Why is it that the more secularized Christmas becomes, the more saturated I've been with Christmas music? When I was younger, we got one day of Christmas songs on one station on Christmas Eve. Now, here in New Jersey I've heard 3 full time Christmas music stations blaring Christmas tunes since Thanksgiving, which was November 22nd. Christmas...err..."Holiday" time began eight days before December began.
Outside America, there is no Thanksgiving, so how do the retailers know when to start jamming Secular Christmas down everyone's throats?
People are coming to terms with saying "Happy Holidays."
There are only a handful of real Christmas songs that are recycled and re-vamped over and over again.
Some songs are well written reflections of Christmas. Some others may mention Christmas once and include the obligatory Christmas sleigh bells ching ching ching sounds.
To the non-Christmas celebrating Christians: Even if Christ's birth wasn't actually on December 25th, and even if the celebration was placed on a day to rival or replace a pagan festival, does that mean we shouldn't celebrate it? Is the birth of the Saviour and the Word of God not momentous enough to warrant a designated day of celebration?
History has shaped our perceptions of Christmas. It's not just about Bethlehem anymore; Victorian England (think Dickens), Medieval Europe (Christmas trees...Santa Claus), and modern media (A Very something something Christmas Special...) have all put in a little part of our notions of what Christmas is supposed to "feel" like. It's not all bad...I like seeing a good fat jolly Santa Claus, and I like drinking hot apple cider. I merely point it out to say that Christmas is a perfect example of things we accept in a framework of tradition.
Some people dream of White Christmases...I'd much rather prefer 80-degree Christmases back home in Florida.
-Steve K.
