Opinions on Christmas Music

[Tsareena]

2 hours ago, Nowhere Girl said:

What is parang music?

But I have to say that my mom's husband said something similar to me: that he doesn't particularly like Christmas carols because they sound sad to him. I, on the contrary, hate Christmas pop music and pop versions of Christmas carols because they are too cheeryhappy for me. I'm not a sad person, although somewhat melancholic - sure, I just... appreciate something which goes deeper that just being cheerful. I could even say that I don't enjoy cheerfullness - joy and cheerfullness are obviously two different things, the difference in intensity and in state of mind is substantial.

I kinda agree that some Christmas carols have something deeply melancholic about them, but I appreciate it. I have two favourite Christmas carols, both fairly unknown outside Poland, I think. One is titled "Witaj gwiazdko złota" ("Welcome, golden star") and I find it fascinating how this song repeatedly uses words such as "joyful", "cheerful" - and is indeed hauntingly sad. But it gives me a deeply emotional feeling (in this case I consider English quite insufficient: feeling moved and feeling emotional is not the same, it seems to me like English lacks a good equivalent of the Polish word wzruszenie) which is more than just sad. The second is, I think, little known even in Poland... I have it on an album of Christimas carols sung by a children's music group, the title is "Pokój na ziemi dzieciom" ("Peace to Earth's children") and it goes a little into the direction of "Christmas songs" rather than "Christmas carols" because here religious themes are in the background, it's more about human kindness and affection. But it's not pop (musically, something between classical music and older popular music) and the result is, again, very moving.

Generally, my favourite Christmas album is one called "Traditional Christmas carols", with four singers with four different voices (soprano, alto, tenor, bass; and always solo) - and I find it fascinating how mysterious does "Silent Night" sound there (sung by a tenor with a wordless female chorus in the background) and how incredibly banal it sounds in pop arrangements. I'm a person who appreciates music, but lacks pitch, I can't play any intrument well, playing something on a piano without music sheet (and without chords, of course, I can't remember them and I have quite stiff fingers, I just press single keys ) is extremely difficult for me, I have only succeeded in learning to play one simple melody this way. But one thing is clear even for an extreme musical dilettante: that pop arrangements of "Silent Night" are very often just substantially faster...

Parang is local Trinidadian Xmas music. There are Caribbean and Spanish elements to that music because it was brought here by Venezuelan and Colombian migrants.

 

 

 

[anzu2snow]

I hate Christmas music. Especially because I don’t celebrate the holiday and it’s everywhere you go during this time of year. It’s like constantly rubbing it in my face every time I go somewhere like the grocery store. You can’t escape it. Even at home, there are commercials that have it, sometimes Santa goes on a fire engine and plays Christmas music while going through the neighborhood throwing candy and such at people, some people go out caroling, etc. It’s really annoying. 

[Jea]

2 - hate most of it. I have my own christmas music that is nothing traditionally holiday-oriented 😛

[Purple Wanderer]

I haven't worked in retail for ten years but  I still have flashbacks, the mind melting repetitiveness of the songs will drive anyone to madness.

[iff]

A musician I am a big fan of has released a Christmas album which came in my post on friday

 

I am holding off listening to the CD until december

[WinterWanderer]

I'm agnostic (bordering on atheist), but I love the spirit of the winter season. Snowflakes, lights, carols, Santa, yuletide traditions. I start listening to Christmas music in the fall. Usually the more traditional songs, plus some alt-rock type stuff, and not really the pop stuff.

[CajunAce]

There's some songs I like better and I'm not a huge fan of remixes. I also only listen to it after thanksgiving and when Im either in the car or decorating, so it doesnt get too repetitive

[Osiyo_Waya]

I think my days of working in retail ruined xmas music for me. Not that I was super into it to begin with, but nowadays any and every xmas song reminds me of the negative aspects of working in retail, and dealing with the general public as a whole. It's hard to separate that sometimes.

 

On one hand, you see families spending time together, people getting in the spirit of helping others, and it's always nice to see children get excited over what Santa might bring them. But then there's the excess consumerism, inconsiderateness and blatant rudeness to others, as shopping becomes a survival ground where it's every person for themselves. My least favorite aspect was interacting with people who felt entitled because they're spending money in your store, as if whatever they do for a living doesn't rely on some customer base.

