Oh, is it November 1st? It must be because I hear Christmas music. That’s normal. NO! It’s not. What happened to fall? What happened to the season of thanks? Oh, well that holiday isn’t nearly as profitable as our Lord’s birth (if I may be so bold as to call it that). I think it’s a GREAT idea to completely skip over the one day of the year while we don’t think about ourselves for a whole 24 hours. Let’s just move right on to the holiday that brings all the corporations back to black.
If retailers and radio stations were really just excited to share in songs about Christ coming to earth because He loves us so much, then heck, let’s play the music year round. I have a sneaking suspicion that’s not their motive in starting up the carols earlier and earlier each year. My gut tells me it might be about the money and not that much about the spirit of the season. AND I would think any true Dave Ramsey follower would surely see that.
Not only does the whole “let’s manipulate people into spending more money sooner” excuse not really bode well with me, but frankly 85% of the music they play on the non-stop holiday stations is crap. Yeah, I said that. I see two different categories of crap in the Christmas music world.
The first classification would be the “tear jerker songs”. Whether they be based on a book, movie or just for their own existence, they are ludicrous stories that are supposed to be very sad and make you sob while driving. Then once you hit your driveway, you don’t even turn off the car in your frenzy to run into the house and slobber all over your loved ones. My “favorite” in this category would be The Christmas Shoes. It is the perfect example of the tear jerker Christmas song. And no, I have not cried during this song.
Now onto the more henious of the two categories. The “destroy a classic with a synthesizer and 17 note runs in one phrase” Christmas music. I’m a purist when it comes to good music. There is absolutely no reason to interject a hip-hop beat into Silent Night. There’s no place for doo-wop in Hark the Herald Angels Sing. And don’t even get me started on messing with Handel’s Messiah. That one sends me over the edge. Perfection need not be messed with.
There is a proper time for proper Christmas music, decor and all the other fun things the season brings. I love getting gifts and I love even more giving my kids and husband gifts. I just think that maybe we need to hold off on the givemegivemegiveme attitude and spend a season just being content and thankful. Of course, that may ruin the whole Black Friday thing if we all become too happy with what we have.