Carrie Underwood reveals favorite Christmas traditions and memories

For Carrie Underwood, Christmas is a time for family, making new memories and feel-good music.

The "American Idol" winner, who grew up in Oklahoma, recalled the beloved family tradition of spreading Christmas cheer through song with her parents and two older sisters.

"Christmas was always about family. One thing that we always did growing up that was one of my favorite memories, on Christmas Eve we would go to my grandparents' house. Us kids were always responsible for putting oranges and apples and bananas in little paper bags and we would go down to the nursing home and sing Christmas carols," she shared in an interview provided by her label, Capitol Records Nashville.

And while Underwood and family would sing holiday classics, the superstar has since written some of her own original holiday songs, including "Favorite Time of Year." Featured as an Amazon Music bonus track off her 2020 debut Christmas album, "My Gift," the festive track can now be heard in an ad for Ring Video Doorbell.

The seven-time Grammy winner said the song is intended to wrap the listener in Christmas joy and reflect the true meaning of the holiday.

"'Favorite Time of Year' is a song about all of the things that make you smile during Christmas. There's so much about Christmas that is absolutely wonderful," she said, referencing such staples of the holiday as family, presents and decorations. "I love the song because it's hard to sing it without smiling, it's hard to listen to it without smiling. I think it's a perfect addition to the rest of my Christmas song collection."