Friday, November 25, 2011

Christmas Confession

I love Christmas music. I have (not exaggerating) more than 20 Christmas CDs in the drawer of my desk right now so that I can listen to Christmas music all the time at work. I started listening to my Christmas music before Halloween. I'll keep listening until well into January. Or maybe February. Sometimes I'll pull it out in the middle of July and listen to it.

But none of that is what I'm confessing. No, my shameful secret is that there is a beloved Christmas carol that I just don't like. It feels a bit sacrilegious and dishonorable to say it, but I don't enjoy "Silent Night."

I know! It just seems so wrong to admit, but it's true. I know it's a wonderful message. I know there's a great story behind it. I know it's a beloved hymn that so many people find uplifting and spiritual. And I just don't like it.

It's not like I cringe and grind my teeth and lunge to change the song whenever it comes on (I reserve that reaction for "Little Drummer Boy"). Instead, each time I hear it, I listen for a bit. I feel like I should give it a chance. "Well this is the Josh Groban/Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Donnie Osmond/Lady Gaga version. (Because EVERYONE seems to have recorded a version of "Silent Night.") It should be pretty good." And I'm sure that it is pretty good, but I don't like it. So after listening for a minute, I skip the song.

I don't know if the meter is too slow or the tune too repetitive or what it is, but I don't like to hear it, I don't like to play it, I don't like to sing it. I just don't like it.

Anyone else have a Christmas Confession?

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