jingles for Christmas

Here's a funny thing for a dyed-in-the-wool atheist: I love Christmas music. I love a lot of things about Christmas, actually, but the music in particular, as long as it's not "Away In A Manger"-style schmaltz or "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer". I even like God-heavy numbers like "Joy To The World" and "Hark The Herald Angels Sing". I know three verses of "Silent Night" in English and one in German.

Every year I start fidgeting near the end of October, waiting to be able to listen to Christmas music. I'm not quite sure where this comes from. Maybe the years of singing in choirs: after all, what's more joyous and majestic than Christmas music, aside from opera? The loud songs are like bells; the quiet songs are lovely in a melancholy way. Being inside all that beautiful noise is a transport of some sort. I get all the peace and goodwill I need even without the religious significance. And it's something better enjoyed as a family, unlike arthouse movies or Christmas shopping trips. After all, my great-aunt on Dad's side is still the only woman to have played the pipe organ for her talent at the Miss American competition - who could pass up a chance to sing to that accompaniment? And Mom's family are all musical. The post-dinner cleanup is usually in three or four part harmony.

Bosslady is not big on Christmas music; I don't foresee "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" playing in the bookstore anytime soon, and thank goodness. Give me old-fashioned soaring harmonies any day, churchy or not. No doubt Biceps is going to get on my case about this. "How can you sing these songs when you don't even believe in God?" But Christmas isn't just for Christians anymore. I think that's clear, when it's celebrated all over the world with plenty of American trimmings and poppy, non-denominational tunes. I myself once taught some Indian children how to cut paper snowflakes, right before I took them to my very first midnight Mass at the cathedral in Calcutta. Christmas celebrations in America are practically enforced, so steeped are we in caroling and Christmas bargains and tinsel and Santa Clauses on every corner.

So let the raucous sleigh bells jingle, in the words of Tom Lehrer. I'll just be in my concrete office consoling myself with twelve different versions of "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Now if only Pandora would learn to recognize it.