From Shows At The Ryman To Family Stockings, Amy Grant Shares The Stories Behind Her Tennessee Christmas

Returning to the Ryman Auditorium each December feels as familiar and festive to Amy Grant as sorting through her Yuletide treasures. "It's like going into storage and pulling out the oldest cardboard box of ornaments I've duct-taped over and over," says the Nashville performer. "Prepping for those shows is part of that same rhythm for me." In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic and an unexpected open-heart surgery interrupted that cadence. But 2021 proved to be a celebratory comeback: In July of that year, she released the 30th-anniversary edition of her Grammy-nominated album Heart in Motion, and in the fall, a rescheduled tour took her to both coasts. Now, with her 14th season of her annual Christmas residency at the Ryman ahead of her, Amy shares how she welcomes in the season.

Why I'm Especially Grateful for Live Music

"I think one of the unsettling experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic was that, without the unifying things that we are accustomed to, it seemed like all of our differences were on grand display. It felt very divisive. There were so many benefits to opening our eyes and seeing each other, stewing in our own juices and coming to terms with who we are—the good and the bad. But sporting events and concerts are occasions where people can sit side by side and be so different yet still cheer for the same thing. When what brings us together is absent, we really miss it."

What Creativity Means to Me

"There were times in my life when I felt like all I did was eat, sleep, and breathe music. I don't feel that way now, because creativity expresses itself in so many forms. We don't even realize all the ways we use it, like when you're staring into a refrigerator with C-plus leftovers and have a few things in your pantry, but then you take what you've got and start making something appealing."

The Holiday Tradition I Love

"I think I'll be filling stockings for my family until I'm dead. Our oldest, Jenny, has two kids, and our daughter Millie is expecting a baby. They're not waking up in this house on Christmas morning anymore, but even my grown kids have said, 'Can we always do stockings?' And I love it. To me, it's about appreciating the uniqueness—or the quirkiness—of the people you care about. All of that can be reflected in small, thoughtful gifts."

How Christmas Albums are Special

"I'm honored when people tell me that my music is part of their own traditions. It never ever gets old for someone to say, 'Your record is what we put on every Christmas morning,' or 'This is what I grew up with.' Some dear friends of ours used to always decorate their tree with the movie White Christmas on when their daughters were young. Now their daughters have daughters, and the little bitties sing all the songs too. I know what that feels like. My family does the same thing with Nat King Cole's music."

A Secret for Savoring the Present

"Part of my job is creating environments that feel welcoming. For women at Christmastime—and I'm saying this to myself first and foremost—it's so important to set aside a pocket of time (even 5 or 10 minutes) to put on the teakettle, light a candle, turn off the phone, and listen to a song. That's been one of the most valuable lessons I've learned as a woman and a creative: Whatever atmosphere you're trying to make for other people, it's important to welcome yourself to it first."

This story originally appeared in our December 2021 issue and has been updated to reflect this year's concert dates.