you can gaze into the windows of the house — where a fire is roaring and folks are sitting together on the couch — and imagine you’re about to join them.

A church in a blizzard

There is but one way to end this slideshow and it is with this adorable church huddled against a blizzard within — of course — a mountainous landscape. The storm is made of the perfect kind of snow (the light, fluffy stuff), a howling wind that isn’t too howling, and the occasional church bell.

All you have to do is press play and prepare to be soothed.