My father will not allow my stepmother to play Christmas music until the day after Rememberance Day. This isn't to give our veterans the respect and attention they deserve, but because once she gets started, there will be nothing but Ella Fitzgerald singing "Jingle Bells" in our house. To Americans, it's apparently blasphemous to play carols before American Thanksgiving. I personally believe that waiting until the last week of November is much too late to start celebrating Christmas - if you wait until then, you have barely a month of musical hype, and by the time you get the advent calendar squares opening, you should already be in the Christmas spirit.
My family's not religious. When a friend asked me in grade three if I was Jewish or Christian, I told her I was Canadian. Little has changed since then. I love Christmas for baking, decorations,
Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, family time, and Christmas music. And people who don't like Christmas music, you had better keep your mouth shut, because you're hating on the closest thing I have to a religion.
I understand the problem with listening to holiday music too early - if caroling started in September, it would be hard to stay excited about it in December - but I cannot understand those who don't want it to start at all. Yes, there are some Christmas music compilations that never should have been made (the Celine Dion or 98 Degrees holiday albums), but that's no reason to take your anger out on amazing, heartwarming music covered by talented artists. James Taylor puts together the perfect collection for sipping hot chocolate, and even indie darlings Bright Eyes have
A Christmas Album to warm even the coldest hipster heart. Pretty much every genre has good Christmas covers, so there's no way you can argue that carols just aren't your cup of tea - unless you hate every genre of music. There's
We Wish You a Metal Xmas if classic Elvis isn't your thing, and it feels like every pop star from Mariah Carey to N'Sync has done their time singing "Holy Night." Heck, Bob Dylan just released a Christmas album this year, which shocked critics everywhere by actually being pretty good. And I assure you, Mr. Zimmerman did not grow up with a Christmas tree.
Can't stand the classic carols? I'll admit that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" becomes a little repetitive, and "Little Drummer Boy" gets tiring with all those "ba-dum-ba-dum-dums." But you're not limited to the classics: Sufjan Stevens has a five-CD set of Christmas songs, half of which are original pieces he's written himself, full of the flavour of the holidays without the over-done taste. Still, I take issue with those Grinches bashing the classics: can you truthfully tell me your heart doesn't grow a couple sizes bigger each time "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas" comes on? Even if you're not Christian, if you grew up in North America, you should associate that song with being out of school for the holidays and watching
Home Alone.
You don't have to like Christmas. And you definitely don't have to like Jesus. But I don't believe anybody who says they don't like Christmas music. There's so much selection out there, so much opportunity for hilarious covers (Alice Cooper's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" anyone?), and I bet you your favourite musician has a Christmas cover lurking out there somewhere on the Internet. Arcade Fire has a Christmas album, while Run DMC and Britney Spears have released Christmas-themed singles. I think the only legitimate arguments you can have about Christmas music are whether the Muppets do a better rendition of "Santa Baby" than Kylie Minogue, or when is the appropriate date to start blasting "Silent Night" from your speakers.
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dogboy55
Bob
posted 11/25/09 @ 11:18 AM EST
I love Christmas songs. My favourites are "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day" and you can't beat the classic that is "White Christmas".
I'm in a band and we've recorded an alt-rock version of Sammy Cahn's "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" have a look - http://www. (Continued…)
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