Rediscovering Christmas: From sacred songs to secular joys

Why I stopped listening to “Last Christmas” — and how it won me back

I have grown weary of George Michael’s “Last Christmas” over the years. This hit song, released in December 1984, was one of the few tracks that radio stations in Lebanon consistently played during the holiday season. Then, in the mid-90s, the German band Mr. President, known for their similar sound to Ace of Base, released a Christmas version of their hit song, “Coco Jamboo,” which slightly broadened the repertoire of Christmas music on the radio.

During my first few years after moving to the U.S., I often tuned into Lite FM and Holly SXM to enjoy the seasonal tunes. I also made it a personal tradition to listen to Canadian singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt’s albums, “Elemental” and “To Drive The Cold Winter Away,” at least once during the season — a tradition that dates back to my seminary days.

However, as I delved deeper into my theological training, I no longer enjoyed commercial Christmas music. I began to critically observe how we have diminished the mystery of the incarnation of Christ, transforming it into secular celebrations marked by gift-giving, corporate parties and festivals. I questioned how Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and even Rudolph relate to Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, where no reindeer existed. Furthermore, I wondered how the pain of a romantic gesture unreciprocated in Wham’s “Last Christmas” connects to the observance of Christ’s birth — absolutely nothing!

The sleeve photo for “Last Christmas” by Wham!

I no longer wished to listen to commercial Christmas songs, and I felt irritated while shopping in malls, as holiday music played to encourage continuous consumerism. I would also nod in agreement with those who proudly displayed “Keep Christ in Christmas” bumper stickers.

I once heard a well-spoken Catholic priest jokingly say in one of his sermons that “priests in purgatory have to endure listening to every sermon they have ever preached to experience the agony they caused to people over the years.” Fortunately, as an Armenian Apostolic priest, I am exempt from this form of torture. However, I still listen to my past sermons — not just to torture myself but also to reflect on where I was mentally and spiritually when I delivered them and to see how I have grown (if at all) since then. 

In one of my Christmas sermons, I reflected on the nativity scene of Christ. The manger we set up by the Christmas tree includes baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, accompanied by some domesticated animals like cows, sheep and perhaps one donkey. It also features the shepherds from nearby and the wise men from the East. The shepherds represent the simple, uneducated and unassuming among us, while the wise men symbolize the powerful, wealthy, educated and influential. You have a place in the nativity scene, regardless of which group you identify with. 

As I heard these words replayed from an old sermon, I realized that embracing the gift of nativity is more than just a theological concept to understand intellectually. God can work within us through music and art, and the incarnation of Christ brings renewal to all creation, including hearts broken due to unreciprocated romantic gestures and the reindeer who struggles to find his role in the world, in ways unique to God and His eternal grace — means that go beyond my comprehension.

Last night, I attended my son’s high school Christmas concert. It featured performances by the school orchestra, in which my son plays the violin, as well as the chorus and the band. Each group performed a mix of Christmas carols and popular holiday songs. To my surprise, the last piece the orchestra played was Wham’s “Last Christmas.” After the orchestra finished, the chorus walked through the auditorium’s aisles and sang “Jubilate Deo.” Ironically, this beautiful Gregorian chant was followed by “Christmas Is All Around,” a song featured in the hit movie, “Love Actually.” 

The sweet blend of modern and traditional, sacred and secular music, stirred powerful emotions within me. I fondly remembered watching Dolores O’Riordan, the late singer of the Irish band The Cranberries, perform a nativity concert in the Vatican in 2001. Her blend of hit songs and Christmas carols, along with her lullaby-style singing, brought light to my heart during a time when I was going through a dark period in my life.

I reflected on my thoughts and emotions and recognized that I had returned to that sermon: There is a place for everyone in that manger, because God chose to be with us in our everyday struggles and joys. When we pray “thy kingdom come,” it is because we want God to continue being our Emmanuel as we embrace both joy and challenge in our daily lives.

Upon returning home, we watched “Love Actually” and enjoyed family time, laughing and cuddling! Later at night, I also listened to George Michael’s “Last Christmas,” and to my surprise, it sounded less cheesy than I ever remembered!

Archpriest Fr. Nareg Terterian

Archpriest Fr. Nareg Terterian

Fr. Nareg is a graduate of the Armenian Theological Seminary of the Great House of Cilicia in Antelias and has an MA in Pastoral Theology and an M.S.Ed in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from St John’s University of New York. He was ordained to the rank of priesthood on 2004. In 2005 he was assigned as the pastor of St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Douglaston, NY. Fr. Terterian is married to Yeretsgin Annie and blessed with three children: Hovsep, Laurie and Avedis. Fr. Nareg is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

2 Comments

  1. Not totally related, but today at work we had a Christmas karaoke. I did Weird Al Yankovic’s “Christmas at Ground Zero”, which depicts yuletide celebrations amid a nuclear holocaust. The music video is 1950s footage of mushroom clouds and people doing the “duck and cover” routine, complete with a clip of Ronald Reagan wishing everyone well (you can bet money Weird Al is NOT a Reagan fan).

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