Day 7: Home for the Holidays Edition

Originally posted Dec. 7, 2010

The best Christmas songs/movies/shows trade on a sense of belonging. Most go out of their way to remind you that EVERYONE is in on Christmas so you have no choice but to join in (or be tormented by the undead).

But the most enduring speak to how YOU celebrate and remember Christmas. A lot of the time, its because you associate a song with memories of Christmases past and the people you were with. But there is also the glorious ode to how your community chooses to celebrate the holiday.

That’s why I vomited in terror when I moved to D.C. and heard “Christmas Eve In Washington” — what a sappy pile. Seriously, it’s as authentic D.C. as a “You Don’t Know Me” t-shirt and bald eagle, Ronald Reagan display plates (although, Steve Earl has a MUCH different song that is listenable).

Did that mean that I would be stuck with Pleasure Santa Claus is Coming to Town or other Go-Go holiday jamz? Or should I just co-opt some James Brown for my new life gentrifying NE while dreaming of true urban Christmas identity in NYC?

Nope, it just got me nostalgic for the Christmases of my youth back in Bawlmer…

Crabs for Christmas
There are definitely better recordings of this out there, but nothing can match this video that aired on MPT. David DeBoy has apparently made quite the career off of this song as well as a bunch of others about Baltimore (Christmas and otherwise). Seriously, why don’t I own this CD … yet.

Essex Wonderland
My dad’s family still lives in Essex. That is all I really have to say about that.

Basically, I just miss all of the 98 Rock twisted tunes that were a part of Christmastime in Charm City.