Disneyland at Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread #4

[Gisele]

They're all fairly low-budget movies, I think, but they seem to pack a powerful holiday punch!

That's because of the Rum.
The writers love that libation.

 

[Luisa]

Thanks for the reminder about the holiday movies Sherry! I'll have to see if I can find out which ones will be showing here and when.

So, it looks like we're only getting them on the weekends in July. So far I can see
Help for the Holidays
12 Wishes of Christmas
A Perfect Christmas
The March Sisters at Christmas
A Christmas Wedding Tail
A Bride for Christmas
Matchmaker Santa
On Strike for Christmas
A Boyfriend for Christmas

 

[tksbaskets]

Hello all and Sherry More like a work adventure than something fun for the holiday!

I LOVE Hallmark holiday movies. I'm fond of some Lifetime movies but they tend to be a little dark for me.

My DVR will be humming for Christmas in July as that is when we'll be at Disneyland!!!

I watch DTWS and Candace Cameron Bure (sp) said she has some Hallmark movies in the works she is producing and staring in.

My favorite from last year was 'Let it Snow' and the title escapes me but the chick who's family sold trees at the same lot in the city every year.

Trading Christmas??!! I have it on my iPad as I bought it after it aired a couple of years ago.

I agree - nothing quite gets me in the mood for the holiday season like Hallmark Christmas Movies

 

[Sherry E]

That's because of the Rum.
The writers love that libation.

Very true, Gisele!

That, and the egg nog.

Thanks for the reminder about the holiday movies Sherry! I'll have to see if I can find out which ones will be showing here and when.

So, it looks like we're only getting them on the weekends in July. So far I can see
Help for the Holidays
12 Wishes of Christmas
A Perfect Christmas
The March Sisters at Christmas
A Christmas Wedding Tail
A Bride for Christmas
Matchmaker Santa
On Strike for Christmas
A Boyfriend for Christmas

Luisa --

You're welcome!

Your line-up/list is interesting, because it's partially the same as what we'll be getting, and partially different! That is so weird! I wonder why they don't just give you the same line-up.

If I recall correctly, last year you mentioned that your version of the Hallmark Channel is actually called something other than Hallmark, correct? It has a different name? And I remember that it sounded as if you were getting some of the movies that were being shown on (what is known in my cable line-up as) the Hallmark Movie Channel as well as on the regular Hallmark Channel.

From the list you just posted above, it once again looks like you're getting a combination of movies that will be on the regular Hallmark Channel (like some of the ones on the Christmas in July list I posted last night) as well as others that may end up on the Hallmark Movie Channel!

12 Wishes of Christmas is a good one (it's one of those "Christmas magic gone awry" storylines, like in Naughty or Nice), although it has not aired on either of the Hallmark Channels for me in the last couple of years -- it tends to air on the UP channel or on Ion or INSP or something.

I hope you end up getting Let it Snow, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Mrs. Miracle and The Christmas Ornament, as it appears we are supposed to get for CIJ. I think that we will get a couple of holiday movies each night during that whole week starting on July 7th (through July 13th), and then multiple movies on Saturday, July 12th and Sunday, July 13th. I think that's how it worked last year.

Hello all and Sherry More like a work adventure than something fun for the holiday!

I LOVE Hallmark holiday movies. I'm fond of some Lifetime movies but they tend to be a little dark for me.

My DVR will be humming for Christmas in July as that is when we'll be at Disneyland!!!

I watch DTWS and Candace Cameron Bure (sp) said she has some Hallmark movies in the works she is producing and staring in.

My favorite from last year was 'Let it Snow' and the title escapes me but the chick who's family sold trees at the same lot in the city every year.

Trading Christmas??!! I have it on my iPad as I bought it after it aired a couple of years ago.

I agree - nothing quite gets me in the mood for the holiday season like Hallmark Christmas Movies

TK --

I had forgotten what your specific July dates were going to be. DLR will probably do another Christmas in July thing that month too, but there are no decorations and it would probably be in the 3rd week of the month. So you will get to see DLR un-decorated, as you had hoped, any way you slice it. No decorations except for some patriotic touches on Main Street and at the Roundup in Frontierland!