 

I'm over xmas music. Bah humbug! 

[mercaesan]

The Christmas music on the radio: 2/10

Only okay very close to Christmas in my opinion, most of it is terrible and repetitive.

 

Singing Christmas carols and hymns: 10/10

I'm the person who knows the words to all three verses of Hark! the Herald Angels Sing...

 

So if I give them equal weight, I guess I should vote 6/10

[Steel13]

Despite being a Jew, I can't help but enjoy some of the traditional Christmas songs. I agree they can be obnoxious (and most the modern pop ones stink), but I think this is more because they are overplayed. There are so many songs with genuinely catchy or beautiful melodies, they just stop sounding nice when they've been played for the millionth time, like most songs would.

[morshmallow]

Don't get me wrong, there's a special place in my heart for Mariah Carey singing "I don't want a lot for christmas," and songs like "Last christmas I gave you my heart,"and "jingle bell rock" when it is specifically covered by Ally and AJ, but the reason christmas music gets a ten is for groups like Trans Siberian Orchestra and Manheim Steamroller somehow making really intense rock-sounding music that also feels like tiptoeing around at night in the snow.

 

Living outside my homestate has also made me way more christmas-happy at way more inappropriate times, because where I live now doesn't have a real winter.

[morshmallow]

On 11/24/2020 at 10:42 PM, Steel13 said:

Despite being a Jew, I can't help but enjoy some of the traditional Christmas songs. I agree they can be obnoxious (and most the modern pop ones stink), but I think this is more because they are overplayed. There are so many songs with genuinely catchy or beautiful melodies, they just stop sounding nice when they've been played for the millionth time, like most songs would.

I can totally respect that; I was raised christian, but the songs just feel like winter to me, so I still love them even after shifting to agnosticism.

[Sally]

On 11/24/2020 at 9:42 PM, Steel13 said:

Despite being a Jew, I can't help but enjoy some of the traditional Christmas songs. I agree they can be obnoxious (and most the modern pop ones stink), but I think this is more because they are overplayed. There are so many songs with genuinely catchy or beautiful melodies, they just stop sounding nice when they've been played for the millionth time, like most songs would.

I am a Jew and I enjoy the truly traditional chorale-type Christmas melodies -- the ones that have been sung for many hundreds of years.   To me they're basically ancient classical music.  The modern stuff I can't stand.  

[Guest]

I hate the pop Christmas music that shops and radio play on repeat all December with. a. passion.

 

I do love the traditional choral music though, they're lovely and we only ever listen to them Christmas Eve while preparing christmas dinner so they don't get repetitive and have that nostalgic "we've done this every year since I was born, it used to be so exciting as a kid" feel to it. (Atheist here if that's relevant, as is the whole family). 

[daveb]

Thorough-going atheist, but I enjoy a variety of Christmas music, from some of the old old classical kind to more "modern" standards to pop, to rock, to jazz, and even some Cthulhu solstice music. My Holiday playlist is eclectic. But I have the privilege of never having worked in an environment that played Christmas music all day long, so I haven't been burned out on some of the songs. Of course, there are also plenty of songs I don't like either (some of the "humorous" ones that I don't find very funny or clever, some of the super sappy ones, and various ones where the melody and/or the words just don't suit my odd tastes).

[Cosmic Latte]

Overall, I enjoy Christmas songs

 

I grew up in the southwest USA so songs of snow, ice, ice skating, sleighs and such were all very magical to me

 

However, certain songs have been harder than usual to listen to this year since I know I won't be going anywhere for Christmas :c

[Forest Spirit]

It really depends on what music we're talking about.

I've grown up with mostly German, secular or Christian-themed Christmas music and I still like many of these songs as they're just... Idk nice to listen to? Though I don't go out of my way to listen to them as my general taste in music is something quite different. But they hold nice memories, even the religious ones (atheist here).

Not a big fan of choirs though or the super pious ones that are often sung in church. And a lot of the more modern, (English) pop songs.

[iff]

@SithLord

 

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