[78-L] The Christmas Songs

[Kristjan Saag]

Michael Biel wrote
>>> Just because a song is played during the "Christmas season" doesn't make
>>> it a "Christmas song" secular or otherwise.

I wrote:
>> Of course not. But when a winter song with bells on it, like "Sleigh
>> Ride" is being played over and over in the Christmas season for 60 years,
>> it has become a Christmas Song, just like "Good King Wenceslas" has, even
>> though there's no Christmas Tree, no Christmas presents and no Red-nosed
>> Reindeer seen in it.
>> I'm afraid your definition of a Christmas Song is a little formalistic,
>> Mike. Fortunately public taste is more inventive and permits things to
>> change from A to B.

Mike Biel answered:
> Sleigh Bells do not a Christmas song make. Perhaps in Sweden which is
> one of the countries which is generally homogenic and overwhelmingly of
> one ethnic and religious background, anything relating with winter is
> considered to be relating to Christmas.  But I would tend to think that
> even there, people stop singing "Silent Night", "Oh Tannenbaum", "Adeste
> Fidelis", "Little Drummer Boy", "Good King Wenceslas", "Oh Holy Night",
> "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "White Christmas", and other REAL
> Christmas songs around December 28 or so, while "Sleigh Ride", "Winter
> Wonderland", "Let it Snow", "Jingle Bells" etc will continue thru
> January, February, and maybe even March (depending on the weather, not a
> holiday).
---
I've yet to see record companies starting to issue "Best Of Winter" 
compilations with Santafree songs, good until March in Massachusetts and All 
Year Round in Alaska.
I assure you: "Sleigh Ride" is as dead as a doornail after December 26 even 
in the iciest parts of Northern Norway.

> You Christians do not OWN Winter.

Did I ever tell you what, if any, religion I vote for?
Kristjan