I watch DWTS and I kept wondering if we would hear anything from Candace about upcoming Hallmark movies. Apparently I must have totally missed it when she said she had some in the works! It figures that I would miss the exact thing I was waiting to hear! Maybe she'll do a sequel to Let it Snow! Wouldn't that be nice? Given what she has stated about her faith and her values, I think that the Hallmark Channel is a good fit for her -- but I prefer seeing her in the more lighthearted, fun movies and not the serious, depressing movies.

Apparently Hallmark films a lot of their holiday movies in Canada, and they do it in the middle of summer (like in July and August). I think that a lot of them are kind of 'short notice' shoots too -- in other words, unlike other films or TV movies, the making of these little gems is thrown together in a shorter time frame, with less notice for the actors and crew, and they are wrapped up in a shorter amount of time as well. That's what a lower budget gets them!

Honestly, though, as much as people grumble and complain about the low budgets of these movies and how the actors in them are not well known, I prefer it that way. I know that is not the popular thing to say! The fact that the movies are made the way they are is the reason why we get 12 or 13 news movies each year, and why Hallmark can afford to do a 2-month long marathon of their own brand of Christmas movies without worrying about losing advertising dollars.

If Hallmark were to suddenly go "big budget" and hire well-known actors or better writers, travel to distant locations, use more special effects, etc., we would probably only see one or two new movies each year, if that much -- and we would get a much shorter Countdown to Christmas! They wouldn't have the budget or the time to make 12 or 13 new movies each year and pay A-List actors and writers!

What I like most about the Countdown on Hallmark is the fact that it lasts so long and shows sooooo many movies -- movies that are not the typical holiday movies we could see on any other channel. Two whole months of them -- which is why I said it is literally like wrapping oneself in a cozy Christmas blanket for the whole season -- it's like enveloping myself in holiday magic. If I want to see A Christmas Story 10 times in a row, there is another channel for that. If I want to see the Rankin-Bass clay puppet classics -- and I do -- I can go to ABC Family for that. If I want to see It's a Wonderful Life, I can find that on another channel too.

I do like some of the Lifetime holiday movies, but some of them fall flat. Many of them star the same people you'd see in Hallmark movies too. TK, I think you would really enjoy the one that I like -- A Snow Globe Christmas, which is currently on YouTube in its full length. Nice little twist at the end. It is lighthearted, fun, fantasy fare -- and it stars the same girl who is in A Very Merry Mix-Up from Hallmark.

Fir Crazy is the one that you like, with the chick selling trees at the lot -- and it's on the list of the movies that will air during Christmas in July on Hallmark! That just happens to be one of the movies I didn't see all the way through. I didn't DVR it, and there never seemed to be a good time to watch it in full. So I only saw parts of it. This time I will see it all the way through -- I am determined!

What do you think of the 3 movies that are already definitely coming to the Countdown this year, and the 3 potential movies that are coming (the scripts that are in development)? I like the concept of Angel on My Tree. That sounds like a movie I might enjoy. I think Northpole will be good, too. Christmas Neverending (title may change) sounds intriguing. Also, there is supposed to be a Mr. Miracle -- another sequel to the Mrs. Miracle movies. I don't know about that one. I like Mrs. Miracle because she seems like a kindly, grandmotherly type. I don't know about Mr. Miracle.


This site -- Countdown Until Christmas -- is great, as it has a comprehensive (though incomplete) list of Christmas movies, A to Z, both theatrical films and TV movies (but it is missing some titles). Each movie has a synopsis and probably a clip -- or, in some cases, the full movie is there. You can pull up only movies from Hallmark. You can pull up only movies from Lifetime. You can pull up the list of new movies coming up this year. Somewhere on the site is the blurb about Christmas in July with the list I posted yesterday as well. It's a great site for anyone keeping tabs on holiday TV fare! I wish they had a newsletter to sign up for. I didn't see one.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

one movie i used to love and don't know who made it and haven't been able to find it to often was a Mam for Christmas.

 

[tksbaskets]

Great Site Sherry! I am looking forward to 'Cowboy for Christmas'. The plot is right up my alley.

As I scrolled through looking for 2014 I smiled and thought about the other gems (besides the ones we mentioned) from recent past:
A Bride For Christmas - adorable
It's Christmas Carol - another twist on 'A Christmas Carol'
Snow Bride was pretty fun
Window Wonderland.

It may have been a Good Morning America interview where Candace talked about her upcoming plans.

