Christmas in October?: A Personal Challenge (and Experiment)

I've got a confession.

I love Christmas.

I love all the trappings, the cheesy lights, the giant blow up Santa's and his reindeer on the lawn. Everything. I love the outdated Christmas specials, the Peanuts music, and the cheery sight of red and green everywhere you look. And yes, I do secretly dream of amassing a Cosby-sized collection of the most
God-awful Christmas sweaters imaginable.

And, tying it all together, I love Christmas music. A lot.

In fact, I love it so much that, well, I've been dipping into the stash just a hair before the season. Yes, I know the leaves haven't even turned yet, that ghouls and goblins still deserve their fair opportunity to roam prior to the pilgrims' landing but I just haven't been able to help myself. A little Elvis here, a bit of Bing here; nobody will get hurt, right?

(And, just for the record, no one's been hurt, save for my wife's pride in her husband, perhaps.)

Anyway, as I've begun this bit by bit step into the holidays way before the actual holidays, I found myself taking account of all the Christmas music I actually have. I have a bunch. Some (my wife again), might say, too much. But I disagree wholeheartedly.

See, Christmas music, despite the obvious religious implications, which I do draw strength from, also carries a wicked sense of nostalgia and peace for me. Whether or not its simply remembering those chilly mornings sliding open the door to our living room, seeing those glittering lights, the presents spilling out from underneath the tree, accompanied by those classic songs by John Lennon, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and more, or just sheer goofiness, this music brings me to a simpler place. Yes, some of it is repetitive as there is a very set selection of songs folks seem to choose to interpret. But, even within that, there is a sense of warmth and community.

I could go on and on but, let's be honest, you really don't want to hear about that right now, do you? I didn't think so.

Well, here's what's happened. I've decided that yes, I do have a lot of Christmas music. I've also decided that I'm okay with that. But I've decided to give myself the challenge, a bit of a mental and social experiment we'll say, to listen to each and every holiday-themed album that I own, in it's entirety, by the end of Christmas this year. For some, that would be an easy task. But this kid boasts a collection that exceeds 200-plus records in this genre. So I gotta get cooking.

Along the way, I'll be posting what albums I've jingle belled to that day, maybe a review or two as well, alongside revamping this nifty little blog that I've called home, albeit way too infrequently, for a long, long time. I invite you to stop by, read a little, chat a little, and join in the Christmas cheer with me.

Now I gotta get started; only 80 days till Christmas!