Seasonal songs allowed...

by Jim_TX 5 Replies latest jw friends

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  Jim_TX

  I remember growing up - I hated seasonal things at school... Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

  In grade school (at least when I was growing up) we usually had some sort of 'music class' where we had songbooks passed out and the teacher would make us sing songs - albeit poorly.

  Around Christmas, there were a lot of them. I remember being prompted at home about which songs were just 'seasonal' songs - or neutral, and were allowed... and the others were not (which usually mentioned the word Christmas - Jesus, etc)

  Soooooo... I'll start the list of 'acceptable' JW songs...

  Jingle Bells

  Jingle Bell Rock

  Over the River and Through the Woods

  Yall feel free to jump in and add to the list. I always felt like an idiot trying to explain to the teacher how it was 'ok' to sing one song - but not the next one.

  I also noticed my mom getting all 'emotional' whenever she heard Bing Crocby sing 'White Christmas'. I think secretly she wanted to enjoy the season - but as a JW couldn't. (She wasn't raised a JW - and had a healthy childhood growing up - doing all the normal kid things... that I was denied.)

  Regards,

  Jim TX
• 

  blondie

  Winter Wonderland

  Let it Snow

  Sleigh Ride

  Marshmallow Wolrd

  Frosty the Snowman

  Baby Its Cold Outside
• 

  Jim_TX

  Blondie - thanks for those... although... while not 'Christmas' related... two would be disallowed for sexual innuendos, and one for magic.

  Ain't it grand to not have to worry 'bout those 'rules' anymore.

  Regards,

  Jim TX
• 

  blondie

  I can see most tossing Frosty (the magic reference) but as to the other 2 so called sexual innuendo, only the most tightly wound jws I know would find those offensive.
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  WTWizard

  I believe Winter Wonderland has a reference of getting married. Marshmallow World has a line about taking a walk--barely sexual in nature. Baby It's Cold Outside is a little more sexually suggestive, but one would really have to be a stickler about this issue in order to ban that one for sexual reference. And Frosty the Snowman is the one with a mild magic reference, that should be no worse than any other story song.

  On the other hand, there is a problem with stumbling others. First, many of these songs are played in medleys that are segued to actual Christmas songs. And, one might stumble someone into thinking we celebrate Christmas if we start listening to and playing those winter theme songs. That is the card most witlesses are most likely to play.

  Not to mention a common trend where a song only mentions Christmas as a background. The song Same Old Lang Syne is a regular song that got incorporated into the Christmas market because of the Christmas Eve background. I have found quite a few other songs that are not truly Christmas songs, but only mention the day as a background. Again, here the stumbling card is more likely to come into play than anything else.
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  AudeSapere

  Growing up, my parents set the guideline that if it really was just a 'winter' song, it would be played in January and February. With that, we were allowed to sing the winter songs when they were played on the radio in January and February.

  -Aude.