How soon is too soon?
17October 28, 2011 by Kristen
No, I’m not talking about meeting someone and marrying them approximately five seconds later. Though that topic warrants its own post. I’d like to discuss something even more near and dear to my heart. It’s going to get real.
How soon is too soon for Christmas music?
I find that there are very divided camps on this controversial issue.
1. Christmas in July, please.
I used to fall into this category. I adore Christmas. Everything about it is magical–I will do anything to extend the celebration for as long as possible. For many years of my life I was in The Glory of Christmas, one of the coolest ministries I’ve ever been been involved with. Practices started in August–meaning that’s when the Christmas season started for me.
Side story: When I was in this play, I once had the role of “flying angel,” meaning I was hooked up to a harness and literally “flew.”(I was more like “ghost of Christmas past” than ethereal being, but I got to wear a truck load of glitter–pretty much a dream come true.) Once I got flown out backward—and no amount of glitter could make up for that embarrassment. I blame “Stunt Jesus with a Kung-fu Grip”–one of my “flyers” who doubled as Jesus. No one better to trust your life with, right?
You’re welcome for that anecdote.
2. After Oct. 31st.
This is where I now reside. I don’t want to overdo it. I still have to wait in the most sincere pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin and not dress up in a skanky Halloween costume. Ah, who am I kidding? I just downloaded the new Michael Buble Christmas album two days ago. Christmas playlist created two weeks ago. I’m listening to Matt Wertz’s Snow Globe as I write this post.
3. Not until the day after Thanksgiving.
Let Thanksgiving get the recognition it deserves, gosh! These people get really touchy about this issue. They say the rest of us listen too soon and make it not as “special.” Psh. A proverbial Grinch to my Cindy Lou Who.
4. People who don’t put up a tree until Christmas Eve.
What is wrong with you?! That bad boy goes up the day after Thanksgiving in my humble abode. I lie beneath it, gazing up at the twinkly lights, thinking pretty thoughts of snowflakes on eyelashes and holding mitten-clad hands while ice skating. (How sentimental am I?) I also use the NORAD Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve and watch ABC Family Christmas movies. These are true stories. Real life practices.
So where do you stand? Are you “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” already? Or is it a “Silent Night” until the month of December?
Light in her eyes 
I’m usually on the Not Until November train, but then I found some fantastic Christmas music. Go buy the following: Sufjan Stevens (it’s a box set that is good enough to start and end this list but I will keep going), Rosie Thomas, Civil Wars, Rue Royale, Madi Diaz.
So the music I listen to normally but CHRISTMAS!!
thanks for the recommendations…I love Sufjan, so Sufjan + Christmas, I know it’s gonna be good!
GIRL right about getting married. I was hoping that was what this was. There is this SWELL looking guy in my class from holland and let me tell you it is a shame he is married at 22.
for realz. why do we have to do “ring checks” at this age? Seriously.
I LOVE christmas and I’m somewhere between Christmas in July and October 31st (though, I don’t set up my tree until after thanksgiving). For me, school gets out so close to Christmas and I don’t get to do much Christmasy stuff until I’m done with the semester. So, listening to Christmas music at least allows me to get into the mood (and I swear, sometimes listening to christmas music earlier makes me write papers better). Otherwise, if I wait till december, I feel like I’m trying to cram Christmas in to 25 days and that’s just….wrong.
I agree with you about school interfering with Christmas celebrations! 25 days is NOT enough.
I’ve been rockin’ Rosie Thomas’ “A Very Rosie Christmas!” for a couple of weeks now along with some of Sufjan Stevens’ Christmas box set.
That being said, I don’t do any decorating for Christmas in my duplex because it’s too small to really host any kind of Christmasy get togethers with my friends and I don’t have any family here in Nashville, so I’m the only one who would see it which is somehow more depressing than just not putting up anything at all.
Besides, I get to go back to Indiana every year to celebrate with my family for about a week and a half which more than makes up for the lack of decor here. 🙂
you should get a pathetic little Christmas tree like the one from Merry Christmas Charlie Brown
Was Amanda’s comment stuck in moderation? ‘Cause now I feel like a copy cat. 😉
copy, cat, copy cat 😛
I used to be #3, NOT until AFTER Thanksgiving, thankyouverymuch. That was until I met a now dear friend of mine. She LOVES Christmas music and celebrates it from about September through April. If you give her a hard time, she quickly responds with, “it’s never to early to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” From my time with her, I have moved very firmly into camp #1. I won’t REALLY start busting out the music until after Halloween, but I’ve been listening to Christmas music since it accidentally came on after listening to Phil Wickham’s new album on Spotify, and I not so accidentally didn’t turn it off. I still refuse to get a Christmas tree or decorate before Thanksgiving though.
your conversion story blesses my Christmas-loving soul 😉
Well I introduced Amanda to the Rosie Thomas Christmas album as well as to Madi Diaz, so that should count for something, but she told me about Rue Royale so there’s that to consider also… 😀
ummm… So the comment above should have been on the copy cat post. Not sure why it’s here…I blame WordPress mobile. 😉
I’m a #3*, but not a zealous #3. I’m fine with #1s and #2s, but I’m not going to add Christmas music to my iPhone until after Thanksgiving.
The reason for this is simple: the pool of good traditional Christmas songs** is relatively small, and I get tired of listening to the same songs over and over and over — and they’re still the same songs over and over and over, regardless of how many different artists do them.
*This makes me feel like an item on the value menu at a fast food restaurant.
**The pool of good recently-written Christmas songs is infinitesimally small. Most of them are unbearably maudlin and treacly.***
***How is it that your blog has managed to bring out so much of my cynicism? You should change the title from Light In Her Eyes to Darkness In His Soul.
Darkness in His Soul. Love it—the foil to my own blog? Start it up!
LOVE christmas!!! We’re on the Christmas decor countdown now…5 days..Tuesday begins Christmas season! We bought some stuff today: we bought garland for our posts outside, some ornaments, and trying places to put the Navity. I have prepared for Tuesday by purchasing Charlie Brown Christmas DVD’s, Matt Wertz Christmas, and making sure my Christmas playlists is all ready to go..
“Ring Christmas bells
Ring them loud with the message bringing
Peace on the earth
Tidings of good cheer
Come carolers
Come and join with the angels singing
Joy to the world
Christmas time is here again”