Category: the Rant Board
Ok, so wasn't sure if this should go under rant or rave lol!
I'm not wanting to cause a big ruccus, but I am just interested in peoples oppinions.
When do you start listening to Christmas music?
I get so much hell from people because I start listening to Christmas music early. I mean why not, it puts me in a good mood. I don't get how some people can just throw the biggest fit. You would think I was committing a serious crime or something, its not like I am the only one, the stores have been playing it for a few weeks too!
Tell whoever is throwing the childish fits to go lay off! I mean seriously, I see nothing wrong with that music being played early, so... Enjoy! :)
Thanks Giving day until New Years Eve. Don't be messen wid my Holiday tunes now. I've got maybe 11 hours of the stuff on shuffle. Lol
Personally, I don't get into the Christmas spirit until the day after Thanksgiving. However, I'm not going to bahhumbug anybody who wants to do it earlier.
I don't have any specific time I start listening to music. And I'll be honest, certain songs (particularly certain arrangements of well-known ones) annoy me a bit. Same goes though; I'm not going to bother anyone who does differently than I do. There comes a point in every year where I find myself thinking, "You know, I'm sort of in a Christmas mood", and I either put on some music or, better yet, I start playing it and/or singing it. After that...well, you won't hear it all the time around here or anything, but it's around, and you're apt to catch me humming bits of certain carols, at the least.
I think people who get freaked out over Christmas music need to chill. Seriously.
My holiday music window is Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, generally. I've been known to hum holiday tunes at other times, though.
Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love, love, love to get into the Christmas spirit--this coming from an atheist--go figure. lol.
But anyway, I also feel Christmas coming on early in my life this year especially, since I've already gone Christmas shopping and we're planning a kick-ass time for our two-year-old son this year, since it's the first Christmas when he'll actually have some semblence of the holiday.
So yeah, I'm playing christmas tunes already. I'm singing along to them and I'm doing so happily. I have the fireplace going and the peppermint hot cocoa on the table and the egg nog and pumpkin pie, and a whole bunch of traditionally Polish things you guys wouldnt' recognize. So I'm tryign to make the most out of the jolly season--so sue me!! lol. I dont' know how many years I'll get to do this with my son, my significant other, and my extended loved ones--call me morbid, but nothing in life is a guarantee. So I'll take my fun whenever I can have it.
In short, go ahead and listen to your tunes. Knock yourself out and tell the naysayers to take a genuine flying leap.
:)
Merry early christmas. and a happy thanksgiving to all!!!!
My holiday window is pretty much day after Thanksgiving to day after Christmas or so. But if you want to listen to it early, more power to you.
A shopping center I was in back at the end of october started playing it before Halloween. I think that's a bit much, honestly.
Agreed with those that say the window is between thanks giving and new years day. If people get in to it early, more power to them, but I did think october was a bit much.
I don't know why, but I haven't been getting the Christmas is much the last few years. Not like I used to when I was younger, when I would start listening early. In defense of those who wanted to Christmas music early, some of that music is really beautiful and really grand. Unlike any other music for any time of year. I'm not talking the pop cheesy stuff for the shoes and boots stuff but the really grand stuff.
If they start playing Christmas tunes around Labor Day in the stores, I'll be "bah humbugging" by Halloween; lol!
I know what you mean, Leo. I don't really like the "santa" stuff, especially covers done by the latest tween pop star, but I love some of the traditional stuff, especially as performed by people with actual talent.
You know, it depends... most of the time, just like Sister Dawn, my window is from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas. However, if I get a Christmas song in my head for some reason, chances are pretty good that I'll break down and listen to it lol!
I'm on the same boat as Sw in post 5. No specific time, just whenever I hear it. I don't have any Christmas music personally because I know I'll hear it all over the place which is enough.
I don't have a specific time I listen to it. Really depends on whether I'm even interested in listening to music at all, as I might prefer to read or watch TV. However, I stick to the stuff I like that I've collected and don't listen to it on the radio. I might try and see how Pandora does things this year since that can be customized.
Day after Thanks Giving to Christmas day will be enough i guess. However, as Australia doesn't celebrate Thanks Giving or such, and we have Fathers day on first Sunday of September, you can pretty much start to hear the jingles and tingles from mid September onwards in shopping centers.
It can be refreshing, it can also be annoying. By early November, you really wish Christmas is over...
Any earlier than about mid-November for me is pushing it. We celebrate Thanksgiving in October here in Canada, of course, so if I'm hearing Christmas music in a mall, for instance, in early to mid November, I sort of shake my head. I'm not the grumpy type who'll complain about it though.
