Fans of the venerable Pasadena procession may choose the rose petals that grace so many floats, as well as the small seeds, pods, and other natural materials that help create each colorful entry.

Cute carols, in-home sing-alongs, and vintage songbook classics humming from your grocery store's speakers: The second-to-last week of December is awash in aural magic as we listen to the tunes that ...