seasonal queries

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Every holiday song seems to contain a song of questionable seasonal-ness. Herewith a sampling to take us up to the dreaded day:

Winter Wonderland

To face, unafraid, the plans that we’ve made

At first it seems ridiculous to come across such a line in a song of holiday cheer. Why would we be talking about plans of such immensity that they might frighten us here in this song about how lovely it is to be walking in the snow. Might we be, on our wintery perambulations, contemplating the buildup in Afghanistan? Why, when bundled cozily for a winter stroll with a partner, would we be thinking about the quarterly taxes due on the business we’ve just launched? The line seems decidedly out of place.

The carol sings about having a snowman perform your nuptials. Are these the plans to which it refers? Plans to have Frosty “do the job when he’s in town”? Maybe we’re worried that these plans might cause consternation among the guests, render our marriage illegal, or simply make us look fools. It could be the boldest step anyone’s ever taken with a marriage, the wedding planner was at first shocked but came around as we discussed the possibilities for snow globe guest favors.

On further contemplation we might see it is a serious line dropped without warning into a frivolous song. A poignant reflection of our understanding that no matter how lightly we approach the lifelong commitment marriage is meant to be, it can still unearth feelings of discomfort and unease. Lightheartedness is trumped by wedding anxiety.