Wednesday, December 2, 2009

O Christmas Music...

How I love thee...most of the time. My favorite radio station, KSBJ, plays Christmas music from the day after Thanksgiving through the Big Day. KSBJ is a Christian station and uses this time to encourage new listenership in hopes that they stick around the rest of the year. Their main focus is sharing the Gospel with people through the station. For the record, I'm all on board with this goal. I think it's great! However, (don't kill me) I'm not ready for Christmas music 24 hours a day until we're at least past the first week or two of December. I like to jingle, well...part of the way. I know, I know many of you can't fathom this.

Let me set the record straight before you think of me as a Grinch. I absolutely LOVE Christmas! Love it! The lights, giving gifts, decorations, traditions, family time, Christmas tree hunting, delicious food, and of course the Reason for the season, a time to celebrate Christ's birth. So it's established. I heart Christmas. And I heart Christmas music as well.

My rationing of Christmas music is based on the following two points:

1. If I listen to it beginning the day after Thanksgiving I will be all jollied out by the time we get to Christmas week and the music will have reached its saturation point. It's effect will be slightly dampened and I want to really be in the Christmas spirit.

2. I like the classics. We're talking Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, the Chipmunks, etc. The good stuff. What I don't need to hear is every version of Jingle Bells known to man. I don't want to hear Silent Night coming from the Spice Girls, Miley Cyrus, or Bob Marley. We have plenty of Christmas albums sung by the greatest singers in the world. Just because you are a recording artist does not mean you need to make a Christmas album. Save it for the Macy's Day Parade when you're on top of a float.

Sorry for the short tirade, but I felt like I should explain myself. I will flip back to the station and listen to a few songs here and there and I may have it on a bit at my house, but I'm going to wait another week or so before fully immersing myself in Christmas music.

Just so you don't think I'm a complete Bah Humbug, here are a few of my absolute Christmas favorites from childhood:

1. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
2. Carol of the Bells - Transiberian Orchestra
3. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Burl Ives
4. Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In
5. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey (ok, so maybe there are a few newbies)
6. O Holy Night
7. Rockin Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee?
8. What Child Is This?
9. Snow - Rosemary Clooney
10. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole

Ok, see? Now I'm in the Christmas spirit just thinking about it. Maybe I'll try to catch a few of these on the way back to work. But, I'm turning it as soon as Bob Marley's version comes on. You all know I'm kidding about Bob Marley, right? :)


  1. I totally agree Jenny! I love Christmas music (espcially Transiberian Orchestra)...but I'm not ready for it yet.
    I had to switch my dial to country this morning because I couldn't take it anymore.

  2. Good to hear someone else feels the same way! Every once in a while in July or so I feel like listening to a random Christmas album, but the key is that it's not enough to get burned out before the holiday itself. Hmmm...maybe Bob Marley would be good Christmas music in the summer... :P

  3. I totally feel you. I was waiting in the office at my complex to pick up a package this afternoon when I heard a song. Oh. No. Please tell me it's not...oh, yes. "Christmas Shoes." Already. It took everything in me not to audibly express my disgust. Yes. It's too early for "Holly Jolly Christmas" and the like.

  4. Oh man! Christmas Shoes kills me! I'm all sad, emotional, and mopey after hearing that song. I will say that I've heard a few songs on KSBJ that I do like, but they sound like music I would listen to around the year and are focused on Christ rather than having a holly jolly Christmas. Was Christmas Shoes followed by Feliz Navidad? :)

  5. Oh, see I LOVE that they are playing Christmas music, but HATE that they rotate the same 60 songs over and over. If they play Feliz Navidad ONE MORE TIME I think I'll jab something in my ear...How's that for Christmas Spirit? (blushing)

  6. You know I'm surprised there weren't more comments like yours krystina! In fact I know that one reader of this blog is so filled with the spirit that she has several christmas trees and its not unknown that she listens to the music during the summer. You know who you are. :) I think maybe it as that they rotate the same songs for a month with some like feliz navidad that has resulted in me rationing!:)