Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Special

I really, really love Christmas music. I like the traditional hymns and carols, I like modern interpretations of old songs, I like new christmas songs as long as they aren't just lame pop songs with Christmas lyrics. During the holiday season I listen to so much Christmas music that I almost irritate myself with all the good cheer.

However! I hold fast to my mother's rule that you DON'T PLAY CHRISTMAS MUSIC UNTIL THANKSGIVING. So it was with a certain amount of dismay that I discovered the radio station here in Boston that has already started it's "all christmas all the time" rotation way, way too early. Imagine how torn I was last night when I turned on the car and heard the lovely beginning strains of Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song"-a song that is not only perfect and timeless on it's own but still has the power to make me feel like I am seven years old and watching my mother put that record on the turntable and oh it's the most wonderful time of the year!!!-and while my heart was all ready to give in and start singing and charging down nostalgia lane, my mind was saying, "no no no!! it's not time! it's NOT TIME! I AM NOT READY!". It was awful. I had to change stations because I can't possibly taint such a perfect song with so much internal conflict. As much as I wanted to go home and start dusting off my playlists and getting my mixes ready (I might even send one to a lucky reader or two) I knew that in this world of instant gratification, I want to stand firm on my decision to wait. I want to save my ears so that when the time is right, I can properly enjoy U2 covering "Baby Please Come Home" and driving through the snow to "Valley Winter Song" by Fountains of Wayne. I want The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas album to feel as special as it always did when I memorized every word as a kid. I get so excited thinking about Harry Connick Jr, and the MoTab Choir and that fantastic "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" that the Barenaked Ladies did with Sarah Mclachlan but I will hold out. I'm pretty sure it's totally going to be worth the wait.

13 comments:

Callie said...

Ha. This post was awesome. And..uh..I'm going to need one of those mixes. :)
See you next week!!

Crystalbell said...

I have the same exact rule ... NO Christmas music until Thanksgiving. Same with Christmas trees, earliest time to get them - Thanksgiving weekend. I wouldn't mind hearing those mixes after that though!

april said...

I have the same rule, but every year it gets harder and harder to keep. November 1st seems to be the day the music gets started on local radio around here, plus all the commercials on tv.

becky said...

i had the same experience last week when i found out the radio station here had started their 24/7 christmas music the DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN!! what? christmas time is special because it only happens once a year! i love having christmas season be the entire month of december, but when you spread it out that much it becomes less special. what next? christmas music at the beginning of october? the horror! this is not a quarterly holiday!


although it's tempting because i do love christmas music so.

Emily said...

Oh just give in... I did and it feels so good

littlemikemack said...

Whoa, I'm supposed to pass up Christmas Wrapping from The Waitresses based solely on what the calendar shows ?....nope.

k8 said...

sorry dude, i don't make these rules, i just have to live by them ; )

lilcis said...

Me too! Me too! Plus, I always start decorating for Christmas on Thanksgiving Day. It's oh so much fun to have my Christmas music playing for the first time in 11 months while I skip around the house putting up decorations! Except this year I leave for Fiji on Thanksgiving night, so I'm very conflicted as to whether I should start decorating early, so that I can come home to a nice, Christmasy house; or wait until I get back and unpack and clean, which would mean the decorations wouldn't go up until December 13th (at the earliest).

Dainon. said...

On that note, Harry Connick, Jr. has a new Christmas album coming out this year. What is this, his third? Fine by me.

The Andersen Family said...

Love this post. I am also an after Thanksgiving kinda girl, but it is THE day after. Jane posted an awesome cd on her blog...I believe it is called Winter Songs, blue cover, lotsa awesome women vocalists(: I only listened to the tidbits that itunes gives you, because I know if I buy it then I will be breaking the rule also.

Katie said...

Not worth waiting...not this year.

Because Thanksgiving falls so late this year the time for Christmas music is cut short.

I just can't handle only listening for 3 weeks! I need more.

Ohh, please send me a mix!

Monica said...

I love Christmas music. I was a little surprised also to find the local radio station playing it right after Halloween. The only song that drives me crazy is Paul McCartney's A Wonderful Christmas Time. It's like a dental drill in my mouth!

Whits said...

I just took a cue from you. Mike decided to get the Sufjan Christmas collection and that just opened the floodgates today.

Currently listening to Wham on repeat. Oh yes.