As we’re all recovering from the Thanksgiving food coma, it’s impossible not to notice how the season has begun to shift. Black Friday came and went, the Christmas tree lots are open, and Starbucks has been marketing all-things-jolly since the first week in November. (If you haven’t tried the Gingerbread Latte, you haven’t celebrated Starbucks Style.) Is it time, we ask ourselves, for the holiday playlist to make its appearance?
Every year, I tend to pre-empt the holiday season by making my Pandora Christmas playlist as soon as I get back from Thanksgiving break. Because- let’s face it- what better way to counteract the stress of finals than to pretend it’s almost Christmas (or Hanukah, or Kwanza?) Holiday Cheer is perhaps the best method of procrastination. It helps us to remember the little child that lives in all of us, even with exams looming Grinch-like ahead.
This year, I’m trying out something new. While everybody else seems to be getting in spirit, I’m going to wait until I just can’t stand it anymore. The Holiday Playlist- rather than an incredibly effective mode of procrastination- will be my reward for finishing that twenty-page research paper. After all, it’s not exactly “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” if I’m cooped up in the Rock or the Sci Li, kicking myself for not taking the class Pass/Fail when I had the chance.
And that begs the question- what to include on a holiday playlist, whenever you decide to bring it out? You’ve got the classics (Frank Sinatra, “White Christmas”), the quirky (“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”), the poppy (Mean Girls “Jingle Bell Rock”) and, of course, the clichéd (“Tis the Season”, etc.) But how do you decide what makes the cut?
I don’t purport to be a Holiday Music connoisseur (honestly, I think I barely even count as an enthusiast), but I’ve always been of the opinion that every genre has its niche. So go for it- sync up your Ipod with all things seasonal, and when you find yourself in that particular (quirky? kitschy?) mood, you’ll be really grateful that you included everything.