 

[Luisa]

You have a great memory Sherry! Yes, the Hallmark channel here was replaced with/renamed the Universal channel. Occasionally the regular commercial, non-pay TV channels show Hallmark movies but I can't look that far ahead on their programming. It does look like a pretty interesting list, a few I've seen and a few new to me.

 

[Sherry E]

one movie i used to love and don't know who made it and haven't been able to find it to often was a Mam for Christmas.

Jade --

Is that the one with Olivia Newton-John? Have you ever checked YouTube for it? I was surprised to find many of the Hallmark-esque or Lifetime-esque movies there.

Great Site Sherry! I am looking forward to 'Cowboy for Christmas'. The plot is right up my alley.

As I scrolled through looking for 2014 I smiled and thought about the other gems (besides the ones we mentioned) from recent past:
A Bride For Christmas - adorable
It's Christmas Carol - another twist on 'A Christmas Carol'
Snow Bride was pretty fun
Window Wonderland.

It may have been a Good Morning America interview where Candace talked about her upcoming plans.

TK --

That Countdown Until Christmas site looks like it is hot on the trail of any and all holiday TV shows and movies, doesn't it?! I was so happy when I saw the complete list of holiday movies, from A to Z, until I realized that they left a few titles off the list.

For example, Countdown Until Christmas didn't have A Snow Globe Christmas on the A to Z list, and that was a new movie as of last year -- but they had the other new Lifetime holiday movies on there.

They also did not include my favorite, Love Actually. Now, some might argue that Love Actually is not technically a holiday movie, per se. It's more a movie about love that just happens to take place at Christmastime. It's not a movie about Santa Claus retiring from gift delivery and chimney hopping, nor is it a movie about someone losing the spirit of Christmas and then finding it again.

However, Christmastime is the catalyst and the accelerator for many of the "love stories" in Love Actually. Several characters in the movie express their feelings in one way or another "because it's Christmas." Christmas plays a very prominent role in the movie, so I think it should definitely be added to the A to Z list of Christmas movies!

Snow Bride and A Bride for Christmas are two of the movies I was hoping (on the previous page) will make it into the line-up of Christmas in July fare on Hallmark. It looks as if Luisa is getting A Bride for Christmas on her version of the Hallmark Channel, but so far I don't know if it will be on ours.

Window Wonderland is one that I just could not get into last year. I tried 3 separate times to watch it and it never grabbed me. I may try one more time, as it appears to be scheduled as part of Christmas in July. I don't know what it was about that movie but I could not get into it.

It's Christmas, Carol was the one with Carrie Fisher, correct? That was one that I did not watch all the way through when it debuted in 2012. There are so many that I still have only seen bits and pieces of, in addition to all of the ones I have seen all the way through, repeatedly. There is not enough time in the day!

You have a great memory Sherry! Yes, the Hallmark channel here was replaced with/renamed the Universal channel. Occasionally the regular commercial, non-pay TV channels show Hallmark movies but I can't look that far ahead on their programming. It does look like a pretty interesting list, a few I've seen and a few new to me.

Luisa --

I am surprised that you already have access to the list of Hallmark Christmas in July movies that you found! Where did you find them -- on the Universal site, or on your cable provider's site? I would not have known what was in store for my Hallmark Channel had I not found that Countdown Until Christmas website that posted the partial CIJ list! The last time I looked on the Hallmark site I didn't find anything in their schedule, but maybe it's there now.



Jamie -- If you're out there, remember that Snow Bride and A Very Merry Mix-Up -- both from Hallmark's 2013 crop of new movies -- and A Snow Globe Christmas from Lifetime's 2013 movies are all on YouTube right now, in their full-length versions!

​

Other than that, as far as Disneyland Resort-related holiday news, as I posted in the Halloween Superthread, now that Memorial Day is almost past us, the field is open for any potential season dates or info to trickle in. It seems like dates and info don't come in before Memorial Day.

Sometimes we don't get any info in May at all, but we have gotten dates in May in the past, from one source or another. The May issue of Backstage Pass revealed the holiday season start date in 2013. I think that the first news about Candlelight reverting back to a 2-night schedule leaked out in May of last year as well.

I would expect to find out more Halloween Time-specific info in May -- if any info came out in May at all -- rather than holiday-specific info, but it is possible we could hear something holiday-ish. May is one of those "hot" months -- not just hot in terms of temperatures, but "hot" in terms of being a month when seasonal info sometimes comes out! August is another "hot" month.

