The holiday season is in full swing. It’s that time of year where we surround ourselves with loved ones and create memories with the Spirit of Christmas. For Grammy-nominated Christian artist Danny Gokey, this year is all about special family connection & tradition.

I truly hope that this collection can embody the spirit of Christmas in some way – the joy, the sense of goodwill, and the hope & peace that comes along with the season.  But my greatest hope is that people really find the true meaning of Christmas.”

Gokey’s most recent project, The Greatest Gift, is a holiday collection that features a mix of traditional favorites, some original songs, and a few special guests.

“It goes from worship to celebration to just really reverential and fun.  I think those are all elements that make up the Christmas season. I also did several duets with Kari Jobe, Natalie Grant, and David Archuleta. I hope people enjoy them as much as we did singing them. I also featured my oldest son, Danny, on the record, which was a cool moment for me as a Dad. I hope people love that.”

View this post on Instagram

I know it's a LITTLE early for Christmas, but I just can't wait to share my new project with you! (I'm even playing some of the songs on my tour right now!) Christmas is actually my favorite time of year! Partly because of the music and partly because of the change of atmosphere that it invokes. There’s such a sense of generosity, kindness and love that prevails and everything seems hopeful and full of joy! We can use that all year round! Musically, I love putting a new spin on old Christmas classics, so this project was fun for me in that sense, but the true meaning for this season of hope is my inspiration for this project! Christmas centers around the greatest gift the world has ever known, the birth of a savior. That's what it's all about for me. Hope you'll enjoy it with your family this season! It's out now, so check out the link in my bio

A post shared by Danny Gokey (@dannygokey) on

Not only does Danny offer his own take on classics like “Angels We Have Heard On High” and “Joy To The World,” but The Greatest Gift includes original songs that are destined to become seasonal favorites.

One of my favorites that is on the album is an original called, “Until You.” This song is such a raw, open and emotional song.  When it starts out, we were desperately looking for an answer…until you.  Mankind for a millennium has been floundering looking for answers and trying to fill it with all of these different things, but yet nothing satisfies. I love what Christmas represents.”

If you’re looking for something that truly brings the fun and joy of Christmas the song, “The Holidays are Here” will undoubtedly be the song for you.

The inspiration behind one of the original songs on the album, “The Holidays Are Here” was every type of Christmas thing you could think of – like pumpkin lattes, gingerbread cookies, the New York City Parade, snow, Santa, and more. It’s such a fun and up-tempo song. It’s got that little bit of Christmas cheese in all the best way possible. The goal in writing an original Christmas song, for me, is to not get too cheesy and that’s a fine line. I think we accomplished it though.”

As far as how Gokey will celebrate the Holidays, “I have a beautiful family that is a gift to me every day and I am learning more and more that peace inside is really all I want or need.  I’ll always take an apple pie from my Grandmom though, that’s THE BEST!  Seriously though, Christmas is tough for a lot of people out there. I really hope that they can settle into the fact that God’s got them right where He wants them. He is going to take care of them so they can rest, relax and celebrate. They can enjoy the holiday without all of the pressure that the holidays sometimes may bring.

To enjoy Danny’s new Christmas album and get in the Spirit, click here. Stay up to date on  Danny’s journey by following him here