SFDB noted last week that Love 94, a station here in Miami, was playing Christmas music already.

Okay, I’ve lived in Florida a total of ten years (three in the early 1970’s when I was in college and now since 2001) and I’m still not totally used to the idea of hearing about snow glistening in the lane and chestnuts roasting on an open fire when it’s 70 and sunny, but even when I lived in Michigan, they held off the “songs of the season” until after Thanksgiving. It’s probably because the economy sucks that the commercials are already pushing the meme of the perfect gift instead of waiting until Black Friday. But I still think it’s too soon.

Don’t get me wrong. Even though I’m a Quaker and we don’t make a big deal out of Christmas, I love the music, both secular and sacred. It evokes fond memories of childhood and the music itself — especially the choral works — is some of the most beautiful music ever written. But it’s also appropriate for a particular time. Play it out of the season and we don’t appreciate it for all of its depth and meaning.

Call it my own little war on Christmas, Bill O’Reilly, but I would be all in favor of keeping the carols and the jingles and the flying reindeer and especially that little brat with the pa-rum-pa-pum-pum in storage until the Thanksgiving turkey is a rotting carcass in the landfill.