What's your opinion of christmas music

[Firefly 35]

This seems to be a big question around this time of year, so I thought I'd ask.

[attendsdiapers]

I LOVE IT! But I don't start playing it until after Thanksgiving.

[id0ntknow]

I like it, but not usually what is played on the radio, if that makes any sense. I don't like hearing the same 10 or so songs performed by 40 different artists in an 8 hour period. I like a lot of the songs with Christian themes to them, but those are rarely played.

[vvp39]

My wife used to do craft shows, and after a two- or three-day weekend of Christmas music it could get pretty tiresome. But "What Child Is This" with the Greensleeves melody was her favorite piece of music and I can still tear up from hearing it on the radio or playing it on the piano.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Some good, some bad but overplayed. I am not really ready for it before about Dec 10

[Spiderman]

I work in a retail store where they play the same darn songs over and over again and then restart them again at 5:00 am.  They are also all different versions of the same song over and over again.  We have three different versions of Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer and three different versions of frosty the snowman.  It makes you want to cut your ears off.  Now with that being said I do like singing Christmas songs with my family.  Other then that they annoy me from Thanksgiving through December.

[rusty pins]

I'm old school.  My brother plays jazz versions of Christmas music and instramentals.  My brother loves Manheim Steamroller but I prefer the versions of Christmas songs I grew up hearing on the records my Mom used to play.  We still have all those old records from the early 1960's and years ago I transferred my favorite songs to CD.  I do like some newer songs, but the older ones I grew up with have special memories.  I even have both of the original Chipmunk Christmas Albums I converted to CD.  I would get annoyed listening to it 15 hours a day and especially in a store if I worked there and they played the same music over and over, but when out shopping there is enough variety to keep it fresh.  I usually don't play Christmas music at home, just when in the car and out and about shopping.

[Bettypooh]

Annoying when it's constant or over-done, but nice otherwise. In my old age I've turned into a 'grinch' regards almost all holidays as they have all become an excuse for things other than what they were intended to be celebrated for

Bettypooh

[beallucanb]

I can take it if Christmas is in a few days, but I don't want it a month in advance.

[LittleAmytheil]

I'm a big fan of TSO (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), but I feel they never play their songs enough when I work retail!  I work in a seasonal department, so I'm the first in the building to start singing along to Christmas music and dancing.  In other news: New Years stock arrived in my supermarket last Sunday (11/19) and Valentines stock will start to arrive approximately 12/2.

[minachan16]

Christmas music is acceptable from the moment Santa shows up in the Macy's parade until 11:59 PM on December 25th, and anyone who allows it outside that window is WRONG.

[Firefly 35]

3 hours ago, LittleAmytheil said:

New Years stock arrived in my supermarket last Sunday (11/19) and Valentines stock will start to arrive approximately 12/2

That's rediculous.

22 hours ago, Little Christine said:

Some good, some bad but overplayed. I am not really ready for it before about Dec 10

Same here.  Any time before december is too early for me.

[Spiderman]

The Christmas music started playing here on Thanksgiving.

[rusty pins]

On ‎11‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 9:28 AM, Bettypooh said:

Annoying when it's constant or over-done, but nice otherwise. In my old age I've turned into a 'grinch' regards almost all holidays as they have all become an excuse for things other than what they were intended to be celebrated for

Bettypooh

Interesting that so many people think that way about holidays.  Most holidays over time get so commercial and the competition for your money is so strong that a few years ago Black Friday started Thanksgiving day.  Now you have "Black Friday Week" where the sales have started in a lot of stores the weekend before Thanksgiving.  All that commotion can add to the stress of any holiday and I can see why some people hole up in their homes and order gift cards instead.  It's gotten where instead of just Christmas being commercial, Thanksgiving is more about the store sales than remembering the struggle of the Pilgrims migrating to America for religious freedom and the hardships they went through.  "Do I have time to wait in line for 6 hours before the Turkey is done?"  That leads many people who don't want to deal with the lines, crowds, traffic and people to say, "I just stay home and order gift cards on line.  I can't get into the holiday spirit".

