Songs have a powerful influence on the memory. Some of the most powerful emotions and warmest feelings derive from memories of the holiday season. Christmas music is an important part of this wonderful time of year. The Christmas songs are delightful and can evoke these emotions and cherished memories.
At your home this holiday, continue the custom of playing Christmas music during your celebrations. This appears to be a forgotten activity among many folks. Last season, we went to visit my brother's home for the holidays. He had all of the ingredients of a great gathering, but no Christmas music.
The Christmas tree was decorated elegantly and the lights were sparkling with spirit, the absence of Christmas music was quite noticeable. He had made all of my favorite holiday food and the party was nearly perfect but there was definitely something missing.
At first, my girlfriend and I didn't understand why the party felt lacking. There was good food and good company. The decorations were festive and everyone enjoyed sharing stories while watching the children open their gifts. We left the party, however, with an empty feeling that we couldn't pin down.
The guests milled about most of the night. The kids mostly played new video games and some folks watched television. The occasional conversation was combined with commercials and channel surfing. We hadn't realized that the missing Christmas music was the determining factor in these distractions.
We — erroneously — thought that the new tradition of going to my brother's home for Christmas was the reason that we were feeling a little let down. In fact, we had gone to our parents’ house for years and years. Our parents were there as well, and they seemed a little deflated, too. No one could nail down why there was the real feeling that something very important was missing.
Not until I attended another holiday party, did I realize what the major difference between the two affairs really was. The lack of Christmas music. The absence of Christmas songs may not seem that important but it does make a huge difference. The other celebration was inviting and spirited and the Christmas music helped create an ambience fit for a grand event.
If you are going to have a Christmas party with family and friends, try turning the boob tube off for awhile — play some festive Christmas music instead. You'll definitely notice the difference the songs really make.