25 Songs of Christmas!
Life Happens
So here it is. January 2nd. I had planned and outlined this wonderful idea (at least I THOUGHT it was wonderful) where I would write and talk about traditional Christmas carols or holiday songs and then go through the 12 days of Christmas with the song and it’s history.
And then life happened.
On December 11th, I got in a car accident. Someone turning left out of a driveway didn’t see me and hit my husband’s car. I wasn’t seriously injured (only the strongest stiffness I ever felt) and my son not his seat were not in the car. But the accident still totaled my husband’s Impala. So we spent a week handling the claim, week getting a new car and then celebrating Christmas and New Years.
So yeah, life happened.
And while it made holidays with my family much sweeter…i am sad i didn’t get to explore holiday songs.
Caroling caroling
While Christmas bells are ringing… I’m moving on from Santa to decorations. I know for me holidays get started when the tinsel is hung, the tree is lit and the lights trim the houses on the streets. And this song also is one of those simple songs I pictured singing around the piano
So #9 Deck The Halls
I found out that this is originally a Welsh carol meant more for New Years. I was reading the wiki and found some interesting comments, mainly this paragraph:
“Originally, carols were dances and not songs. The accompanying tune would have been used as a setting for any verses of appropriate metre. Singers would compete with each other, verse for verse—known as canu penillion dull y De (“singing verses in the southern style”). Consequently, tunes originally used to accompany carols became separated from the original dances, but were still referred to as “carols” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deck_the_Halls )
Set deck the halls is a good childish dance that despite its monotone characteristics, can be an enjoyable little too
What?!?! Agh!!!
But I was a child, there were a few songs like kind of freaked me out. One of them was the song I picked for today! It is a song that coming downstairs on Christmas Eve finding Santa getting a kiss from your own mother. Now, I don’t know if this was a message about how daddy could dress up as Santa Claus or that Santa Claus is so attractive and so friendly that he draws in your own mother. Either way, it’s disturbing. Maybe this is why I didn’t like the song… And frankly some of the versions of it kind of creepy as well. But, here we are, today’s song:
I saw mommie kissing Santa Claus
So I looked up some research on this song… And it appears it was written by Jimmy Boyd when he was only 13. This explains the goofy discovery of the song and I think it truly is about maybe discovering that Santa Claus isn’t real. Or at least a big fat white bearded dude in a red suit. And I’m okay with that.
Ol’ school
When I was learning how to play piano, I want to learn songs that others could enjoy. This included many Christmas songs. I wanted that image of people gathering around while he played a fun tune and singing along.
That’s what today’s song reminds me of. It was one of the first Dog’s I learned how to play because the key and Melody were very simple.
Jolly old Saint Nicholas
Since I do not hear this often…I’m going to enclose the song here. Maybe one of you will learn it and have new memories to share
Saint Nicholas
Today is the feast of st. Nicholas…the inspiration for Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas was known for giving gifts is not only the patron saints of kids but also of brewers!
So in honor of the red suite white bearded guy…today’s song is:
Santa Claus is coming to town
My favorite version of this song is Bruce Springsteen’s Rock ‘n’ roll version. It just gives you that upbeat feeling that you get when something exciting is about to happen. I absolutely love it. Also, the cartoon named after this song is in the same animation as “Rudolph the red nose reindeer”, a Christmas classic.
I wish I had more to say…as Saint Nicholas history is extremely interesting. But when you have a child, Blogs get short.
Musings of An AfterThought 