This is my take on it all.  Any holiday is what you yourself make of it, not what the other people make of it.  A good friend of mine shunned Halloween when his kids were little because of what Halloween, pagan rituals and all originally meant centuries ago.  That's his choice.  The thing is, over centuries Halloween has become a holiday for kids to decorate the house with pumpkins, skeletons and witches and then dress up as their favorite character and go house to house getting treats.  If you tell a 6 year old the history of Halloween and what it meant centuries ago, you have now put that day in a totally different context than what it has become, and instead of shielding them from something they didn't even know about, you have explained to them something you didn't want them to know in the first place.  Otherwise to a 6 year old, Halloween means noting more than dressing up and going door to door for candy and treats.  Don't over think things and what means something to one person may mean something else to others.

I think everyone knows the story of Christmas and why we celibrate it.  If not, read the book of Luke in the new testament.  Just like everything else, it has evolved over the years to become commercial and a way for companies to profit by it.  Case in point.  Stores used to0 be closed Sundays.  Now they are open.  They have extended hours for Christmas.  Thanksgiving used to be the last Thursday of November, but one year in the 1940's when Thanksgiving came on the 5th Thursday of the month (such as what we would have had this year with 5 Thursdays in November), retailers complained high and low that their window of selling was cut short by a whole week, since typically the day after Thanksgiving is the start of the Christmas Shopping season.  Congress the passed a law moving Thanksgiving from the last Thursday in November to the 4th Thursday in November to please the retailers.

I have fond memories when I was 5 and 6 years old going shopping with my Mom.  I remember one year going to Sears and picking out a Lionel train car for my brother.  I always loved Christmas shopping and still do, getting out among the people, decorations, music and seeing what is on the store shelves.  It puts me in a holiday spirit, relieves some stress and rather than an impersonal gift card, I muse over what gift I think will be appreciated by the person I'm giving it to.  My opinion but a gift card says greed a little.  rather than being appreciative of the thought someone has put into choosing a special gift for someone, a gift card says, "Here.  I'm obligated to get you something, I don't want t put much effort into it so go out and buy yourself a new video game or I-Pad accessory".  The recipient only thinks of what he or she can buy for themselves with the gift card.  People who accept gifts should be thankful for the gesture and appreciate anything given to them instead of complaining it's not what they want.  That keeps adding to the growing greed of the season and taking away memories and the true meaning.

My point and final thoughts here.  A holiday should be what you feel it should be and celibrated how you want to, not how everyone else celibrates it.  Holidays mean different things to different people, therefor even though holidays have evolved and have become an excuse for things other than they were intended for, everyone has the power to try and change that perception, even if only for themselves.  I will never give gift cards and while I do some on-line shopping for specialty items, I still get out among the crowds of people, snow, traffic, holiday music and decorations to shop in person at malls, stores and everywhere.  If I didn't, it just wouldn't be the same to me and I would suffer but also feel like I'm contributing to the overall feeling of just staying at home and being impersonal by doing everything on line to have it over and done with.  Holidays are reasons to get together once a year with family and friends you don't get to see that often.  Sometimes that can be stressful, especially when the arguments and political discussions start, but you can set ground rules and make it a happy time.  As I get older, especially having gone through the sudden passing of my mom 2 weeks before last Christmas, I realize family has been dwindling year after year and once people are gone, there is no bringing them back again.  Yes, we can be a Grinch (no offence Bettypoo, you know I love ya), but a holiday is what you yourself make of it!  Just because others have turned it into something you disagree with doesn't mean you have to sit and distance yourself from it.  Turn it back into something fun you remember from the past and enjoy yourself!  You'll feel better than brooding about things.

(By the way, even the Grinch became happy at the end when he saw the Who's singing and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas without any presents at all).

[willnotwill]

I actually start playing Christmas music on my piano about this time.    

As for hearing it, as long as it's not Dominic the Christmas Donkey, I'm OK.

 

[Firefly 35]

3 hours ago, rusty pins said:

Interesting that so many people think that way about holidays.  Most holidays over time get so commercial and the competition for your money is so strong that a few years ago Black Friday started Thanksgiving day.  Now you have "Black Friday Week" where the sales have started in a lot of stores the weekend before Thanksgiving.  All that commotion can add to the stress of any holiday and I can see why some people hole up in their homes and order gift cards instead.  It's gotten where instead of just Christmas being commercial, Thanksgiving is more about the store sales than remembering the struggle of the Pilgrims migrating to America for religious freedom and the hardships they went through.  "Do I have time to wait in line for 6 hours before the Turkey is done?"  That leads many people who don't want to deal with the lines, crowds, traffic and people to say, "I just stay home and order gift cards on line.  I can't get into the holiday spirit".

