Back to the music! This time, stuff that’s just plain silly!

This is part 4, so be sure to go back and check out parts 1, 2, and 3 to get the whole list.

Today I’m on the road–making the trip north to spend Christmas with my family. I’m pretty sure one or two of these will come up in my playlist. Some are more classic than others, but I get a good laugh out of all of them.

• The Chipmunk Song
• I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas
• I’m Gettin Nuttin for Christmas
• Rusty Chevrolet
• Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

Yeah, they’re not all to everyone’s taste… and they certainly can very quickly get overplayed… but there’s something in these songs that triggers some sort of reaction from everyone (usually a positive one… usually…).

Watch me go on a big about why I love them in today’s vlog.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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We all know the iconic images of Christmas, both secular and sacred. At it’s roots, it is undeniably a Christian holiday (celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and all).

But, like any good story, there’s a lot of embellishment that’s made its way into the Christmas tales of the birth of a savior.

In fact, the whole December birth (and the adventure that lead to it happening in a manger) is, at best, highly unlikely.

So why does Christmas happen in late December? And what does a decorated pine tree have to do with the baby Jesus?

These are the things that happen when you have a religion that spreads far and wide. It has to adapt to at least some of the culture already in place (or, sometimes more often, is subverted by those who are forced to “convert”)… so as it spreads, it gathers up trappings from other faiths and sets it’s major celebrations on the dates that are already festivals.

In the case of Christmas, the narrative of a savior being born to bring light to the world fits in very well with the Yule celebrations that were already part of numerous other cultures. After all, that’s a celebration of the return of the sun, on the shortest day of the year.

Watch today’s vlog and see what else I have to say about this.

Also, merry/blessed Yule to all the pagans out there. May your days continue to get brighter! 🙂

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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More Christmas music!

This time around, we get a mix of themes, including one of the overtly religious songs in the list. Check out part one and part two for the other songs so far.

• O Tannenbaum/Oh Christmas Tree
• Little Drummer Boy (Animaniacs Version!)
• It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
• I’ll Be Home for Christmas
• Carol of the Bells

While these are generally more traditional songs, they are also ones that have inspired some fun interpretations over the years.

I’ve got 25 of these songs to run through, so there will be a few more videos like this before Christmas. (That’ll also give me time to do things like make the drive north to be with my family for Christmas.) There’s something a little different planned for tomorrow, though… so be sure to drop by for that.

For now, though, check out what I have to say about these songs in today’s vlog.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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More Christmas music. These are a little more “grown up” and inherently sentimental (for various reasons) than the first batch. They also come from movies and live action TV specials.

There’s a pretty hefty World War II connection to a lot of Christmas music, whether you realize it or not. It’s those really rough times that tend to drive people to try to find more peace and beauty than usual in the holidays.

• We Need a Little Christmas
• Edelweiss
• White Christmas (bonus movie clip)
• Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
• The Christmas Song

Watch today’s vlog to see what I have to say about these particular songs.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

[jbutton size=”xxlarge” color=”green” link=”http://durosia.com/vlog-questions” newpage=”yes”]Come Ask a Question Here[/jbutton]