I have encountered a fair share of Grinches in my day. You know, the people who scoff at Christmas lights strung the day after Thanksgiving and carp about how “The holiday season is just one more example of how consumer driven our country has become.” Not that I can entirely ignore the very real and very scary Americans of all ages who go mad as a hatter trying to find the latest and greatest Holiday Barbie for their niece and some Tinker Toys for the other tots (yes, I’m old and these are the only toys my almost-22-year-old ass is familiar with).
Nevertheless, there are a plethora of magical holiday features, namely having to do with food (gingerbread houses and peanut butter blossoms anyone?). This is neither the time nor the place for a full discussion of my love for everything Christmas/Hanukah/holiday themed. Instead, I will impart on you all my uncanny love for one thing: Christmas music.
I wholly acknowledge that I am a bit offbeat, considering Christmas with The Rat Pack starts blaring from my laptop come Nov. 1, while I fry up some sweet potato falafel (apologies to our poor neighbors who have been forced to hear Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” at least 14 times over the past month). In my defense, my roommate is nearly as, shall we say, festive as I am—we missed the Minnesota vs. Wisconsin football game due to our having a power hour (alone) to Christmas music. There is just something about “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” that makes you want to bust a move… and suck down one too many before noon. Perhaps it is the countless memories (some quite clear, others a tad fuzzy) that make Sinatra’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” strike a chord in my heart like no other melody can. If I am ever in need of cheering, I simply switch on Pandora’s Christmas station and all of a sudden tackling a 25-page paper seems like a painless task.
As December creeps upon us, I feel it is due time I try and convince the rest of my friends to delight in my Christmas playlist for the remainder of the semester. Now, I cannot fully describe each and every Christmas classic in a single column. I will stick to five of my absolute favorites in hopes of coaxing my readers to crank these Yuletide treasures during their ugly Christmas sweater parties:
1.) Anything by Frank Sinatra. I think his talent speaks for itself, but I will say one thing: If his version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” doesn’t pluck your heart strings, you may be a young Ebenezer Scrooge.
2.) Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Christmas with The Rat Pack: There is nothing like these classics. They transport you to the 1940s, and, if you’re anything like me, will inspire you to make something comforting like a fresh batch of gingerbread cookies or a cup of hot cocoa. Not to mention Bing’s deep, baritone voice is ideal for whipping out your own operatic one and using the ol’ hairbrush as a microphone.
3.) Now That’s What I Call Christmas Disc One. It is imperative that you only listen to disc one. Disc two contains artists such as Boyz II Men and Britney Spears that, while good for a chuckle, may cause you to opt out of turning on the Christmas tunes next time your searching your iTunes for some shower jams.
4.) Michael Bublé’s Christmas album. Yes, he can be a tid bit corny, but damn that man’s voice makes me feel like a slab of butter melting on a stack of flapjacks. Listen to this one before a hot date—he’ll inspire you to turn on your charms and nab that special someone.
5.) Miscellaneous Songs: “White Christmas” by Otis Redding, “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey, “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” by N*Sync and Charlie Brown’s “Christmas Dance.” If you don’t break it down to any of these tunes (especially the last one), you are most certainly getting coal in your stocking this year, Scrooge.
These tunes, particularly the classics I mentioned, will whisk away your end-of-semester woes. Turn on the Pandora Christmas radio station, pour yourself a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, and I promise, Otis Redding’s “White Christmas” will soothe your soul.
Got some Holiday classics Rebecca should sample this season? Send recommendations to alt2@wisc.edu.
