Me and Christmas? We Go Way Back
Me and Christmas? We Go Way BackI've always loved Christmas. Not just the day, but the whole holiday season. It started as a kid, of course, because my family always made a big deal about Christmas. We weren't really the kind of family to make "big deals" about a lot of things, so that made Christmas extra special. I think it was just the novelty of it all that appealed to me more than anything. At Christmas, everything was different. The house was different (there was a tree in it), TV shows were different (Charlie Brown! Rudolf!), food was different, music on the radio was different, the town itself was different (decorations, etc.), and to some extent people even acted differently. And all for the better, particularly from a kid's point of view.
So to my child's mind, Christmas was a time when everything was brighter, more fun, tastier, and prettier. What's not to like? Plus, I've always liked change, particularly in small, easy-to-digest bits. (Changing the furniture around in the house? Good. Moving to a different house across the country? Not so good.)
Of course, like many kids, I got older. By Christmas number 14 or 15, I started to realize, this isn't different. In fact, it's the same every year. Same songs, same decorations, same traditions, and so on. And I know many take comfort in that, but as a teenager, I didn't. I think this is likely true of many teens. But it didn't make me dislike Christmas, it just made me search out more and different things about it. For example, right around this same time, I discovered the wacky songs of Dr. Demento. Now for those of you too young (or, I suppose, too old) for the good Doctor, you have to understand that this was a guy with a syndicated radio show that played novelty songs. You know the ones. Weird Al stuff. Stan Freberg. Spike Jones. Ray Stevens. Tom Lehrer. Flying Purple People Eaters. Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah. Fish Heads. King Tut.
Yeah, some of you still have no idea what I'm talking about. Google it.
Well, of course there's all kinds of strange Christmas songs out there. It may be that Christmas is when Dr. Demento really hits a high point. You've heard it. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer type stuff. There's a lot of it, in fact. A LOT. Which tells me that there's a lot of people out there like me, who liked Christmas, but wanted something other than the same old routine.
So now, here I am, looking at Christmas number 41. I haven't lost my love of Christmas, and even though I don't have much patience for "novelty songs" and silly, punny, often slightly annoying and sometimes tasteless humor, I still have a definite soft spot for weird stuff like that at Christmas. So yeah, I'll admit it. Dogs barking Jingle Bells? OK. (Maybe once.) I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas? Fine. Grandma getting run over by that reindeer? Sure. Bob and Doug's Twelve Days of Christmas? You bet. Santa Claus and His Old Lady? Absolutely. And weirder stuff too. That's fine. For me, it's a real part of the holidays.
And it's not just music. I have a little tree here in my office (in addition to the "normal" one downstairs) decorated with action figures, Homestarrunner, spaceships, and a bulb advertising Angry Hank's Texas Barbecue. There's also a griffon and a hypercube on my tree. And of course, Carl Cthulhu. It's also the home of my ever-growing ugly Santa collection, which really needs to be seen, not read about.
So I like both sides of Christmas, the traditional and the irreverent. I'll happily watch Charlie Brown picking out his Christmas tree every year, and I'll get a kick out of decorating my own. It's fun to give gifts, particularly when you find just the right thing for someone special. It's all good. But I also like the strange and kitschy stuff too. So bring on Santa Claus versus the Martians (MST3K version), Mrs. Brady losing her voice, and a Cosmic Christmas. Just remember to bring Ave Maria and Oh Holy Night as well. We'll eat candy canes and frosted sugar cookies in the shapes of Santa and sleighs. Oh, and lefse with syrup. And my dad likes the chocolate haystacks, so if you can find those, bring them too.
Because really, the best part about Christmas, New Year's, and for that matter, Thanksgiving, is gathering together just for the sheer joy of being with your friends, your family, and everyone you want to be with.
And it's for writing schmaltz. Obviously.
Current Music: They Might Be Giants: Holidayland 
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