When you get a puppy for Christmas when you’re 7 years old, it’s easy to see why you might fall in love with the holiday season. “It’s pretty hard to beat getting a puppy,” says Martina McBride with a laugh of her favorite gift ever, whom she named Jingles — short for Jingle Bells.

It’s little surprise then that the country star is jazzed about her upcoming “The Joy of Christmas” tour, which hits the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on Dec. 15.