We Need a Little Christmas
When is it appropriate to start celebrating Christmas?
Are you one of the no-Christmas-till-after-Thanksgiving people? A casual, put-up-the-tree-the-week-before person? Or do you get excited to see Santas and garlands appearing in retailers before Halloween? If you knew nothing about me but my heritage, my theology, and my affinity for celebrating each respective holiday, you might have been surprised to step into my home on Nov. 9 last month to find a veritable Christmas wonderland. What's this Jewish atheist doing with so many garlands, lights, and Dickens Village miniatures before Thanksgiving?
For starters, my family has always celebrated Christmas. Holidays for us have always centered joy, light, and familial connection above all else. Secondly, Kaitlyn—my Christian wife—besides her sacred connection to the holiday, begins listening to Christmas music on Nov. 1. It will come as no surprise to you that the music is the most powerful, nostalgic element of the holiday to me; so naturally, I can't feel right listening to, say, "O Come, All Ye Faithful" before the skeletons and jack-o'-lanterns are back in the attic. So, I usually concede, and we decorate the house about a week before Thanksgiving.
But back to Nov. 9. Even for us, this was a little early. Only a few days had elapsed since the 2024 Election transpired, and out of grief and denial began to emerge into focus our new, harrowing reality. On the sixth, I returned home from our Post-Election Vigil here at MLUC and opened the door to find Kaitlyn holding back the exuberant greyhounds, looking me straight in the eyes, and she said, "I think we need a little Christmas. Right this very minute." I couldn't believe how relieving—even liberating—it felt to conceive of extending our holiday season forward to combat at least some of our despair. So, we texted my mom to plan a mutual Halloween takedown / Christmas setup at our respective houses the following Saturday. All three of us, political operatives and tireless volunteers for progressive causes, spent the day together talking absolutely nothing of politics—a very brief respite—as we decorated for Christmas. Kaitlyn and I have been listening on loop to our (literally) 24-hour-long Christmas playlist ever since.
Are you one of the no-Christmas-till-after-Thanksgiving people? A casual, put-up-the-tree-the-week-before person? Or do you get excited to see Santas and garlands appearing in retailers before Halloween? If you knew nothing about me but my heritage, my theology, and my affinity for celebrating each respective holiday, you might have been surprised to step into my home on Nov. 9 last month to find a veritable Christmas wonderland. What's this Jewish atheist doing with so many garlands, lights, and Dickens Village miniatures before Thanksgiving?
For starters, my family has always celebrated Christmas. Holidays for us have always centered joy, light, and familial connection above all else. Secondly, Kaitlyn—my Christian wife—besides her sacred connection to the holiday, begins listening to Christmas music on Nov. 1. It will come as no surprise to you that the music is the most powerful, nostalgic element of the holiday to me; so naturally, I can't feel right listening to, say, "O Come, All Ye Faithful" before the skeletons and jack-o'-lanterns are back in the attic. So, I usually concede, and we decorate the house about a week before Thanksgiving.
But back to Nov. 9. Even for us, this was a little early. Only a few days had elapsed since the 2024 Election transpired, and out of grief and denial began to emerge into focus our new, harrowing reality. On the sixth, I returned home from our Post-Election Vigil here at MLUC and opened the door to find Kaitlyn holding back the exuberant greyhounds, looking me straight in the eyes, and she said, "I think we need a little Christmas. Right this very minute." I couldn't believe how relieving—even liberating—it felt to conceive of extending our holiday season forward to combat at least some of our despair. So, we texted my mom to plan a mutual Halloween takedown / Christmas setup at our respective houses the following Saturday. All three of us, political operatives and tireless volunteers for progressive causes, spent the day together talking absolutely nothing of politics—a very brief respite—as we decorated for Christmas. Kaitlyn and I have been listening on loop to our (literally) 24-hour-long Christmas playlist ever since.
Meadowlark, Jansen Wendell and Elisa Lang
Accordingly, we are overjoyed to begin to share our festive music with you as we kick off the MLUC Holiday Season with the time-honored Holiday Workshop. Since my days running around with my siblings, sporting face paint and Santa hats circa 1993, the Holiday Workshop has been a central source of light for me every December. Kicking off the festivities, the MLUC Choir will sing Mykola Leontovych's beloved "Carol of the Bells" as our Prelude to the service, followed by Samuel Barber's serene "Sure on This Shining Night." Commencing our dynamic lineup of Holiday Workshop musical acts, the Choir will sing Christmas carols; my wonderful family—including Jodie, Kaitlyn, and my sister Carolyn (the flutist)—will play and sing Klezmer tunes for Hanukkah; Kerstin Potter and Bob Purrenhage will perform early music on period instruments as the beloved duo Pastimes; and the iconic Meadowlark, Jansen Wendell and Elisa Lang, will perform a final set of old-time tunes. During the service, we will sing hymn #142: "Let There Be Light,” and a special recessional song led by the Choir to launch the Holiday Workshop. I promise you'll know it!
Let us all look forward to the Holiday Season at MLUC as a source of light in deepest darkness.
See you Sunday!
David
Let us all look forward to the Holiday Season at MLUC as a source of light in deepest darkness.
See you Sunday!
David
Pastimes
Posted in Music Notes