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Every year when Christmas comes around, I feel a little guilty for not getting into the Christmas spirit as much as I should. I've never hosted a Christmas party, I'm hopeless at sending Christmas cards (I bought a beautiful set about two months ago and lost them somewhere in my jungle of household junk), I haven't baked anything Christmassy since I grew up and left home and I most definitely have not done any Christmas craft since I made an angel out of a toilet roll back in primary school.
This year, money's even tighter than usually, meaning that my Christmas present budget has had to be compressed. I've managed to get everyone gifts that I'm sure they'll really enjoy but beyond that, spending money on lights and decorations would be, under the circumstances, a bit of a silly splurge.
What I love about Christmas music is that it transcends boundaries of socio-economic status, race, age and gender. No matter how much money you have or what your cultural background is, if you're an eighty year old man or a five year old little girl, you can sing along to the songs of Christmas. I don't know of anything else that can unite people in quite the same way that music can. The joyful songs of Christmas uplift the spirit and give us a sense of communal and personal hope that no commercial present could ever give.
What's your favourite Christmas song? It's hard for me to pick a favourite, but since the first time I heard it, I've always loved Feliz Navidad. I think because I my interest in languages and other cultures, the bilingual lyrics intrigued me, the words themselves seemed simple and sincere and the tune was cheerful - one of those songs that makes everyone who hears it start bopping around the room.
So if you know me in real life, please forgive me for not being organised enough this year to send any Christmas cards, and if you know me through the blogging community, please forgive me for not sharing any wonderful Christmas recipes or crafts. This year, instead, I want to share with you a version of Feliz Navidad that I found just this morning; a version that transcends, simply and sincerely, boundaries of gender, age, race and socio-economic status.
Turn it up nice and loud, jump out of your chair and take five minutes out of your day to bop around your living room (or wherever else you may be!).
I wish you a very, very Merry Christmas. From the bottom of my heart.
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