If, like me, you have a substantial number of holiday tunes on your iPod and like to hit shuffle, you will occasionally find yourself having to skip over one. Well, it’s becoming harder. Particularly when it’s Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” which is a great pop song, period. I used to be an emphatic Day After Thanksgiving Girl, but last year, I broke that rule because my father, who’s still battling an illness, took a turn in October that made us unsure if we’d be celebrating the holiday in December, and hearing him hum along to the 10 versions of “Silent Night” in my iTunes gave me some comfort. So now, I could be forever compromised.
What’s your rule for letting that first Christmas tune play? And what are the first 10 holiday songs you intend to listen to when it’s go time? Mine:
2. Aaron Neville’s “Such a Night”
3. The Beach Boys’ “Merry Christmas, Baby”
4. Elvis Presley’s “Santa Claus is Back in Town”
5. Brad Paisley’s “Silent Night”
6. Tony Bennett’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
7. Micheal Bublé’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
8. Neil Diamond’s “Cherry Cherry Christmas” — Just to make sure I didn’t dream this up last year.
9. Josh Groban’s “Little Drummer Boy” — I have to see if it makes me tear up. Again.
10. James Taylor’s “Auld Lang Syne” — I have no idea what the song means, and yet I know he captures its mood perfectly.
I had this debate this morning while trying to figure out which music to take off my iPod to make room for new music. I put my xmas music on my iPod, so I guess that’s my answer.
My top 4 Holiday songs
1. Oh Holy Night – Kelly Clarkson
2. Carol of The Bells – The Bird and the Bee
3. Auld Lang Syne -Straight no Chaser
4. A Spaceman Came Travelling – Chris de Burgh
Um… like two months ago. And for me it’s the Jackson 5, “Santa Claus is coming to town.”
I agree, started listening to my Christmas songs back in July!
Me too!
All year round! (yay for being jewish and being able to listen all year round, because to me, it’s not “christmas music”, but just “music”)
And no Mariah Carey?! BEST! SONG! EVER!
I don’t want to see or hear anything that has to do with Christmas until December. Let the other holidays pass before Christmas gets shoved down our throats.
agreed.
Completely agree. I heard “Little Saint Nick” in the store yesterday and I put my things down and walked out.
agreed
100% agreed
We don’t listen to Christmas music until after we’ve eaten Thanksgiving dinner, because we like to give Thanksgiving it’s ample recognition of being a holiday first.
1) A Charlie Brown Christmas (the whole album)
2) Merry Christmas, Darling — Karen Carpenter
3) Mariah Carey Merry Christmas (whole album)
4) Baby It’s Cold Outside — Dean Martin
5) O Holy Night — Sandi Patty
For me, it’s always the same day every year. November 1st. A local radio station even makes the switch with me and plays constant christmas music until December 26.
That was my plan this year – however I live in So Cal, and we have been unseasonably hot this November. Nothing dampens the spirit like uncooperative weather!
As soon as Santa passes by Herald Square in NYC on Thanksgiving day. That is the start of the Christmas season, no earlier.
Agreed! My sister is a Christmas music nut, but I refuse to listen until Santa Clause has arrived in Herald Square!
I never removed mine after last Christmas. It’s never too early for Christmas songs!
I’m with you Sara – let them play, let them play, let them play!
I just checked my iPod, Silent Night comes in third is most versions – This Christmas wins followed by Have Yourself…
And one of my fave Xmas songs that works any time of the year – Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea – great driving music no matter what the weather.
I used to be a staunch day after Thanksgiving kind of girl for all things Christmas, but then I got into my career in retail and I already have my Christmas tree up with twinkling lights and a garland. Christmas CDs will go into the player Monday morning
It’s always been the day after Thanksgiving for me. And I almost never play on shuffle anyway; I’m old fashioned and listen to full albums, even on my iPod. After Thanksgiving I just listen to a lot of Christmas albums — or, in some cases, pre-set playlists. Which actually includes a lot of Bing Crosby, even though at 34 I’m hardly the kind of geezer you’d expect to be listening to Bing Crosby. (If it makes any difference I also have Christmas albums by Tori Amos and Jewel and Cyndi Lauper and … The Muppets. Among others.)
Me too.
I’m 21 and one of my favorite Christmas songs is “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby. Holiday Inn is also one of my favorite Christmas movies. I do love me some “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, though.
Same for me – I go old school with some Andy Williams. I love “The Most Wonderful Time of The Year” and telling scary ghost stories and TALES of the glories!
I stick to the day after Thanksgiving, though I totally understand the unusual conditions described. I’d do the same, but I think I’d go back to normal, but then again, that’s why iPods are so great. With radio stations in the ever-sillier race to start Christmas music on Labor Day it seems, my iPod gets more work! And since the concept of mixing Christmas songs in with the regular format is dead and buried, I maintain a mix of my regular and Christmas songs in one playlist to use until Christmas week, and then again post-holiday through the new year.
All that aside…Wham? Groan.
Does “Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire” count? I listen to that one for a laugh
I can only handle Christmas music for about a month, so I always wait until after Thanksgiving!
This.
Same here (well, I start on Thanksgiving Day…). Except for maybe a few Christmas-themed pop songs — like the Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” and Big Star’s “Jesus Christ” — that I can listen to all year ’round and never get tired of.
I’m ok with waiting until Dec 15th. And the first thing I want to hear is Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”.