60137 - Christmas music

[Katya]

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/60137/

A summary of the arguments

Pros:

Celebrates the Savior's birth, year-round

Cons:

More meaningful in November and December (slight con)
Doesn't give other holidays a chance to "shine"
Six weeks is enough time to "overdose on Christmas music"
Ruins Christmas by diluting it

[Katya]

I confess to being decidedly on the "pro" side of this argument, but with caveats. For one thing, I like my Christmas music old and generally sacred (not secular). (I'm fine with pretty much anything written after 1900 being limited to the Thanksgiving-New Year's period.) So it's possible that the "cons" and I are simply talking past each other: They don't want to hear "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in July, and neither do I. And I can understand limiting exposure to some of the older sacred carols which are overplayed at Christmastime (e.g., "Joy to the World"). But I defend my right to listen to "Gaudete" or "Riu, riu chiu" or "Past 3 O'Clock" any time I please, and I don't understand the objections.

If other holidays had as much beautiful music associated with them, I would happily make way for Valentine's Day carols or Flag Day cantatas.

If you don't "overdose" on Christmas music in the first place, you won't be sick of it after six weeks. (Like I said, I can see holding back on the type of music that gets piped into department stores 24/7.)

If you only get to do something once a year (eat cranberry sauce, dress up and get free candy), that can be pretty exciting and special. And it wouldn't be as special if you got to do it every day or every week. So, having Christmastime be the one time every year that you sing "Joy to the World" with your family or ward is a fun tradition. However, there are literally hundreds of songs associated with Christmas, and if you try to cram singing or listening to all of them into the Christmas season, you'll be overwhelmed and you won't appreciate any of them.

Furthermore, the fact that something is special doesn't mean that we should therefore do it only rarely to avoid "diluting" the experience. We fast monthly, take the Sacrament weekly, and (ideally) read our scriptures daily. Does the repetition mean that those experiences are diluted through repetition? We certainly run that risk, but the potential positives of the experience outweigh the possibility that the actions will become rote.

So. I'm going to go to church every week, read and pray every day AND I'm going to listen to music which celebrates the birth of our Savior whenever I feel like it, darn it!

[bobtheenchantedone]

I had a couple of arguments in high school because I did a yearly editorial in the school paper about how much I hated Christmas music. Or rather, how much I hated a lot of it. I always pointed out a few songs I loved as well as bashing all the ones I hated/heard too often.

Personally, I keep most of my Christmas music off of my iPod until the actual season, but I keep a few (Enya and a particularly lovely version of Carol of the Bells) on all year round.

On a related note, my sister and I got into the habit of playing Encore with each other as we sat at market. Christmas songs would inevitably come up, and we would always have to sing them very quietly to not bug our booth neighbor. She was one of those who couldn't stand Christmas songs outside of the Christmas season.

[Dragon Lady]

I think it would be great to sing/listen to Christmas music in April. Though, then you conflict with Easter music. But maybe a combination of the two would be great. I mean, really, both birth and death happened then. Many songs talk about both birth and death. Can't they all be appropriate then?

[bobtheenchantedone]

My mom thinks that Joy to the World is much more a Second Coming song than Christmas.

[ahem.]

My sister is completely unequivocally in love with Christmas. She is of the kind that will listen to Christmas music of any kind all year round and be completely confused that others might find this undesirable.

Now I do like Christmas music, and I don't especially mind it out of season if it makes her so freakin' happy. So I told her she can listen to it all she wants on her Zune or in her room. But she can only listen to Christmas music in the rest of the house or in the car on one day each month... on the 25th. And all bets are off after Halloween. Or if she's being grumpy and I know I can make her smile by putting on a Christmas CD.

It works for us.

[Katya]

But she can only listen to Christmas music in the rest of the house or in the car on one day each month... on the 25th.

I think that's a lovely compromise.

[Craig Jessop]

My mom thinks that Joy to the World is much more a Second Coming song than Christmas.

That's because it originally was a Second Coming song.

http://www.hymnary.org/text/joy_to_the_ ... rd_is_come

[Dragon Lady]

But in what season of the year do you sing Second Coming songs?

[ahem.]

No man knoweth.

[Dead Cat]

I am not a man, therefore I may know. It is on the first of Octember.

[ahem.]

Lousy Smarch weather.