And if you believe in love, that will be more than enough

December 25

Advent calendars never go all the way to Christmas, you dumb bastard.

John Denver and the Muppets: The Twelve Days of Christmas
John Denver and the Muppets: The Christmas Wish

A Christmas Together is the best Christmas album ever released. The combination of a famed singer-songwriter with the goofiest creatures ever to sing about turtle doves was inspired. This album includes all of the gooey sentimentality that should only be legal at Christmas, but it mixes it with people talking like frogs. Perfection.

I don't have too much to say about this version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas," except I find it doubtful that you'll ever be able to get through this song again without including "Ba-dump-BUMP-BUMP" after the "five golden rings" part.

"The Christmas Wish" is, next to "O Holy Night," my absolute favorite Christmas song. Unlike "Night," my enjoyment of the song doesn't stem from some beautiful chord change, but instead "Christmas Wish" is great because of the pure earnestness of its lyrics.

I'll make no bones about it. I am not the most spiritual person in the world. Heck, I'm not even the most spiritual person in the room, and I'm currently sitting alone in my apartment eating a Nutty Buddy. Yet, each year I celebrate Christmas with a fervor that is hard to find among college students. The reasoning is hit squarely on the head by this song, and is easily demonstrated by the first verse.

I don't know if you believe in Christmas,
or if you have presents underneath the Christmas tree.
But if you believe in love, that will be more than enough
for you to come and celebrate with me.

That's what Christmas is all about. Togetherness. Love. Peace. Singing puppets made of felt. I hope you find all of these things under your tree this year.

Christmas of Love

After a string of close family deaths, my last two Christmas seasons have been less than ideal, and it's been hard getting myself back into the holiday spirit. I'd like to thank anybody that reads this site for indulging me in my rediscovery of the Christmas spirit. Hopefully you all got something out of it, too. I hope you create some holiday memories worth a salt this year. Merry Christmas, friends!