The one thing that did piss me off as a kid though? Back-to-school ads, in Canada, broadcast on Canadian television and radio stations to strictly Canadian markets, in freaking late July! Most kids in Canada get out of school in the last or second to last week of June, and start back up in the first week of September. Back-to-school jingles in July means they waited less than half the damn summer! Americans, starting in mid-August or so, might not see that as quite so strange, but there ya go.
Depends on which part of the country, SW.
Aside from the classics, I like the classic jazz ones also, like Nat King Cole.
I guess Manheim Steamroller is classic now, but I remember when it was new. I love that heavy synthesizer stuff. Also love TSO.
Tonight, while The Chick was in an after-work bath, I plucked out a couple of her fav Christmas tunes on the ukulele.
I'm one of these people who just *won't get the Christmas music out til 1st of December; I'm strange, Lol.
I understand the OP; Carols always put me in a good mood; I'm just a traditionalist I guess.
I hate it how store are playing Christmas music earlier and earlier and we hear adds on radio and TV earlier as well.
Me, I love the old hims, not the lame stuf like "santa" and deck the halls or whatever it is, those annoy the hell out of me. Some christmas music is exquisite. I have some choral arrangements, absolutely beautiful. But yeah, I don't believe in it. I simpley love the music.
In answer to Tila's question, I don't. I used to kinda like Kenny G's Christmas albums, but that was it.
I am with RDFreak on this one... I am a bit of a grinch when it comes to Christmas the past couple of years... Perhaps the inundation of commercialism makes me SO tired of hearing the music/jingles/whatever. If it were up to me, December only... period... ever!
Kate
Interesting. Yeah as far as Christmas, I do like the classic stuff mostly. The mainstream stuff is good sometimes, but I really enjoy the classics and the instrumentals, especially at work. My family never really did caroling.
Also, I think one reason I tend to play it earlier some years is from highschool. When I was in highschool I did theater, and in order to have a production together ready to perform perfectly we would start on it in October, sometimes earlier I believe. So I guess its just kind of ingrained in me to listen to it earlier, but only some years.
I know, makes no sense!
No holiday season is complete without my playing TSO's mashup of "Carroll Of The Bells" and "God Rest Yee Merry Gentlemen", at least 3 times, and as loud as I can stand.
I've always wanted to go caroling. I've never done it before and I'd love to.
It's just music. I don't love it but I certainly don't hate it. It's Christmas itself that needs to be done away with.
So Margorp, what would you replace it with? Many cultures around the world have some kind of warm winter holiday, complete with festivities, time off, and gift giving is a cultural ritual expressed in all known human societies.
In other words, we need it, and one could argue especially in the drab of winter. I know nonreligious Jews who celebrate a nonreligious Hannukkuh, and I don't see them wanting to get rid of it.
I'm gonna be the bad dog here, and say, what's actually wrong with the commercialization? Oh, I know, Hallmark and your church told you it's bad.
But that commercialization means poor people and college students make more money. I worked a ton over the Christmas breaks when in college.
It may even mean some grumpy guy actually warms up a bit and gets the wife and the kids something nice for a change. I'm genuinely curious, and I'm ready to be shot. I can take it. If it comes up in real life people the occasion calbbs for it, I've asked this same question. Never gotten an answer that didn't come from Hallmark or Church. The only answers I've gotten from atheists were agreement, actually, but they weren't claiming it was wrong: everyone else is, and I'm becoming coovinced that people say it's wrong because that's what you do: enforce the commercialist taboo.
I think it's like almost anything. It's okay as a concept, it's wrong when taken to extreme levels. I think the level of saturation is a bit much, and mostly because sometimes it seems that the whole point of a holiday is to milk the populace for all it's worth. Bombard them with pretty ads and they'll lap it up. I do realize that people have to make money, and products have to sell, so the notion of slightly raised ads and different targeting during the holiday season honestly does make sense. Call me sentimental, I suppose, but I think that when Midnight Madness eclipses family togetherness on the importance scale, it says a lot about us as a materialistic species, and most of it unflattering. Needless to say, the more extreme cases, where grown men punch children out of the way or when people get trampled trying to get the last item in a bin, rather disgust me.
That's an unrealistic idea to get rid of Christmas or any main stream holiday for that matter. I'm with Bernadetta in that this is an enjoyable time of year, but I don't do any of the religious celebrations or go to Church. Even when I followed Christianity, to be completely honest I didn't think of Christmas in terms of the birthday of Jesus and how great his birth was. I was more so taking the time to enjoy family or friend company when I had it. I spent one Christmas away from people I knew during a rough time and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It is lonely and depressing, but I digress.
