I asked my kids what they wanted for Christmas and Sam said, "I want people to remember Thanksgiving." I was not touched or taken aback by this at all. I'm sick of this notion (but not sick of Sam--it's a new notion to him, and I think it's cute that he "thought of" this on his "own.")
Look, I love Thanksgiving. I'm probably more into food and eating unrestrainedly than anyone else you could name. I'm also thankful for lots of things, including Thanksgiving. But I don't think it takes away from Thanksgiving to be excited about and preparing for Christmas. If you want to put up your tree today--do it. I usually don't get around to decorating until sometime in December--but I am not against it on principal. Christmas too commercial? That's the fun of it. Decorations out too early? Who cares.
Anyway, I'm making some agonizing decisions over here as I make the play list for my ward Christmas party. It's on December 11th. Mind you--still love Thanksgiving! Just planning ahead. My play list is 65 songs and I have to pare it down. Right now I'm deciding between Randy Travis' Jingle Bell Rock and The Ventures' instrumental Jingle Bell Rock. I also have to decide which Elvis Presley songs to cut--like cutting one of my own children. I also have to decide if Happy Christmas (War is Over) is too political for the ward party. I also have three versions of Merry Christmas Baby. This is too many versions of Merry Christmas Baby, I think. How much Pretenders is too much Pretenders? What will happen to me if I cut Nat King Cole entirely? What should the ratio of spiritual songs to secular songs be? Should Motab's O Holy Night end the evening or should I bring it on home with Barenaked Ladies' Auld Lang Syne? Would it be ironic or irreverent to include Weezer's O, Holy Night?
Make suggestions now, before this monster gets too long.
I have to cut this play list by half and I am not at all thankful for that. If only the ward party could last for several more hours. It would be like being in the Celestial Kingdom. I meant that both ironically and irreverently.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Well, if you are going to cut Nat King Cole, I'm not coming!! (Terrill Christmases mandate Nat Cole and the Chestnut Song, Burl Ives and the 12 Days of Christmas, Abba's Happy New Year, Joan Baez doing Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel, Harry Connick Jr. and What are You Doing New Year's Eve, Guster and Donde Esta Santa Claus, Bing Crosby and I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, and any and all parts of the Soulful Messiah.)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I vote for the war song. What better time to raise consciousness that at Christmas??
I wish I had access to your Christmas music! I don't have nearly enough songs. I'm going to be putting together a play list for our ward Christmas party and I have similar issues. I'm thinking the way this party is going that it may all be instrumental, but my personal preference is songs with words so one can rock out in a holiday fashion.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, Nat King Cole should always be present on a Christmas play list. Multiple versions of the same song could annoy some people (certainly not me!). As far as spiritual versus secular, I say it depends on what type of Christmas party it is. Ours will be more low key, Nativity decorations and Christmas trees, and a dinner. Hence the instrumental. I sure hope I'm making sense.
Good luck, Kacy!
Please don't tell me that Santa is coming to your ward party. I think there should be one Santa free zone and the church is it. I don't think our Activity Chairperson even knows that there is a spiritual side to Christmas.
ReplyDeleteAlso," Jingle Bell Rock" makes me want to commit suicide, but my kids can't get enough of that song.
ReplyDeleteI am not suggestions songs, because I feel your pain. I think I have like 400 Christmas songs on my iPod. I can't even get through them all in one Christmas Season.
ReplyDeleteI am commenting to tell you that I am with you on the whole complaining about early Christmas thing. For the record, their are no songs or real decorations associated with Thanksgiving, so why not just extend Christmas? Why is Dec 1 the magic day to mention Christmas? And I refuse to engage in the dialog of people being SHOCKED that stores have Christmas stuff out. They put it out because YOU BUY IT!! If no one bought it or wanted it, stores wouldn't waste the real estate on it. Let Christmas ring!
For the record, I think you should shake things up with a little Neil Diamond Christmas. Nothing says holy spirit like a jewish man singing about the birth of the Christ child. Dee-lightful
I'm thankful (or should I be unthankful?) for hilarious bloggers who make me want to adopt dogs at the local farmer's market. I blame this on YOU Kacy!
ReplyDeleteOur ward 'party' is really an open house dedicated to Christ and stuff like that. That means we will have exclusively MoTab christmas music, or maybe just instrumental hymns. I am not in on the planning, so I don't have to worry.
ReplyDeleteI would probably try and nix a few of the duplicate songs though. And whats wrong wit the war is over song? Christ brings peace!
My suggestion, since you asked, is to start secular (Let's get this party started!) and end with MoTab. That way everyone will have an audial cue as to when to go home. Then, at the very end, when you're putting away the tables and chairs, get the music pumping up again. Have an arch, Kacy, a musical arch.
ReplyDeleteMy mother would insist you have at least one Johnny Mathis song in there.
I would remind you that Sting just came out with a new Christmas album. Don't forget. (That probably just makes creating your list harder, sorry.)
I have been keeping my Christmas decorations put away and displaying two lonely pilgrims on principle....until I read this post. Why not bring out the stuff I love NOW? Thanks for blowing my mind wide open!
ReplyDeletejosh, thanksgiving DOES have a song...i just found out. but christmas tried to steal it! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_River_and_through_the_Woods
ReplyDeletei'm with lisa on your playlist, kacy. start rocking then end spiritual, so when you pump up the rockin' tunes again for clean up, people will be so offended that they'll leave quickly instead of lingering too long.
go with the happy christmas...for sure.
ReplyDeleteAnything from John Denver and the Muppets Christmas Album!
ReplyDeleteI am always in favor of MORE Weezer, rather than less.
ReplyDeleteI just looked up Weezer's Christmas album thanks to this post. Righteous!
ReplyDeleteKACY! Will you burn me a cd or two of this? I will fb my mailing address or even send you a SASE and cash for cds. You can send family dance suggestions, too, if you agree to hook a hillbilly activities chairperson up!
ReplyDelete