But who knows? Depending on what DLR has in store for us this Halloween season and holiday season, we might not hear anything until July and beyond! Just when I think I have them nailed down to a pattern, they switch things up on me!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

I don't know who was in it but I'll check thanks.

On a note for our trip we have decided to go Fri the 14th. It will be the day we have to get the bib number and have our rain forest cafe meal. We have decided it will be an easy going day walk around the park and downtown Disney at a slow pace. Go on a few low line rides and take our time this day. Sat will be my race and after the race we will also need just a bit of a rest maybe I hop breakfast or something.

Sat will be our F night and Fireworks night too. Maybe Fri night we plan an up close fire works seating since we are already going to have easy going day it could be a good time to spend two hours waiting by the hub (lol)

I just pray the tour will be open by the next mon , tue 17, 18th. So we can once and for all go on the tour. (last time it rained and we were not feeling good so had to cancel it)
This time i'm buying ponchos
Today I have been doing allot of planing. when and where ill save money, how much everything will cost, how much I can save by pinching penny's here and there. Lol

Thank you for the thread again i've read it more over the last two weeks than ever.

I hope dates come out soon and a yes or no on a Christmas party comes out soon too hehe

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Thank you on the heads up about the movies being on YouTube! I'll be checking that out soon!

 

[Sherry E]

I don't know who was in it but I'll check thanks.

On a note for our trip we have decided to go Fri the 14th. It will be the day we have to get the bib number and have our rain forest cafe meal. We have decided it will be an easy going day walk around the park and downtown Disney at a slow pace. Go on a few low line rides and take our time this day. Sat will be my race and after the race we will also need just a bit of a rest maybe I hop breakfast or something.

Sat will be our F night and Fireworks night too. Maybe Fri night we plan an up close fire works seating since we are already going to have easy going day it could be a good time to spend two hours waiting by the hub (lol)

I just pray the tour will be open by the next mon , tue 17, 18th. So we can once and for all go on the tour. (last time it rained and we were not feeling good so had to cancel it)
This time i'm buying ponchos
Today I have been doing allot of planing. when and where ill save money, how much everything will cost, how much I can save by pinching penny's here and there. Lol

Thank you for the thread again i've read it more over the last two weeks than ever.

I hope dates come out soon and a yes or no on a Christmas party comes out soon too hehe

Jade --

You're welcome! That's the whole idea behind the first page of the thread. It has a lot of info in all of the posts, and people can kind of go back to it anytime they have a spare moment.

I'm glad that you're beginning to get your plans together and figuring out how your days in the parks will go.

I keep thinking about how Disney could handle the start date of the season this year. I am fairly certain that many things will already be quietly, "unofficially" up and running on Friday, 11/7 and that weekend. But I am not sure if they would "officially" start the season on Wednesday, 11/12 when they could easily just wait until Friday, 11/14 to do it.

I tend to think that Disney will for sure want to get the holiday season (officially) into full swing by the weekend of the Half-Marathon, because they know that a lot of people will show up for that and stick around for a day or two after the marathon ends.

I just don't know if the Half-Marathon will in any way impact the schedules of things like the holiday tour, the Christmas parade, the holiday fireworks, the Castle lighting, World of Color, Viva Navidad, etc. It is possible that they may not want to start the holiday tour until the race is over (I don't know the course that the marathoners will take in the park), but I can't imagine Disney waiting to start the actual season until 11/17 or 11/18 -- that just seems too late, given the pattern of the last few years and how popular the holidays have become.

So I think that you are guaranteed to get at least one day in which the tour is happening, if not for your whole trip. And I think that most of the decorations and most of the activities will be up and running by 11/14, although the schedule may be altered a bit due to the marathon events.

Thank you on the heads up about the movies being on YouTube! I'll be checking that out soon!

Jamie --

You were one of the first people I thought of when I happened to stumble upon those movies on YouTube the other night. I thought, "Now Jamie can see some of them!"

I have a feeling that you'll really like Snow Bride. The two leads have a lot of chemistry and are impossibly attractive! They have a snappy repartee going on. I was surprised to find this on YouTube!

