Christmas Songs

Don't look now but Christmas is just around the corner. Actually, it is closer than that. As I write this, it is tomorrow. (Last-minute shopping, anyone?) As usual, there are a multitude of things that still need to be taken care of. Wrapping, cooking, reaching out to others, including family, and, yes, I confess, last-minute shopping. While it is all in the spirit of good cheer, it cannot be denied that not all of the chores, obligations, etc. are as fun as some of the Christmas songs would have you believe. For instance, I do not see all that many people "greeting smile after smile" or acting as if this is "the most wonderful time of the year" even if they believe it.

As is the case every time of the year, a wide variety of holiday songs dominate the air waves  and do so even here in our own house. One thing that never ceases to strike me is how many feelings those songs touch upon. Silliness, reverence, melancholy, joy, loss, reflection, love, kindness, compassion, and even nostalgia are certainly among the ones that pass through me almost like a parade down main street. In fact, I do not find it all that unusual that I experience some of those feelings at the same time. In their own special way, Christmas songs, perhaps, touch on the human spirit as profoundly as any other category of music.

Each year, of course, a new wave of Christmas songs are added to the already impressive catalogue that began hundreds and hundreds ago. They add fuel to our holiday moods as well as mirror those thoughts that define our own life-experiences, biases, and perspectives, particularly as we navigate the Christmas season. I like to think they bring out the best of what we think and feel even as we stand in long lines a the check-out counter, contend with holiday traffic and, in my case, struggle with the wrapping of presents. Overall, Christmas songs communicate a strong message. For everyone, I hope it is one that is positive.