I'm pretending Christmas doesn't exist. I'd rather we just skip straight to March.

The two Christmas songs I love are Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and River by Joni Mitchell.

I may have some issues with the holidays.

Maria has a good idea.

I'm pretty sure that I don't like any winter music--the only Christmas song I like that's not about the birth or celebration of the Messiah is Do They Know It's Christmastime?

If it's a Jesus song, the older the better, and Latin never ruined anything.

I very rarely get bombarded with any Christmas music that doesn't make me a rage monster so I duck my head and grit my teeth.

So far, all the restaurants I've been in here in Vegas have Christmas music playing, and it weirds me out. The decor with holiday trees doesn't make me blink, mostly because they kind of blend in with the general sparkle and neon aesthetic around here. But holiday music in a casino is freaky.

(Speaking of the rhinestones on EVERYTHING Vegas aesthetic, I caught myself speculatively eyeing sparkly platforms yesterday evening. And cowboy boots that were decorated with black rhinestones. This worries me.)

(Tho' if there were Victorian-ish boots with low heels that were covered in rhinestones, I'd totally buy them. Not gonna lie.)

Hey Hec. think you should include Bessie Smith's "At the Christmas Ball" in your swing mix?

[link]

Christmas comes but once a year, and to me it brings good cheer,

And to everyone who likes wine and beer

Happy New Year is after that, happy I'll be, that is a fact

That is why I like to hear

Folks that say that Christmas is here

Christmas bells will ring real soon, even in the afternoon

There'll be no chimes shall ring at the Christmas Ball

Everyone must watch their step, or they will lose their rep

Everybody full of pep at the Christmas Ball

Grab your partner one an' all, keep on dancin' 'round the hall

And there's no one to fall, don't you dare to stall

If your partner don't act fair, don't worry, there's some more over there

Takin' a chance everywhere at the Christmas Ball

DH loves Good King Wenceslas. I think he's the first person I met whose favorite carol is Good King Wenceslas.

It's one of my favorites too! Partly because I love the way it shows up in A Child's Christmas in Wales, but it's also just a really beautiful song.

There's a lot of Christmas music I love, but one of my favorite winter/holiday albums is Susan McKeown's Through the Bitter Frost and Snow, which is dark and folky and contemplative and gorgeous.

Also, I can attest that Hec's folk/bluegrass Christmas mix is really lovely. That's another one that gets a lot of play in our house this time of year.

Hey Hec. think you should include Bessie Smith's "At the Christmas Ball" in your swing mix?

Good call! Added.

Also, I can attest that Hec's folk/bluegrass Christmas mix is really lovely.

Thanks! It's hard to go wrong with lots of bluegrass stalwarts like Tim and Mollie O'Brien, Laurie Lewis, Kathy Kallick, Chris Thile, Burns Sisters, Emmylou and Sam Bush.

Susan McKeown's Through the Bitter Frost and Snow, which is dark and folky and contemplative and gorgeous.

I'm gonna go check this out.

I think you'll dig it, Hec. "Bold Orion" is a good song for taking a long walk on a cold starry winter night, and her version of "Auld Lang Syne" has a real ache to it. My favorite song on the album might be "When All the Songs Were Sad." It's a real cold-weather, dark-night, low-light kind of album.

It's one of my favorites too! Partly because I love the way it shows up in A Child's Christmas in Wales, but it's also just a really beautiful song.

It's in When the Dark is Rising too, right?

Hec, I'd love any of the mixes when you are done with them.