You will probably like A Very Merry Mix-Up as well, which stars the same person -- Alicia Witt -- who is in A Snow Globe Christmas (which I loved). Both of her movies are in full-length version on YouTube. She has a certain naturally witty thing happening when she talks, so she can be believed as being a slightly sarcastic, funny person.

And then, of course, The 12 Men of Christmas is also in full form on YouTube, and that stars Kristin Chenoweth.

I was surprised to not find some of the other, better, Hallmark holiday movies such as The Most Wonderful Time of Year, Trading Christmas, A Bride for Christmas, The Christmas Ornament and Let it Snow (most of which I think you would like as well) on YouTube. I am hoping they pop up soon.

I happened to be reading an online review of The Christmas Ornament on IMDB yesterday (when I was still searching for the video), and one reviewer -- who loved the movie -- said it was realistic, partially because Kellie Martin's face is "haggard" (ouch!) and looks as though it has lived life, unlike so many of the actresses and actors who appear in TV and film (who look perfect, and like they haven't lived any life!). The reviewer also said that even the houses look more realistic than what you would normally see onscreen. I don't think I would call Kellie haggard -- that's a bit harsh -- but I will say that The Christmas Ornament is a more realistic portrayal of a woman in her situation, and not an easy, breezy romance.

I also couldn't find Christmas Angel, with Bruce Davison (a Lifetime movie) on YouTube -- that is one of the more serious holiday movies, but I loved it and was grabbing for my box of Kleenex by the end! It is a gem -- it delivers a heavy-handed message, and yet I didn't mind!

 

[mzspaz]

Stuck at home this Holiday weekend thanks to a nasty cold (compliments of a kids birthday party!) so I have been doing a lot of reading/planning/plotting for our December trip.

I switched our airfare around since there were better times available if we flew in to Anaheim and out of San Diego (plus my DH wanted to avoid LAX at all costs). So now we will arrive at SNA Saturday afternoon, spend the afternoon at the pool and evening at Downtown Disney, and then tackle the parks starting on Sunday.

Hoping that some package deals or discounts start coming out for DL soon!

Not sure if we will do 3 or 4 days in the parks, but we will end the week in San Diego so it does give us a bit of flexibility.

Can't believe that is is Memorial Day Weekend and here I am dreaming of December, Christmas, and Christmas Movies!!!!

 

[Sherry E]

Stuck at home this Holiday weekend thanks to a nasty cold (compliments of a kids birthday party!) so I have been doing a lot of reading/planning/plotting for our December trip.

I switched our airfare around since there were better times available if we flew in to Anaheim and out of San Diego (plus my DH wanted to avoid LAX at all costs). So now we will arrive at SNA Saturday afternoon, spend the afternoon at the pool and evening at Downtown Disney, and then tackle the parks starting on Sunday.

Hoping that some package deals or discounts start coming out for DL soon!

Not sure if we will do 3 or 4 days in the parks, but we will end the week in San Diego so it does give us a bit of flexibility.

Can't believe that is is Memorial Day Weekend and here I am dreaming of December, Christmas, and Christmas Movies!!!!

mzspaz -

I applaud you for being able to concentrate on reading/planning/plotting for your upcoming holiday trip when you're sick! Nasty colds, as I'm sure everyone knows, can be very unpleasant. I have a hard time focusing on anything else when I'm sick with a particularly harsh bug of some sort, let alone trying to get excited for a trip. I generally just wallow in my misery and try to rest as much as possible.

My guess is that there will be some sort of Disney fall discount for the hotels that comes out after the summer season is over, or maybe towards the end of it. There should be a discount that covers parts of October, November and the first couple of weeks of December, but I just don't know if it would be a 20% discount or more/less than that.

I think that 4 park days is probably better than 3, if you can swing 4, but if not you can get a lot done in 3 days! The San Diego stretch of the trip sounds fun!

It is never too early in this thread to be thinking about December trips, Christmas and Christmas movies...or holiday foods... or Christmas music... or Thanksgiving trips... or New Year's trips... People have to plan holiday trips outside of the holiday season, so we're here to provide a bit of help and inspiration!

