I can think of one - auld lang syne. Are there any others? Why not? If anything, New Year’s is celebrated by everyone whereas Christmas isn’t.
This is an mostly a cultural thing, other cultures do have plenty of songs about the New Year
It’s usually not classified this way, but I consider 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall a New Year’s song. It combines two of the main NYE traditions – alcohol and counting backwards.
Because New Years isn’t about boosting sales of consumer goods.
Fireworks I guess?
And plastic champagne glasses. And those l little headbands with the year on top.
Pretty limited compared to Xmas though.
Don’t forget the year glasses! Although those peaked in the 2000s (with a resurgence in 2020)
2002 was the ultimate
And gym memberships.
By most accounts, 25 Dec as a day in the calendar is a historical accident. The boy was probably not born in winter. Calendar problems, ancient Roman holidays, and the proximity to the winter solstice made this a historical game of telephone until a pope just set it in stone (some orthodox churches don’t agree but January is probably only marginally more correct for his birthday).
Traditionally, Christmas lasted so long it usurped solar new years. On the 8th day of Christmas my sweetheart gave to me … a shitload of weird stuff. Mostly birds, for some reason.
Correct me if I’m wrong here but isn’t in UK English “Christmas” still used to describe the whole year end period encompassing the year change. To me they are two close but still separate events with a bit of decorational overlap. So I understand your question why there aren’t more New Years songs. But the answer may simply be: history and tradition. People tolerate Christmas tunes until the 31st and then they’re all cheered out. And NY for most is just a reminder that it’s back to work now.
“What are you doing New Years, New Years Eve?” Its a jazz standard.
Lots of Christmas songs are actually just winter songs.
Frosty the snowman
Jingle bells
Winter wonderland
Sleigh ride
I’m willing to bet that people aren’t playing those songs in southern hemisphere winter.
Nope, we only play them in summer at Christmas time. It’s weird when you think about it, but it’s totally normal at the same time.
I think they might. We should find someone from Dunedin.
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That’s true, but you don’t really hear them being played once christmas is over
After three months, we’re ready for them to go.
Jingle bells
And its ugly cousin, Jingle Bell Rock. “Dancin’ and prancin’” is clearly a reference to Santa’s reindeer, but it has enough plausible deniability that it could be argued it’s not strictly a Christmas song.
Jingle bells and sleigh ride reference modern christmas traditions (Santa)
They reference sleighs because they are (were) a practical and fun way of getting around in winter. Sleighs are associated with Santa but the songs aren’t about his sleigh.
Jingle Bells was originally drinking song, not related to Christmas at all.
Nope, it was written for a minstrel show, to mock black folks. The songwriter later moved south to join the confederacy.
Does “We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” count for both?
It does, but it’s only good for up to Dec. 25th. After that it can’t be used as a New Year’s song.
I’m french Canadian and we have plenty of “rigaudon” for the new year.
Christmas is more of an industry than a holiday, thus all the products and goods made to market it.
Because we all actually hate New Years.
New Year’s is celebrated by everyone
More so than Christmas, perhaps—but you still have people with different calendars (Chinese, Jewish, Muslim, etc.).
That’s a good point. I wonder if there are many songs dedicated to new year for people following those calendars?
Just guessing but you (and I) probably have a euro centric view of it.
We are only listening to songs in English by artists that are western individuals.
I bet if we look at songs in asia and Africa it’s a different story
Taylor Swift - New Years Day
I think Christmas is just a bigger event. Christmas has work Christmas parties, some holidays, family gatherings, gifts, etc etc spanning usually the whole month of December. New Years is just one evening which is usually just spent with a few friends or family and requires nothing special except staying up late.
Yes I think you’re right - there’s a lot of lead-up to christmas and it’s usually a time where you come together over a few days. Whereas NYE is one evening, and it doesn’t involve special food or presents etc. (just lots of booze)
I heard once that in the early days of printing (and literacy) most of Europe’s reading material was made for or by the church. And one of the things that was very popular at various points in the 16th century were books of hymns, many of which contained old latin hymns turned Christmas carols. It doesn’t explain the lack of New Years songs, but it may be why we continue to have so many Christmas songs compared to every other holiday.
Semisonic — “This Will Be My Year”
The Mountain Goats — “This Year”
Counting Crows — “Long December”
Kutless — “Vow”
Ohh a good selection, thanks!
For other non-X-mas winter songs, consider:
The Head & the Heart — “Winter Song”
Dar Williams — “February”
Tacocat — “Snow Day”
New Year’s is celebrated by everyone
I mean, for a lot of people the lunar new year is more significant than the solar new year.
In any case, I guess it’s twofold—the proximity of xmas and solar new year mean that a lot of christmas songs double as new years songs, and also that there’s more culture and tradition associated with christmas than with the solar new year.
