Shane Rhyne

Not every moment of the Christmas season is holly jolly. There is always a good opportunity to let darker thoughts in as we stress over financial problems, miss loved ones who are no longer with us, and reflect on another year slipping into history. It’s okay to acknowledge that sadness during the dark times of the calendar year and to share in that sadness with others. What is missing from the unrelenting optimism of the consumer-version of Christmas is the opportunity for a wistful slow dance to a sad song with a loved one and sharing memories of what has troubled us this year. Without it, there’s not much hope for hope, is there?

Christmas–which always seemed to me as if American consumer culture wanted it to be a Spring holiday with its message of joy and birth and excitement– is an ideal holiday for the winter. Winter and the end of the calendar year bring about a natural melancholy. But, there is hope, whether you celebrate the arrival of the solstice or a child, that the dark times are nearly over; the sun will return soon enough.

It is no accident that so many cultures and religions take this moment of the year to have a celebration that is based on the promise that these dark times cannot last. Next year, each variation of the winter feast and ritual tells us, all our troubles will be miles away. It’s a nice thought and I buy into it completely.

It is probably why Judy Garland’s version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is such an unlikely popular holiday song. Let’s face it, the song is laced with depression, but also built on hope. It’s worth noting that the original version was much more dark with the opening line of “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last.” Take that pleasant thought to bed, little Margaret O’Brien. Instead, the directors of the movie asked for a re-write that– while sad– might still inspire thoughts toward hanging tinsel rather than oneself. There must be hope, after all.

It’s little wonder the song gained such favor with American GIs during World War II. While many holiday tunes revel in a manufactured optimism and act as if life is always a scene from a Currier and Ives, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas acknowledges that not every winter provides a wonderland. I can respect that. The soldiers could, too, I suppose. But, the song also provides hope that the nostalgic memories of yesterday might be revived or, at least, that better days are promised to us ahead.

For a variety of reasons my thoughts (as likely your own) turn dark this holiday season. As we pull ourselves out of the rubble of the economic trainwreck of 2008-09 and as our thoughts turn to the people we miss, I think its perfectly okay to celebrate a holiday built around the idea that we’ll muddle through somehow. Otherwise, what’s the point?

So, here’s this week’s Song of the Week– Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas as sung by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis (not the more “cheerful” lyrics rewritten later for Frank Sinatra). As a bonus, I’ve also provided a link to an interview NPR’s Terry Gross conducted with Hugh Martin, the song’s creator, on Fresh Air a few years ago.