Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Christmas Blues and Christmas Songs: An Application of the Arcadian’s “Guiltification” Theory

Disclaimer: I have nothing against tradition nor freedom of religion.

I used to wonder why, although there are always new Christmas songs every year, the older Christmas songs doesn’t seem to get outdated. Hindi nalalaos.

Here are some of those songs that I've been thinking about:

Jingle Bells

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Silent Night

Give Love on Christmas Day

Last Christmas

Pasko Na

I reasoned to myself: it’s because the Christmas season is just short. Hindi pa napagsasawaan, tapos na ang pasko. A simple answer to a simple question.

I was sitting on my desk studying and listening to mushy Christmas songs on the radio when I formulated a new theory why these songs never seem to get outdated.

Christmas blues are experienced because nostalgic feelings are triggered by Christmas songs, parties, gifts, decors, traditions, homecomings, the weather, the media hype, and the fact that it signifies the end of the year. Everyone around is or at least seems happy. It is a season when people are supposed to be happy, altogether, at the same time. And all these triggers have happened simultaneously every year since we were kids, and we know these will all happen again and again, every year, until we grow old. And because present Christmas season remind us of past (happier or just different) Christmases, we reminisce about lost people and things and even situations. I realize now that I was being too simplistic about it before. I guess it takes a dose of the Christmas blues to know why Christmas songs don’t go old just like that (Yes I got the Christmas blues, even if I’m not Christian, because all these triggers have been around me since I was a kid). Christmas songs, without explicitly singing about the past like Noel Cabangon’s Kanlungan, do remind us of the past.

I also realized that Christmas songs are designed not to get outdated, in order to cause Christmas blues (Am I schizo now or what?). Playing old Christmas songs is a mechanism, just like the imaginary Santa Clause, to get people to do things. It’s a means of haunting us with the ghost of past Christmases, so that we feel obliged to reach out to loved ones, family or friends we have been out of touch with, think and do good things for other people. It’s not just so people can reminisce good ol’ times. It’s not simply tradition. It’s motivated by the same institution that forced upon us Valentines, Halloween, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, etc.. That institution (yes, it’s the Capitalist institution), in order to milk our pockets dry, get us to spend on gifts, cards, parties and restaurants, by tapping into GUILT. They make us feel guilty about taking for granted our loved ones (or what was designed to be moral or good), and we indulge, because hey, it’s not a bad cause and it’s only once a year right? But all these seasons and days cover practically every month of the year, and we do spend so much on all these, even if we are receive a 13^th month bonus come Christmas season. Playing Christmas songs is no different from the SM jingle being played on and on in all SM Deparment Stores. They both translate to: SHOP!! SHOP!! SHOP!! You’re running out of time!! (Am I cold now or what? Again, for those who might be offended by my entry, please, refer to my disclaimer above!! :) )

Now if only seasons could be celebrated in its true spirit, then maybe… Maybe it would make us all feel better.

Posted by xam :: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 :: 1 Comments:

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