As the days become shorter and a steady chill greets us, Christmas and all its musical splendor is on the horizon.
Christmas just isn’t Christmas without your favorite holiday song. As the season grows near, Christmas songs seem to mark the start of a short season; whether it’s Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is you” or Boys to Men’s “Let it Snow,” Christmas music has something for everyone.
Music has always been a convoy of hope, peace and connection for us all and this is the one time of year where most of us celebrate and sing the songs of our childhoods. It’s impossible to turn on your tv and not hear a sleigh-bell or a nostalgic Christmas tune humming in the background of every commercial. Every store has a never ending Christmas playlist representing every holiday in December. Before our new normal, packed malls, long lines and Christmas music set the tone for the holiday season. You and your fellow shoppers sing a familiar tune as you pass one another or do a deep sigh of disdain for the ones we never wish to hear again.
As much as I love Christmas music, I can agree that 1 or 2 songs are ultimately unbearable. Songs like “ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Auld Lang Syne” create feelings of sadness, which in-turn gives us all the sudden need to shed a tear or twenty. Despite the occasional tear jerker or annoying classic, Christmas music crosses every genre which allows you to enjoy renditions from your favorite artist. According to Bridget Read of Vogue magazine, “A recent survey shows that people between the ages of 18 and 34 account for a whopping 36 percent of holiday music fans. For Americans that came of age during the death of retail, and the rise of streaming, it’s a shocking statistic.” This statistic is surprising, especially since most Christmas music is dated and sung the same way.
“If you’ve noticed more Christmas music playing in the grocery store than usual this year, it’s because radio stations have noticed the trend, and have been ‘flipping’ to holiday fare earlier and earlier. As for streaming services like Spotify, classic Christmas and post-2019 offerings account for the heaviest airplay, compared to sales numbers, which show that people are buying brand-new releases, but choosing mostly to listen to the older stuff at home and work,” Said Read.
Christmas music marks the beginning, middle and end of a chapter. We are able to visualize Christmas Day, hopes for snow, the love that surrounds us and great holiday memories. A large part of the anticipation of Christmas comes from the cheery music that leads up to it all month. Could we ever truly celebrate the same without the familiar songs we’ve grown to love?
