Christmas
music can be divided into three broad categories. One is faith-based, two come out of the
popular culture. In church, we sing
Christmas Carols, they are the music of our worship services for the Season of
Advent and Christmas.
In
the popular culture, Christmas music falls into two broad categories. There are the “Santa tunes” and the
“Experiential tunes”. The Santa tunes
run from the obvious, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, to Christmas specials
including “Frosty the Snowman”, where Santa makes an appearance.
The
Experiential tunes fall into two groups.
The first group of songs celebrates the Meteorological experience of the Season, “White Christmas” or “Let
It Snow”. The second group of songs
celebrates an experience of Personal
Transformation brought about by the Season.
My personal favorite in this group is the song about Snoopy and the Red
Baron, when, at Christmas, the Red Baron chooses not to shoot down Snoopy, but
wishes him a Merry Christmas.
The
thing about Christmas music is that there is very little of it that does not
make me happy during this Season-except when it gets played early,
pre-Thanksgiving. I do not think there
is any popular Christmas song that I do not like-although I do have my favorite
versions. Most others versions, I do
not care for.
What
is the place of the ‘cultural’ Christmas songs in the life of a Christian? I believe they should be enjoyed, we should
let them make us feel good. Because they
point to a reality bigger than themselves.
The joy of the snow, the transformation that happens within us, even the
celebration of Santa Claus, these songs make us aspire to goodness beyond
ourselves.
These
songs find their root in the Christmas Carols, which in turn are rooted in the
message of the birth of Jesus. At
Christmas, when the magic of faith is working, the world is a little better,
the weather is a little more invigorating,
people are a little nicer.
Are they all believers? No.
But the faith of the Season, the joy of the birth of the Christ child,
is enough to change everything it touches for the better.
Merry Christmas!
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