Why are winter songs never sung after Christmas
Dec 26th, 2007 | By Brian Leon | Category: Arts & Style, Commentary, Home Life, Music
As we approach Christmas, the television holiday specials are on and radio has a more festive playlist. Songs will be diverse from traditional religious songs like Silent Night, holiday classics like Jingle Bells to more newly written songs by artists which tend to be forgotten relatively quick but does allow for a break from the umpteenth rendition of one of the Christmas standbys.
I enjoy singing holiday songs especially in Church with my weak voice masked by the voices of others in the Church. But after the Epiphany is celebrated, these songs are never sung again until another Christmas season. Yet, outside our doors, it is still wintertime with months of snow, ice and bone-chilling weather still ahead of us.
So why do songs like Winter Wonderland which are about the joys of winter without mentioning Christmas at all in thelyrics are scarcely sung after Christmas. We hear them constantly in the weeks leading up to Christmas. I venture to say that if you break out a rendition of Jingle Bells on a car drive through the falling snow, the kids will say something like why you are singing a Christmas song? Christmas is now over!
That is not right. No other season has as many songs ascribed to it, songs people are familiar with, expressing the joys and wonders of the season yet the season has barely started (remember it is not officially winter until December 21st) and we cease to sing them ever again. These are secular songs with no mention of religion but of things like snow and crackling fires to toast chestnuts. Embarrassment is the last thing we should feel when we sing these songs.
So I am going to try an experiment this season. I will download or rip various classic winter songs of a non-religious nature to a CD and play them in the car or at home so that when the weather is a bit more wintry than usual, the music will help lighten the mood. It will be in keeping with the season and the fact is that these songs are great traditional songs that we can take great pleasure in by listening or even singing along with them.
These songs deserve their place during winter. Maybe I can start a trend that in instead of complaining about the season, we can enjoy it and one way to do that is by singing the songs of the season.
I’m in the midst of putting one together right now, but need more suggestions. Must put “River” by Joni Mitchell and “song for a winter’s night” by Lightfoot on it.
Although, “Let It Snow” is thought to be a Christmas song, too, it never mentions Christmas. I’d sing it in a heart beat,if it started snowing. And, I love Winter Wonderland, as well. I just happen to love all the Christmas/winter tunes!
I have just recently started teaching at a new school district, and, after 27 years of teaching music, this is the first time I have ever been told that I cannot sing any songs that have the word “Christmas” in them or that has anything to do with the sacred nature of Christmas. I can’t even do “Rudolph” because it says, “then one foggy Christmas Eve”. I need some help finding songs that are “Winter” songs, because we don’t have Christmas break at school, we have Winter break. I can’t move to another school district, because it is too late in the year. I have always done all sacred music at my Christmas concerts, and read the passage from Luke chapter 2 at the conclusion of the concerts. No one was ever offended, and if they didn’t want to hear a Christmas concert, they just didn’t come. Their children did not have to perform, and no one ever had a problem with it. Help me find some winter songs.
Well, there are quite a few out there, familar to most people. I can not vouch for every song and their lyrics but you should be able to substitute the word Christmas with winter without any effect so here is a list of traditional classics to get you started:
1. Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith)
2. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
3. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (Johnny Marks)
4. Jingle Bell Rock (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe)
5. Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish)
6. Frosty The Snowman (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins)
7. Carol Of The Bells (Peter J. Wilhousky, Mykola Leontovich)
8. Santa Baby (Joan Ellen Javits, Philip Springer, Tony Springer)
Your better bet is probably to look for more contemporary artists and their original songs substituting where possible any reference to the word Christmas.
I can recommend “Walking in the air” from the Snowman by Raymond Briggs, also The 4 Seasons (good for any season but esp Autumn & Winter), and another, don’t know name but 1st line “The trees they are bare, not a leaf to be seen”, also “Bells of Norwich”, “When Santa got stuck up the Chimney” James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” anyone else out there know some good ones ? How about your rude version of any Xmas Carol ? Be willing to mail some of above but haven’t yet learned how to record on computer, maybe my kids will show me in the holiday..
I think it is becoming difficult now for new Christmas songs to become traditional classics. It seems that the canon of modern songs seems to be stuck in the 50’s and 60’s with songs that originally were written for the movies.
On a recent survey of the most play Christmas songs played on the radio, we would have the following:
1. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” Nat “King” Cole
2. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” The Pretenders
3. “Winter Wonderland,” Eurythmics
4. “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” Bruce Springsteen
5. “White Christmas,” Bing Crosby
6. “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”, Andy Williams
7. “Jingle Bell Rock,” Bobby Helms
8. “Little Drummer Boy,” the Harry Simeone Chorale & Orchestra
9. “Sleigh Ride,” The Ronettes
10. “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” Gene Autry
11. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Andy Williams
12. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Vanessa Williams
13. “Silver Bells,” Kenny G
14. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Brenda Lee
15. “Feliz Navidad,” Jose Feliciano
16. “Blue Christmas,” Elvis Presley
17. “Frosty the Snowman,” The Ronettes
18. “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” Burl Ives
19. “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” Johnny Mathis
20. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” John Mellencamp
21. “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane),” Elvis Presley
22. “Carol of the Bells,” John Tesh and the Christmas Symphony Orchestra
23. “Do They Know It’s Christmas? (Feed the World),” Band Aid
24. “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays,” The Carpenters
25. “Santa Baby,” Madonna.
Very few of what you may consider to be pure winter songs as opposed to Christmas oriented songs.