Time has been flying so fast the last few years -- or it seems that way to me -- that some folks may think they have all kinds of time to plan for holiday outings later in the year, or at least after summer. And then, before we know it, it is suddenly September -- and November/December is right around the corner! Also, I would imagine that many DIS'ers have to plan/embark on summer activities with their families, and then get ready for school, and then prepare for Halloween and Thanksgiving activities, not to mention any unexpected things that come up. The year just zooms by at warp speed, so it is almost necessary to get a solid holiday trip plan in place before summer officially kicks off! (Or maybe that's just the Christmas/Holiday Season Superthread enabler side of me talking!)

I find that, as much of a holiday season fanatic as I am, after January ends I need about a 2-month break from thinking too much about holiday merriment (like wanting to watch holiday movies or hear music or anything like that). I need to recharge the ol' holiday battery and let the excitement begin to build up again.

Then, slowly but surely, before you know it, in March or April-ish I find myself washing dishes or wiping down a countertop, humming a familiar tune. What's that tune? It could be "O Holy Night" or "Winter Wonderland." It could be "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" or "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I don't even think about it -- I just start humming or singing. And then... a quick scroll through the DVR menu might find me stopping at some of the saved holiday movies or TV specials about "crazy lights" or "extreme" Halloween/holiday celebrations and wondering if I should watch them (I usually don't).

Next, Memorial Day weekend rolls around and I begin thinking about the long, hot summer ahead, praying for the sweet, merciful relief of fall! The Theme Week Countdown in this thread begins in late July, and that will take us all the way through the start of fall, through Halloween and right up to the doorstep of the start of the "official" holiday season at Disneyland Resort! By mid-September, my own personal holiday season has already begun -- because that's when Halloween Time begins at Disneyland, and I kind of lump Halloween into the holiday season even though it's really not technically a part of it.

So I just have to make it through the hot, hot summer and get to September and then it's non-stop holiday fun for me, for the next several months!

 

[mzspaz]

Thanks Sherry E but there is only so much resting one can do. Plus it seems that all there is on TV this weekend is travel shows and beach movies. That was enough to inspire me!!!!

I'm hoping to cover the parks in 3 days but we will have a flexible option to add on a 4th day if need be.

Surprisingly, and don't throw anything at me, I am looking forward more to the San Diego part of our trip! I'm glad we are doing this at the end as we plan to do some relaxing. We will be staying on Shelter Island and enjoying some beautiful views.

Funny thing...the other day I caught my son humming a Christmas song. I understand his excitement for Christmas but I told him it was a little too early

 

[Sherry E]

I know there are a lot of folks out there who are going to be first-time holiday visitors to DLR this year. Please don't hesitate to speak up and join in! This thread is here for discussion!

Thanks Sherry E but there is only so much resting one can do. Plus it seems that all there is on TV this weekend is travel shows and beach movies. That was enough to inspire me!!!!

I'm hoping to cover the parks in 3 days but we will have a flexible option to add on a 4th day if need be.

Surprisingly, and don't throw anything at me, I am looking forward more to the San Diego part of our trip! I'm glad we are doing this at the end as we plan to do some relaxing. We will be staying on Shelter Island and enjoying some beautiful views.

Funny thing...the other day I caught my son humming a Christmas song. I understand his excitement for Christmas but I told him it was a little too early

mzspaz -

No throwing of objects from me! San Diego is beautiful -- no doubt about it. It sounds like a nice, relaxing way to cap off the trip -- after the fun and merriment of the holidays at DLR.

I think that the Christmas songs seep into our brains and start trickling out unconsciously, months in advance! So I think it happened to your son as well! I never plan to start humming or singing Christmas songs while doing household chores or sitting at the computer, and sometimes I do hum/sing other things. But then, all of a sudden, a familiar Yuletide melody washes over me and I have to hum! I think that if it is something catchy it will stick in our minds whether it's the right season for it or not -- or even whether it's good or not.

For example, I have that terrible new Jennifer Lopez song stuck in my head -- and I can't stand it! I don't want it to be in my head, but that's where it is!

 

[lucysmom]

I love Christmas music! Every year my DH makes a new disk of holiday music selections for us to enjoy. He starts looking for unique and traditional tunes starting in July. It is a labor of love and we start listening to it on November 1st. The holiday season lasts two months for us and it seems to go by so quickly. We just can't get enough Christmas!

 

[Sherry E]

I love Christmas music! Every year my DH makes a new disk of holiday music selections for us to enjoy. He starts looking for unique and traditional tunes starting in July. It is a labor of love and we start listening to it on November 1st. The holiday season lasts two months for us and it seems to go by so quickly. We just can't get enough Christmas!

lucysmom --

Does your DH look for different versions of the same songs each year (like different versions of "Silent Night" or whatever), or does he try to find lesser known holiday songs?

