Back in 1998, Celine Dion recorded “O Holy Night” for a holiday special. That single performance turned into a yearly tradition for many listeners. In 2025, people are still calling it their first “must play” when December arrives.
The moment she starts, the room feels different. Her voice is soft and calm at first. Then, line by line, it rises higher and higher over the strings and choir that David Foster arranged so carefully. By the time she reaches “fall on your knees,” most listeners are already covered in goosebumps. When she hits the final “Noel,” it feels less like a note and more like a lightning strike.
That is why the comments in 2025 read like a calendar. Some say Christmas does not begin until this song plays. Others admit they still cry every single time. Missing it feels like skipping the tree or the lights.
Céline Dion – O Holy Night (from the 1998 “These are Special Times” TV special)
In These Are Special Times, Celine does not carry the night alone. She joins Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli for “The Prayer,” a duet that turns the whole stage into a quiet wish for peace. Sung in both English and Italian, it feels less like a love song and more like a global Christmas card for the season. It became award winning and, for many fans, the emotional twin to “O Holy Night” year after year.
Andrea Bocelli, Céline Dion – The Prayer (Live at Central Park / 2011)
Before it became a famous duet, it was a solo song on the soundtrack of the 1998 animated film Quest for Camelot. Here, Celine sings it as a mother’s quiet plea for her child, with lyrics about finding a safe place and gentle grace. Most people only know the big TV moment in 1998. Fewer have heard this first version that quietly started it all.