I love Christmas music. But I refuse to listen to it on the radio. Because I hate crappy Christmas music. And there’s too much crappy Christmas music on the radio. And it’s your fault.
When I first arrived in Brasil as a missionary I was introduced to the dessert “pudim de leite,” a type of flan. And it was heavenly. I have never had a non-chocolate dessert that was so absolutely delicious. I loved it whenever anyone would fix it for us when we came for lunch.
And then about half-way through my mission I developed a discerning palate and realized that not all pudim de leite was created equal, that not everyone knew how to make it. I started being able to tell the difference between good pudim and bad pudim. And it wasn’t that exciting when people who were only so-so at making it made it for us.
The problem with Christmas music is that every December it’s like we’re being introduced to it for the first time and we (the general public) think all of it is awesome and we love hearing it all the time. And then December is over relatively quickly and we are never given the chance to develop a discerning palate for Christmas music and realize that not all of it is created equal and that not everyone knows how to sing it (or even write a few of the songs). We don’t get the chance to learn to tell the difference between good Christmas music and bad Christmas music because we (the general public) have a very short memory. And because we have that short memory rather than a discerning palate the radio stations can play all kinds of crappy Christmas music for us and we don’t care because Christmas music!
The solution is definitely not to play Christmas music year round because that would make it not fun and special. But there has to be a way to stop them (the radio stations) from force feeding us crappy Christmas music every year.
In the mean time we’ve pulled our favorites together into our own playlist and will be boycotting the radios through the end of the holiday season.
What are your favorite Christmas songs? What songs deserve a lump of coal?
I am an educator and PhD. I quilt, belly dance, run, read, and try to grow things. I am a Mormon. I am infertile. I am a daughter, sister, aunt, grand-daughter, friend, wife, and mom.
Brett L. Dennis
Mama g
Giggles
AmandaStretch
I feel the same way about modern Mormon movies. :brett:
One of my favorites is O Holy Night by Josj Groban.
A song I would give a lump of coal to is “Twelve Days of Christmas”.
I rather like the a cappella version by Straight No Chaser of that song actually.
https://youtu.be/2kYEK-pxs_A
I love this version so much.
Lump of coal: I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
Completely agree.
This song actually amuses me. I can’t listen to it too much, but I think it’s fun. Once, a friend and I were singing it back and forth, and her husband was baffled. He’d never heard of it, and thought were just somehow making it up. But we were not! I got them a hippo Christmas ornament that year as a result.
I have sung SO MUCH Christmas music in my life (so many choirs, 5 years of A Christmas Carol at Hale Center Theater in Orem, Julie Webb’s a’cappella group for several years, ward choirs…) that I’m pretty picky about what Christmas music I listen to. I enjoy the more “out there” versions, like Twisted Sister’s Christmas album. I know it’s weird, but it’s so different that it’s refreshing to me.
On the other hand, if I hear one more maudlin, heartfelt version of “Where Are You, Christmas?” I may set something on fire.
I like this not having enough time to develop a more discerning palate theory. That explains all the garbage songs.