You know what's interesting? I enjoy Christmas songs -- if I happen to hear them or bust out into a hum-fest while washing dishes -- but they seem to really move me and cause goose bumps closer to the season. Know what I mean? I can listen to "O Holy Night" right now and think that it is a beautiful melody, but if I listen to it just a month or two before Christmas it feels so much more dramatic and powerful! It's all part of being wrapped up in that imaginary cozy Christmas blanket that I often speak of. It's a bubble of holiday wonderfulness.

Didn't you say last year that your holiday season basically starts with Halloween as well (as does mine)? I know that Halloween is not technically part of the holiday season, but in my mind it is -- and because DLR starts their celebration of Halloween in September and ends their holiday season in early January, it's like a glorious 4-month holiday season for me!

Try to catch those specific Hallmark movies I found on YouTube if you can -- I think you'd probably enjoy them!

 

[Phoenixrising]

There's a soft rock station locally where I live, that around the last week of Nov, switches to all Christmas music exclusively till the end of Dec. They play the popular Christmas songs, along with the more obscure one's such as Dominque the Christmas donkey and Six White Boomers. I switch from my usual country station to the Christmas music station as soon as they start playing the Christmas tunes. It drives DH nut's, but I don't care.

 

[lucysmom]

John finds new artists singing traditional songs as well as more unique songs. It all started with our daughter loving a Perry Como cassette tape. We had to fast forward and rewind over and over so she could hear Frosty, Rudolph, and Jingle Bells! To avoid that fiasco the following year, John created a disc of holiday favorites. He is going to create his thirteenth disc this year! Each one is a family treasure.

It's funny! Each member of our family brings a different gift to our Christmas. John brings the gift of music. I bring the gift of holiday cookies using the same recipes my mother used. Our son used to bring the gift of lights. But, now that he is an adult, he hasn't been home for the holidays as much. For the past two years he has given us the gift of a Disney holiday trip, and since they have the best light displays, I guess he is still giving the gift of Christmas lights! Our DD brings the gift of childhood. Well, up until last year she did. She hung on to Santa longer than most, but at 15 she
surrendered. So we will have to see what her special gift will be.

I will definitely be watching the holiday movies. I hope I can find one of my favorites, A Grandpa for Christmas. It has Ernest Borgnine in it. Such a delight!! Thank you for sharing, Sherry!

 

[Sherry E]

[

There's a soft rock station locally where I live, that around the last week of Nov, switches to all Christmas music exclusively till the end of Dec. They play the popular Christmas songs, along with the more obscure one's such as Dominque the Christmas donkey and Six White Boomers. I switch from my usual country station to the Christmas music station as soon as they start playing the Christmas tunes. It drives DH nut's, but I don't care.

Trish -

Now, see, I think that starting to listen to Christmas or holiday music in late November is normal for most people. (I'm not normal, so I will listen to it as soon as it starts up on certain stations at the very beginning of November...or sooner than that!) Thanksgiving is over or just about to end at that point, and most people are transitioning into Christmas mode. So I am surprised that your husband would dislike that you were listening to that music at the end of November!

I think that beginning to play Christmas songs at a certain point each year is all part of the process of getting people into the spirit (and some folks need more help getting into the spirit than others). It's a gradual build-up over the weeks, and music is a big part of creating the overall mood and feeling that continues on through December 25th, or through December 31st, or through January 6th, or whatever each person's personal end date of the season may be. Music literally and figuratively sets the tone for the holiday. Some folks secretly sneak in some holiday music much earlier than they would care to admit. Others start right at the end of November, as you do. Some folks can't stand to listen to it until the week of Christmas!

I've seen some online commentary (can't remember where) that indicated a lot of people only thought it was "acceptable" to listen to Christmas/holiday music 2 weeks or one week before December 25th! Anything earlier than that time frame they created for themselves was "too soon," and there was clearly "something wrong" with those of us who wanted to listen to it in November, let alone in early November (or earlier than that)!

