Decorating at Home is the New Debate of Christmas

Big in the news today, November 14th, is word of a Home Owners Association in Texas making a family remove their Christmas decorations because they are up “too early”. The letter was received by the family on November 4th. That news has kicked off a furious media rush of stories and opinions about Christmas Creep – a phenomenon of complaining about Christmas too soon. In Miami they can’t handle Christmas decorations at the mall. Rolling Stone laments the presence of Christmas music climbing their own charts. In London a news organization tried tree-shaming Christmas fans who put their trees upRead more

Dean Martin Returns in Let It Snow

Jeff Westover Christmas Music November 13, 2019November 13, 2019Dean Martin, let it snow, Universal Music Enterprises 0 Comment

Dean Martin has a new Christmas release. Well, kinda. It’s another posthumous appearance by Dino – yet another “old wine in new bottles” approach to Christmas music. This time, he’s animated. Take a peek…and a listen: This is the latest release in bringing the classics of Christmas music to a whole new generation through animated videos. Universal Music Enterprises is releasing brand-new animated videos like Dino’s to go with Frank Sinatra’s “Jingle Bells,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock,” the Jackson 5’s “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” the Supremes’ “My Favorite Things” andRead more

Thanksgiving? Not a Problem

Jeff Westover Christmas News, Thanksgiving November 12, 2019November 12, 2019Charlie Brown, history, PETA, Stan Freberg, Take an Indian to Lunch, Thanksgiving, War on Thanksgiving 0 Comment

The media is making a firestorm out of a new holiday outrage some are calling The War on Thanksgiving. Silly as it all seems the rhetoric of politics never has a down season. There are several polarizing modern talking points about Thanksgiving this year: • PETA doesn’t want you eating animals for Thanksgiving…because they are sexually assaulted. • Your carbon footprint matters. The food of Thanksgiving isn’t the problem. Travel for Thanksgiving is. • Thanksgiving is best celebrated in St. Paul, Minnesota. • Thanksgiving is a “food holiday” with a “problematic” history. • Stores being closed on Thanksgiving is somethingRead more

Rehya Stevens Returns for Noelle

Jeff Westover Christmas Music November 11, 2019November 11, 2019Disney, Noelle, Rehya Stevens 0 Comment

Rehya Stevens is back for Christmas 2019. This year her new offering is featured in the new Disney Christmas flick, Noelle. Titled Tis the Season the song has a retro-pop feel powered by Rehya’s strong vocals. The song is upbeat, traditional and Disneyesque. Rehya sparkles as a Disney princess should. Her 2018 album featured a number of original tunes that showcased Rehya’s smoky style and did far more to exhibit her range than does this new song. But we’re happy to see that Disney has recognized her talent and has utilized them for their newest Christmas film. Rehya’s single —Read more

The False Notion of Christmas Creep

Jeff Westover Christmas News October 7, 2019October 7, 2019 0 Comment

A new survey is making the rounds on news media today that declares a large percentage of people begin holiday activities much earlier than thought. According to Minted, 43 percent of Americans think it’s suitable to put up holiday decorations before November 1. The poll of 2,000 Americans discovered people start their holiday preparations pretty early in the year. In fact, over half (57 percent) of those studied revealed they start their holiday shopping before the first day of November. And eight in 10 begin preparing for the holidays well before the autumn leaves begin to change — between JanuaryRead more

The Christmas Music of John Denver

Jeff Westover Christmas Music July 6, 2019Christmas music, John Denver 0 Comment

Each decade seems to produce a dominant performer in the popular music of Christmas. In the 1970s that performer was John Denver. Born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr in 1943, John Denver first rose to fame as the lead of The Mitchell Trio. As a late sixties folk-singing anti-government group The Mitchell Trio was slightly out of step with the times because they were clean-cut and wholesome. By 1969 Denver set out on his solo career. For Christmas Denver gave friends and family a demo recording of songs, some which he wrote himself. One he titled, “Babe, I Hate to Go”.Read more

Christmas 1945: The Biggest Celebration of Christmas Ever

Jeff Westover Christmas at War, Christmas History, Christmas Memories, Merry Podcast June 23, 2019June 23, 2019Christmas 1945, World War 2 0 Comment

As peace broke out in 1945 a literal race began to get the world at war back home for Christmas. Historians have called the Christmas of 1945 the biggest celebration of Christmas ever. In the below edition of the Merry Little Podcast we discuss how the years of 1941-1944 changed Christmas. It was an unprecedented period of Christmas withheld. Families separated for the first time in generations as many sent their sons and daughters off to fight a war in far-flung parts of the globe. They went not knowing when – if ever – they would return. (Many did not).Read more