The Christmas Season

As an adult, I have tried to figure out how I want to celebrate the Christmas season. I am fortunate to teach elementary school and that allows me to have a little kitchy fun with the season through the kids. I don't normally wear ridiculous sweaters, but here are my school friends posing at a gift shop in Disney World last year.



I love Christmas music; plain and simple. It must have been several years ago when I discovered the Oldies 103.3 here in Boston plays all Christmas music from Thanksgiving Day till Christmas Day. Right around Thanksgiving I always replace one of my other radio presets with Oldies and jam for the following month. I noticed around Halloween that the Paper Store had way too much Christmas stuff already crowding out the Halloween stuff. This doesn't mean I didn't stop to look, I was sucked in. It made me realize that retailers were really hoping to be saved by Christmas this year, and since Thanksgiving was going to be so late, they weren't going to waste any time. Imagine my surprise when I found out (via Facebook no less) that Oldies had started their 24 hour Christmas music on Veteran's Day. Crazy!

I love the classics from elementary school like Jingle Bell Rock and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. (Which Natalie and I, may, or may not have performed with our West Elementary Class of 1988 handmotions at a karaoke bar in Malden a couple weeks ago.) From Oldies, I have fallen in love with some fabulous classics and other obscure tunes. One is a favorite of my grandmother's- "Hawaiian Christmas song", also known as "Mele Kalikimaka". The version that I could get off Itunes is by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. (I wish blogger let you link sound files- does it?) I also have found that I love Elvis Christmas. Now of course, I love "Blue Christmas" and "Here Comes Santa Claus", but last year I discovered "Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me". Fabulous! This year I'm finding a particular enjoyment in the Beach Boys, "Little Saint Nick". It's so 60s, but so funny- Run, run, reindeer!
I guess I have about a week left to enjoy my Christmas music before it takes a sad turn, and with two oncoming snow storms, I better dig through my trunk and find my Nutcracker, Harry Connick Jr., and Josh Groban.

More decoration photos in an upcoming post!