Whenever I hear this song, whatever the venue or medium, I know that it's really Christmas time. Written in 1963 and recorded by Andy Williams, this song is a celebration of all the fun events associated with the end-of-year holidays. Some of the traditions are admittedly dated (scary ghost stories? A holdover from Victorian traditions), but the sentiment still holds true.
The song itself also holds a special place in my memories because it was the title of the first play that I acted in. It was the late nineties, and I had only been married for a little while. I had joined our church choir, faking my way through tenor parts by ear because I couldn't read bass clef (still suck at that part, truth be told).
This was a huge Christmas production, with sets and costumes, and taking place over several nights with city-wide publicity. We actually permanently modified our church sanctuary, cutting out a hole over the baptistry big enough for adults to walk through. My oldest daughter, Lydia, appeared with me in the opening scene, and it was the first theatrical production we did together. There would be many more with her after I assumed direction of kids' choir; she was one of my best actors and singers that I ever had.
My favorite part of the song is how it ends, with the orchestra crescendoing toward that final note as Williams and the chorus repeat the line, "It's the most wonderful time..." I'm so overcome with the Christmas spirit by the conclusion that I'm even willing to hang up Christmas lights. In fact, this song makes me feel like this:
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