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The Music of the Season
By Emma Smith, Staff Writer
The
time is coming to deck the halls, jingle the bells and have a holly
jolly Christmas. As the season of giving quickly approaches,
Christmas-related songs begin to turn up everywhere. These songs can
be found in a store in the mall, on a radio station, or being sung
by a friend. They are meant to bring joy, put us in the right state
of mind for Christmas and brighten spirits year after year. However,
others find that some songs become tiring while the melodies play
over and over again in their head in a very irksome way. Are
Christmas songs truly merry or are they beginning to lose their
touch?
No one can deny that Christmas songs
are a special part of the Christmas season. They are, as senior Sean
Crehan says, "The highlights of the season." People buy cards that
play them, put them on an iPod, or use them as a cell phone ring
tone. It is because of this that artists continue creating their
own versions of classic Christmas tunes. The songs themselves seem
to remind us that Christmas, and Christmas vacation, is not that far
away. These lyrics and melodies call to mind long ago Christmas
pageants and memories of presents, cookies, and happiness. These
songs become part of our Christmas repertoire; we all have our
favorites. Senior Jon McKay says that his favorite Christmas song is
"Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." He loves it because "it's so
funny."
Although Christmas songs can be an
enjoyable part of the season, they do have some drawbacks. Shop
owners want people to start their Christmas shopping early so they
cover their stores in holly and tinsel and blast Christmas music
from their speakers. This often begins before Thanksgiving, which is
just too early. After putting us in the Christmas mood too early,
sometimes we are forced to hear that rare version of a Christmas
song that is too much to bear. A country version of "Jingle Bells"
is probably not what the original composer had in mind. Also, while
the catchiness of Christmas tunes cause endearing feelings, this
characteristic ingrains such songs into any unaware victim's mind.
All in all, Christmas music can be a
spirited part of a very entertaining season. One must simply
remember the proverb, "all things in moderation." For Christmas
music, this means not too much, not too early, and not too weird.
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