After blogging for four months straight, I decided to give it a rest for a while until I thought of something to say. I finally did, and somehow it involves yest another list of Christmas songs.

“But Tim, it’s January. Christmas is long over.”

Very true, imaginary reader in my head, but this is a special list of songs. As I mentioned on the podcast about a year ago, I think we expand the celebration of Christmas the wrong direction. We’re so busy planning parties, buying presents, preparing food, wrapping presents, lying to our kids about Santa, etc. We don’t have time to enjoy the holiday. But when December 26 hits, all that stress is gone. NOW you can really kick back and enjoy some Christmas cheer…except the world has already moved on.

But I’m still ready to sing carols! Fortunately I’ve made a list of my five favorite Christmas songs…that have nothing to do with Christmas. No Jesus, no presents, no Santa…nothing to do with the actual holidays themselves. Therefore, I say we should be allowed to continue singing the following well into February…

5) Sleigh Ride

No Christmas here. Just a song about a bunch of cold fools mucking about in a sleigh. Last I checked, most of the country is still covered in snow. Seems like we can keep singing this at least until it thaws. Speaking of snow…

4) Let It Snow

Yup. Listen to that whole song if you like. You won’t find one mention of Christmas. Just a guy who’s using the snow storm as an excuse to put the moves on his lady. (But in a much less creepy way than “Baby It’s Cold Outside.) Speaking of winter romance…

3) Winter Wonderland

Maybe it’s just because I’ve lived my whole life in California, but I’ve always associated snowy winters with Christmas. But the truth is, after Christmas is gone, we still have almost 3 months of winter left to go. So why not grab that special someone, go for a nice walk in the snow? Sleigh bells ring…are you listening? Speaking of bells (yes I’m doing cheesy segues for every single number on this list)

2) Jingle Bell Rock

I know what you’re thinking (That is a lie. I have no idea what you’re thinking. I know what I HOPE you’re thinking because it will lead me into my next point)…

“Okay maybe Jingle Bell Rock doesn’t mention the word ‘Christmas,’ but it’s clearly a reference to arguably the most memorable Christmas song ever, Jingle Bells.”

You are both right and wrong, straw man I’ve made up to make my points. The song certainly DOES reference Jingle Bells, but speaking of Jingle Bells…

1) Jingle Bells

Doesn’t that blow your earmuffs off? The king of all Christmas carols doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas. Just more people gallivanting in the snow. Most of these could be reclassified as “winter carols.” Regardless, I don’t want to see any funny looks when I’m still singing these for the next few weeks. As long as it’s winter time and the air is still frosty, I declare we should all be able to sing these songs. Speaking of frosty.

Honorable Mention: Frosty the Snowman

My wife came up with this one. I wasn’t going to include this at first. I mean, the character of Frosty has become so attached to Christmas, he probably makes it into a few ill-informed nativity scenes. But if you really listen to the song, it’s just about a snowman who comes to life, plays with some kids, and then runs away. Why can’t he come to life on Valentine’s Day? Way to go, wife of mine! You’re doin’ it!