Posted on 12/22/2013 10:39:00 AM PST by Kaslin
On Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving, while others are busy rushing around trying to get bargains on sweaters and toys, I take out my ever-burgeoning collection of Christmas music to be listened to over the ensuing few weeks. My collection, which has been amassed with the aid of two gentile friends (one religious and one not), grows each year as we jointly enjoy one of the great aspects of being an American.
The collection includes a wide range of music from classical to pop to rock to country to folk to soul to blues and even punk rock. When you become a fan of Christmas music, you find that just about every major artist (and most minor ones) has a Christmas album. Of course, one must have Frank, Dino and Sammy, not to mention A Rat Pack Christmas. A must is to include the King (Elvis) and Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift for You, not to mention the All-American group – The Beach Boys. One could just go on forever.
How did this Jewish boy become so enamored with Christmas music? It started back in elementary school which in itself is a little strange. That is because I grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, made up of about 85% Jews, 10% Italians, and the rest were mutts. We had a Christmas pageant every year where all the kids participated in a chorus performing classic Christmas music for our families. I cannot imagine something like that going on today with the culture war in our country. After a few years of singing Silent Night, Deck the Halls, Silver Bells, and The Twelve Days of Christmas, the music gets stuck in your head and you cannot wait for the next Thanksgiving to start listening again.
So my friends and I decided we cannot depend on the radio station; we wanted on our own music. We had to have the classics like The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Eugene Ormandy conducting the great Philadelphia Orchestra and Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Then you fill in with modern classical like Mannheim Streamroller. You need to get the must haves like Nat King Cole and of course Vince Guaraldi (Charlie Brown) and Mel Torme'. From there you just start going crazy because you must have all those classic artists like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
This contagion does not stop with me, but has spread throughout my entire household. My wife and kids love the music just as much as I do. “Hey, Honey let’s listen to Karen (Carpenter) or “Daughter, you want to listen to my man, Cee Lo’s Christmas Album”? Or my son tells me how he got Dave (the new king of Christmas) Koz’s Smooth Jazz Christmas. Then #1 son arranges for us to go see Koz’s Christmas show with his all-star friends.
The collecting never stops as great albums come out every year. Rockin’ Rodney (Stewart) just released his interpretation of Christmas music and so did Michael Buble'. Or you go back and get long-time Christmas all-stars like Andy Williams. Then there is even fascinating takes like Beatmas which is The Rubber Band singing classic Christmas songs to Beatle music -- you have to love it.
Christmas has a very special meaning to people. It is a deeply religious holiday and as Jews we would never want to infringe on that in any way. And many of us are peeved that some people want to tone down the religious aspect of Christmas in this country. The holiday will not survive as a secular celebration. Though we will never share the religious aspect of what Christmas stands for, we can certainly share the joy of the time and the music.
This in its way is a thank you to the Christian majority of this country. Sure there have been challenges and some bad times and some bad people over American history. But there has never been a country in the history of the Jews that ever accepted Jews in such a full and complete way as America. The only other country where we have ever been so accepted, appreciated, and actually honored is Israel. It is a tribute to the humanity of the Christians of this country who in a unique way accepted the teachings of Jesus.
Merry Christmas to you all! Now, I have to go listen to Darlene Love sing Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) -- which must be listened to at least twice -- and pre-order my Chinese food for Christmas (Yes, it is true – it is a Christmas tradition for Jews.) God Bless.
Christmas, the world’s most celebrated Jewish birthday.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Acoustic Electro Swing Hiphop Version
by Postmodern Jukebox
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H6XEIEqYik
Yeah, nothing like Christian Christmas carols “sung” by the likes of Brabra Streisand.
Just remember though, it’s still illegal for Jewish people to eat Christmas snow.
Why be so down about it. She IS singing the songs.
What happens in her soul is what is going to matter. Christmas is about as close as larger America gets to feel good evangelism. The Christmas story needs some follow up to get the fuller dimensions of evangelism, but it’s a solid start. Almost everyone thinks the baby in the manger is adorable.
That’s your opinion. In my opinion she IS screaming the songs. (Which has nothing to do with the religion, true.)
The integration of Judaism into the Christian story is fascinating. You’d almost think Jesus to be Jewish (oops, He is!)
So many people get wrapped up in difficult theological minutia that they can’t see the big picture or appreciate it. God is going to sort all this out just fine, and to the benefit of all who trust on God to take care of their everlasting life.
Jews can be stuck up at times and miss important things on account of it. But so can Christians. Pride, thy name is human. (Well, demonic. But then humanity conspired to share in it in a mystical manner in which the bible does not spell out details on would call a modern scientific level. I’m thinking if we knew too much about that, we’d ironically be trying to solve it through “spiritual science” rather than by yielding in love to God. God remains discreet about that even at the risk that we would accuse Him of making us fall, which I do not believe to be the actual case.)
There’s a faith behind all sincere religion.
Let her “scream” them on earth. She’ll sound a lot better in heaven if she accepts the invite.
I like it too. She is drawn to the music celebrating Christ’s birth. Is her theology exactly sound? Perhaps not. … Yet….Stranger things have happened, and for stranger reasons. I think it is beautiful.
Merry Christmas, ‘bacca.
No one wants to talk about it, but it’s been recorded that Irving Berlin, a nasty little man, meant “White Christmas” and “Easter Parade” as anti-Christian songs. I don’t remember the exact quotes attributed to him, but their meaning as I recall was that he “took care” of those holidays.
I’m praying for her.
The trouble with trying to rise above Christianity is that the symbols abound. God wasn’t superficial here! And kind of like Balak, curses turn into praises.
The White Christmas, to me, speaks of purity (among other things).
The Easter Parade? Well how about how Jesus “led captivity captive”?
Ha! Merry Christmas to you.
Mrs. (Dr.) Jewbacca is taking like three shifts at the hospital because all the gentile doctors want to be away.
Better than the guard duty in Bethlehem that my eldest gets -— the arabs like to rob Christian pilgrims.
I’m taking the little girls to the movies. “Frozen” looks good.
It sounds like the missus is doing it for the sake of the love of God, whether or not she wants to say so. God bless her for doing this. Not all gentile Christians would necessarily take Christmas off if needed for something that is important to God, however. And the healing arts are very important. If Jesus could heal on the sabbath, surely Christian doctors could heal on Christmas (and yes your wife could point this out if there’s someone wobbly).
Anyhow, we crazy Christians view Jesus as “implementation detail.” God didn’t change; what the world knew about God did.
No, I don’t mind Jewish singers recording Christmas albums, why should I, and if I did, to what end, I just wonder what motivates them other than commercial reasons, and the idea that everybody else does it. And without checking, I’m not sure if they record Christmas carols, the explicitly Christian songs, or just the holiday ditties, snow flakes and chestnuts.
Irving’s infant son died of “Crib Death” on Christmas Day, 1928. Might shed a little light on why he may not have cared much for Christmas.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.