I think that everyone needs to do whatever they need to do in terms of when or if they decide to listen to holiday music, when or if they decide to decorate, when or if they decide to do anything to celebrate the season at all, etc. It's a personal and individual choice, based on opinions and beliefs and circumstances. I think it gets to be a bit...what's the word...controversial, let's say, when the people who choose to not decorate, watch holiday movies or listen to holiday music until 2 weeks before Christmas are forced to listen to Christmas songs and see Christmas merchandise and décor in stores much sooner than they are prepared to deal with. Then, many of those folks will scowl and grumble at those of us who enjoy the early signs of Christmas! It's like they blame us for the fact that all of that stuff comes out early, simply because there are some of us who enjoy it! There doesn't appear to be a happy medium that pleases everyone.

These days, though, because time flies so quickly and it seems that everything is so fast-paced now, I really think that, for a major holiday such as Christmas and all of the things that it entails (the decorating, the travel, the entertaining or attending parties, the gift giving/buying/shopping, the cooking/baking, etc.), it is necessary for a lot of families to get started at least a full month ahead of time, if not much more than that, with preparations and plans. Often that will mean that the preparations have to begin before Thanksgiving, if there is not a full 4-week month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Halloween is becoming a bigger, more prominent, holiday with each passing year, and more preparation and planning has to go into that for many families as well, so people need to get a big jump start on it, way in advance.)

Thanksgiving may involve a lot of effort for families if they cook the meal and have the guests over, or if they have to travel, but there generally are not as many activities and things to tend to for the Thanksgiving holiday as there are for Christmas. People generally don't "go all out" with Thanksgiving decorations or attend the office Thanksgiving party, for example. So it doesn't require as much of a jump start in preparation, unless a trip is involved!

In any case, my point is that seasonal music sets the tone for getting into the mood to do all of that preparation and planning, and if someone feels it is necessary to listen to "Frosty the Snowman" in September (or in May!) to get into the right frame of mind, they should be able to do so freely, without guilt!

John finds new artists singing traditional songs as well as more unique songs. It all started with our daughter loving a Perry Como cassette tape. We had to fast forward and rewind over and over so she could hear Frosty, Rudolph, and Jingle Bells! To avoid that fiasco the following year, John created a disc of holiday favorites. He is going to create his thirteenth disc this year! Each one is a family treasure.

It's funny! Each member of our family brings a different gift to our Christmas. John brings the gift of music. I bring the gift of holiday cookies using the same recipes my mother used. Our son used to bring the gift of lights. But, now that he is an adult, he hasn't been home for the holidays as much. For the past two years he has given us the gift of a Disney holiday trip, and since they have the best light displays, I guess he is still giving the gift of Christmas lights! Our DD brings the gift of childhood. Well, up until last year she did. She hung on to Santa longer than most, but at 15 she
surrendered. So we will have to see what her special gift will be.

I will definitely be watching the holiday movies. I hope I can find one of my favorites, A Grandpa for Christmas. It has Ernest Borgnine in it. Such a delight!! Thank you for sharing, Sherry!

lucysmom --

What a wonderful tradition to have in your family -- each member contributing some sort of element/gift (and it doesn't have to be a store bought gift) to celebrate the holiday. With the exception of the Disney trip, it sounds like something almost any family could do -- and it wouldn't have to cost very much money. For example, in place of lights (if someone didn't have money to buy lights) there are other ways to decorate inside the home and items that can be used as clever décor.

Now you've got me curious as to what your DD will contribute to this year's Christmas celebration at your home! Is she creative? Maybe she can bring the gift of creativity, and make some special cards or ornaments for a tree?

You may be able to find A Grandpa for Christmas on YouTube. There are a lot of unexpected treasures on there -- things that I never expected to find. I was surprised to see the 3 movies from 2013 (Snow Bride -- for which I just posted a review on IMDB a couple of days ago, under a different name; A Very Merry Mix-Up; and A Snow Globe Christmas) in their full-length versions on YouTube, since they are new-ish, and I don't think Hallmark and Lifetime have made them available for viewing outside of their channels or websites yet (and I don't think they are on their websites right now), nor have they been released on DVD. I saw lots of video "clips" but not the full versions of most things. It's possible that Hallmark and Lifetime may get wind of those movies being there and make YouTube take them down, but I don't know how it all works. Maybe the people who posted the full-length versions were allowed to do so.

In any case, I think I'm going to review more movies and TV shows on IMDB -- that was fun!