I love Christmas music and usually start listening to it around now. A few of the radio stations in town started their all-Christmas format yesterday morning.
I just call it the winter solstice now. Winter solstice presents, happy winter solstice, etc. Lol.
Ah leo, please don't mind me. I am a synical bastard and should be given no more consideration than any other synical bastard. :) But yeah...as I said, it's just music. I do sort of like the jingle-jangle now and then.
I wouldn't mind it so much if it wasn't the exact same versions of the exact same songs sung by the exact same artists for weeks on end every year. If I could go to the rock channel and hear rock versions of Christmas music interspersed with the regular rock music they play, it would be great. Then, go over to the country station and hear country versions of the Christmas music interspersed with the regular music, it would still be great. I think you get my point.
I have nothing against Christmas music, nothing at all. The thing I have a problem with is hearing the exact same songs every single year, every hour of every day. There are so many awesome Christmas songs that never get played. Play those.
Its like the tradition of playing A Christmas Story for twenty-four hours straight. I love that movie, I absolutely do, its great and I make a point of watching it every Christmas. However, I don't need to watch it over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again ad nossium. There are a lot of wonderful Christmas movies, play some of those in stead of the same one over and over again.
I'm with you there, Cody. And you party animals started it, lol now I'm listening to Trads Siberian Orchestra and Manheim Steamroller.
And Cody, my favorite version of The 12 Days of Christmas is STILL the Bob and Doug McKenzie version. I've had beer under the tree but never a beer in a tree. lol
Bob and Dug...oh man, that version's the best.
Oh, and thanks Shepherdwolf for your response on the materialism thing.
Ah, but you can hear country, soul, rock, classical, and all sorts of it Cody. I've got 11 or more hours on Shuffle I tell you.
Meglet, caroling's the shit. Lol Especially when it is snowing. Where's the hot coco already!
Christmas story's hilarious. So is Christmas Vacation, I especially like the part where the cat gets electrocuted chewing on the lights. Zap!! Reeeeer!
Both of those are great, also Christmas with the Cranks. But my ultimate fave is the MST3K version of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
I started listening to Christmas Music about 2 weeks ago.
Also, I have a family member who sprinkles a little bit of Christmas music into her playlist on the 25th of each month.
I think I shall now start doing this as well. :-)
Bob Rivers has some good (and admittedly some terrible) funny Christmas stuff. Five albums worth, at least.
OMG Leo, I just died. I love that version. You can't forget santa claus and his old lady by Chich and Chong. Lol. The only good thing about a christmas story being played 24 hours straight is, if you're doing something, you can probably come back to the same spot you left off at in the movie like 5 hours later lol. I love love love christmas music. I love listening to our local radio station's selection for about the first two weeks or so, (They'd better start tomorrow or I'm gonna be really frustrated,) but then I get sick of it. Like Cody, I think it's the same versions of the same songs over and over and over again. So, I also throw on my own collection of stuff that I took from my mom a few years ago and put on a hard drive to actually mix it up a bit.
I don't like Christmas music, so hearing it when I go to people's houses, or stores, is more than enough.
unlike many of you, I find this time of year to be quite unpleasant.
Today's EarWorm is "I Came Upon A Road Kill Dear!"
Yup! I love the traditional and the parities! as well! :D
If I might take this topic a bit off topic, why do you find this time of year unpleasant Chelsea? If, that is, you feel like telling that. I understand if you don't.
I'm not around anyone that time of year, and haven't been for the last several years, simple as that.
Stop on by. I'll get the whiskey, hot coco, and the tunes ready.
We've even got some snow.
This time of year I even keep chocolate bbells in dishes and nuts and such things around the house.
I got a Santa hat, but I try to refrain from wearing that when alone.
lol. a guy after my own heart.
Well, The Sweet Chick is liking the ukulele Christmas carols I'm working on, finger picking the melody and chords to go with it. Also, iTunes Radio has Christmas music, some of it good, stuff you don't get to hear, like Trans Siberian Orchestra.
I'm just about to hit the switch and turn it on! Lol
I like Christmas music. I used to be a December 1 kind of guy, never before December. But in recent years I am slipping into about November 20 for a start date. I don't like it when people listen before November 11 though. Seems a bit disrespectful.
As long as they leave AutoTune out of it I don't much care, hence why I don't listen to the radio.
Ok everyone, and I mean everyone including bah humbugs, needs to check out this video, and this one too.
Lol I showed these to The Chick years ago and she says they're positively awful. Have a few beers and enjoy.
A few beers? Lol Marry Christmas!