DJ X-Mass

Supposedly the Saturday before Christmas is the busiest shopping day of the year, even busier than Black Friday in the U.S.  Fortunately - and uncharacteristically - I finished early and was able to avoid it all together.  But there's one thing you can't avoid unless you complete your shopping a month-and-a-half early: Christmas music.  Of course it's not just in stores, it's also on much of the radio dial and many TV commercials too.  For the Christmas overloaded like me, the non-stop music is the hardest thing to take.  I realize I can't stop it, so here are some tips on how we can make the Christmas tunes a little less annoying:

Go Easy on the PC Winter Carols

A lot of songs we associate with Christmas actually never mention it:

• Winter Wonderland 
• Marshmallow world
• Jingle Bells
• Sleigh Ride

So these songs are a safe solution at PC civic events and in stores holding hopes of sucking religious minorities into the buying frenzy.  But like most attempts to genericize Christmas, it annoys many while fooling no one.

Look Deeper into Back-Catalogues

Just about any well-known artist has recorded a Christmas song at some point in their career, even if they haven't gone the full Christmas cash cow- I mean, "album".  For instance, last year a number of radio stations seemed to remember U2's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"  So it's worth a look.

Try Tangentially Christmassy Songs

The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" is not technically about Christmas, but it does mention it.  All the music from the Peanuts Christmas special is just instrumental, but it's become associated with the holiday.  And if you're filling a month of songs, you're going to have to consider that close enough.

Never Play "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time"

It's modern, light, and by one of the most beloved musicians in the world, so it seems like a marketing dream.  Too bad it's such an annoying song.  I don't like to exaggerate, but this song may just cancel-out Paul McCartney's positive contributions to music.

Never Play "Santa Baby"

That's such a creepy song.  For one thing, it's sexualizing Santa, a concept I felt dirty just typing.  If you think about it, that song is exactly the thing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is making fun of.  We don't need to hear about how much mommy wants to kiss Santa Claus.  The fact that the song has such a dated feel only accentuates the feel of listening to your mother's love song.