This is my take on it all.  Any holiday is what you yourself make of it, not what the other people make of it.  A good friend of mine shunned Halloween when his kids were little because of what Halloween, pagan rituals and all originally meant centuries ago.  That's his choice.  The thing is, over centuries Halloween has become a holiday for kids to decorate the house with pumpkins, skeletons and witches and then dress up as their favorite character and go house to house getting treats.  If you tell a 6 year old the history of Halloween and what it meant centuries ago, you have now put that day in a totally different context than what it has become, and instead of shielding them from something they didn't even know about, you have explained to them something you didn't want them to know in the first place.  Otherwise to a 6 year old, Halloween means noting more than dressing up and going door to door for candy and treats.  Don't over think things and what means something to one person may mean something else to others.

I think everyone knows the story of Christmas and why we celibrate it.  If not, read the book of Luke in the new testament.  Just like everything else, it has evolved over the years to become commercial and a way for companies to profit by it.  Case in point.  Stores used to0 be closed Sundays.  Now they are open.  They have extended hours for Christmas.  Thanksgiving used to be the last Thursday of November, but one year in the 1940's when Thanksgiving came on the 5th Thursday of the month (such as what we would have had this year with 5 Thursdays in November), retailers complained high and low that their window of selling was cut short by a whole week, since typically the day after Thanksgiving is the start of the Christmas Shopping season.  Congress the passed a law moving Thanksgiving from the last Thursday in November to the 4th Thursday in November to please the retailers.

I have fond memories when I was 5 and 6 years old going shopping with my Mom.  I remember one year going to Sears and picking out a Lionel train car for my brother.  I always loved Christmas shopping and still do, getting out among the people, decorations, music and seeing what is on the store shelves.  It puts me in a holiday spirit, relieves some stress and rather than an impersonal gift card, I muse over what gift I think will be appreciated by the person I'm giving it to.  My opinion but a gift card says greed a little.  rather than being appreciative of the thought someone has put into choosing a special gift for someone, a gift card says, "Here.  I'm obligated to get you something, I don't want t put much effort into it so go out and buy yourself a new video game or I-Pad accessory".  The recipient only thinks of what he or she can buy for themselves with the gift card.  People who accept gifts should be thankful for the gesture and appreciate anything given to them instead of complaining it's not what they want.  That keeps adding to the growing greed of the season and taking away memories and the true meaning.

My point and final thoughts here.  A holiday should be what you feel it should be and celibrated how you want to, not how everyone else celibrates it.  Holidays mean different things to different people, therefor even though holidays have evolved and have become an excuse for things other than they were intended for, everyone has the power to try and change that perception, even if only for themselves.  I will never give gift cards and while I do some on-line shopping for specialty items, I still get out among the crowds of people, snow, traffic, holiday music and decorations to shop in person at malls, stores and everywhere.  If I didn't, it just wouldn't be the same to me and I would suffer but also feel like I'm contributing to the overall feeling of just staying at home and being impersonal by doing everything on line to have it over and done with.  Holidays are reasons to get together once a year with family and friends you don't get to see that often.  Sometimes that can be stressful, especially when the arguments and political discussions start, but you can set ground rules and make it a happy time.  As I get older, especially having gone through the sudden passing of my mom 2 weeks before last Christmas, I realize family has been dwindling year after year and once people are gone, there is no bringing them back again.  Yes, we can be a Grinch (no offence Bettypoo, you know I love ya), but a holiday is what you yourself make of it!  Just because others have turned it into something you disagree with doesn't mean you have to sit and distance yourself from it.  Turn it back into something fun you remember from the past and enjoy yourself!  You'll feel better than brooding about things.

I don't buy into consumerism, so instead of going out and buying greeting/gift cards, I make my own, which is more meaningful, plus isn't as expensive.  So you definitely can get around all the consumerism if you try.

[rusty pins]

Yes, and that is an excellent thing to do!  you are giving a part of your time to hand make something and that effort and time says more than a quick store bought card.  getting back on track, as far as the Christmas music, I do enjoy it and Thanksgiving to me is a good time to start listening to it.

[Spiderman]

Well because I can only get off after Jan first I really do appreciate getting a chance to see my mom, big sister, and my brother in law since they live an hour and a half away.  I especially appreciated it even more when my dad passed away two years ago because it really goes to show that you never know when you will lose somebody really close to you.  So it is important to always treasure the time you have with your family.