"x"-mas

My favorite season to work in the lab is Christmas season. I am not sure what it is... Its just a great feeling to be doing my thing, listening to Christmas music, knowing its cold outside and I am warm inside, its nice and dark...

I dont know, its just my favorite time to be there.

And, as I have worked about 4 times since several radio stations started playing Christmas music 24-7, I have had the opportunity to hear the same songs over and over again. Don't get me wrong... I love Christmas music... but there is one some I am really growing to hate.



Here are the lyrics:


Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus lane
Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer
Pullin' on the reins
Bells are ringin', children singin'
All is merry and bright
Hang your stockings and say your prayers
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight!

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus lane
He's got a bag that's filled with toys
For boys and girls again
Hear those sleigh bells jingle jangle,
Oh what a beautiful sight
So jump in bed and cover your head
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight!

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus lane
He doesn't care if you're rich or poor
He loves you just the same
Santa Claus knows we're all Gods children
That makes everything right
So fill your hearts with Christmas cheer
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight!

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,
Right down Santa Claus lane
He'll come around when the chimes ring out
That it's Christmas morn again
Peace on earth will come to all
It we just follow the light
So lets give thanks to the lord above
That Santa Claus comes tonight!





Everyone knows this song. Why should it bother me?


Let me direct your attention to a particular lyric:

So lets give thanks to the lord above that Santa Clause comes tonight!



First of all... Santa Clause is upper-case. Lord is not.

Secondly... if Santa Clause did not care if you were rich or poor, and loved you just the same, then maybe you would have gotten wii for Christmas instead of a cardboard box. Granted, one takes more creativity... but I am pretty sure we all know which one you would choose.

Besides, isn't God the one supposed to not care about demographics?

Also... hang your stockings and say your prayers... this basically makes you logically conclude that you should be praying for loot IN your stockings!

Lastly, and most importantly, the song tells you to thank the lord for Santa!

No deep, heart-felt prayers about the birth of Christ. Not even a peep about family or love or friendship or any of the other wonderful things you could be thanking the Lord for. Nope. Thank the Lord for Santa.



This song was written in 1947 by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman. All the lyrics I can find online (which is oh-so-reputable) has only the first two verses. It seems somewhere along the line, two more verses were added for Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. Now come on! It just seems so.... wrong.

I mean, you probably know by now that I am not a raving bible-thumping evangelist. But I definitely consider it a big part of my life. And I just wonder how, in a predominantly Christian society, someone could get away with this. Plus this is not even just offensive to Christians, but I would say it is probably offensive to Muslims and Jewish!



Enough of the soapboxing...


And speaking of Judaism...


Why are there not more Hanukkah songs? I mean, it could be that we are so focused on Christmas... But like... what about in Israel? Do they have 10 different radio stations that play Hanukkah songs 24/7 all through the month of December?

If anyone could enlighten me, I would appreciate it.

Maybe it is just that Jewish people are smarter than that. I dunno.




Anyway, happy "x"-mas season. I will be looking forward to my leg of lamb for our holiday dinner. (sigh) If only my family understood the irony.