You start listening to Christmas music...when?

Every year I have a friend who posts on Facebook the day she hears her first Christmas song on the radio, which is often in November. She typically writes something like "Christmas music? We haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet!" And then I respond back with "I've been listening to Christmas music since Oct. 1st!"

And that's the truth. I start listening to Christmas music before we carve pumpkins or turkeys. I claim that I'm doing it to train Pandora so that we'll have a successful season together. The truth is, I am a Christmas music addict.

Let me preface my thoughts by saying that I am NOT advocating that radio stations should start playing Christmas music in July, nor am I dismissing my good friends points. She makes very valid points. Another one of my friends has suggested to me that listening to Christmas music so early takes away from the message and the sacredness of the season. Along with the Christmas music comes the commercialism, and the blow up Santa's and the Tickle Me Elmos and those things can be obnoxious. Those things CAN take away from the meaning of Christmas. I get it.

But there is just something about Christmas music that puts a smile on my face and makes me feel at peace with everyone and every thing. Quite frankly, twenty five days or so of Christmas music just simply is not enough for me. I MUST have it longer than that. And I don't subject others to my music. Well...my husband has to listen to it probably more than he wants to. Lucky for me, my son loves the music just as much as I do so we partake every morning on the way to school.

I also have to say that I don't have a preference when it comes to Christmas music. I love most of it. Anything by The Carpenters. "Last Christmas" by Wham. "Do They Know it's Christmas?" by...well, a bunch of people. "Baby, It's Cold Outside," my favorite rendition of which is performed by Dolly Parton and Rod Stewart. I enjoy the more spiritual ones as well; any version of O Holy Night stands my hair on end. I like the one about the ships carrying Mary and Jesus, although, I cannot say I completely understand neither what Sting is saying nor what the song means. But my favorite right now is this little gem - "The Holly and the Ivy." Annie Lennox does it right.
















I know there is truth in the words of those people who feel that Christmas can come too early. But I'd rather hold on to those feelings of cheerfulness and joy and peace and gratitude as long as I can, and listening to Christmas music for three months helps me do just that.