Dec 11, 2020 | LIFE | By Kristen Richards | Illustration by Xixi Qin
December cries out another 60-degree day in Colorado. The Colorado Springs local radio stations, 102.7 and 99.3, continue to play 24/7 Christmas music, oblivious to the absurdly warm weather. Though there is no snow (yet), and Colorado College students strip free from their winter jackets, the holiday season grows closer, and Christmas lights frame houses along North Cascade Ave.
Christmas music, the predictable, yearly hum of joyful voices and jingle bells, has yet to fill the air of the somewhat-empty CC campus. When asked about their favorite holiday songs, many CC students were left to ponder for moments while they racked their brains, way back to last December, to a time where normalcy was a given.
“I don’t know … what do you call that song?” many students replied, when asked their favorite holiday song. “It has something to do with chestnuts roasting…” Some students sang familiar words under their breath as if trying to remind themselves of the songs they used to love this time of year.
Have we lost some of the festivities and the joy surrounding this time of year? Or have the abnormally warm weather, the pandemic, and the empty campus kept us from remembering a time of jingle bells and Christmas cookies? Christmas-oriented activities that define this time of year for some, like holiday baking and stringing of Christmas lights, are not universal, which is important to remember when we are celebrating our own traditions.
Colorado College students responded to the question of their favorite holiday music with a resounding sound of generic yet well-loved songs. “White Christmas,” “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” and “All I Want for Christmas is You” were some favorites mentioned by CC students.
Other Christmas songs mentioned include “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Home for the Holidays,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” and “Meli Kalikimaka.” It is safe to say that any Christmas song by Bing Crosby is guaranteed to be generic, basic, and wonderfully festive.
My personal favorite holiday music is any Christmas album by Pentatonix. For some reason, the occasionally irritating but sometimes lovely bop-bop of a capella fits well with the light-heartedness of most Christmas music. They have a good variety of secular and non-secular Christmas music, depending on your preference.
As December moves on, and winter break approaches, we can bring our own pandemic-safe festivities to campus and pair them with CC’s favorite holiday music. Sometimes “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is all we need to get into the holiday spirit.