The Music of Christmas, by Cindy Hwang, Lori's editor

When Lori first asked me to do a guest blog on Christmas, I agreed with no idea whatsoever on what to blog about. Don't get me wrong--I love Christmas, but blogging, not so much.

At first I came up with the idea to write about Christmas romances and how much I adore reading Christmas romance anthologies, especially the Signet Regency anthologies, but then Karen Solem told me she was going to write about Christmas anthologies in her blog, so out went that idea. Then I came up with food--specifically, all the yummy food I usually binge on during the holidays. But I've made an early New Year's resolution to eat healthier and to try to lose some weight (in a moment of insanity I figured over the holidays was a great time to begin to watch my eating habits), and writing about food makes me hungry, and depriving myself of mouth-watering Christmas goodies makes me cranky, so...out went that idea as well. Stoopid slowed-down metabolism!

So then I started to really think about how I celebrate Christmas in New York, and I realized that there was one thing that had been--slowly but surely--developing into an important part of the whole Christmas experience for me, and that was music. From secular to religious, Christmas music is everywhere in New York after Thanksgiving. And I do mean everywhere--musicians play in on the streets, under ground in the subway stations, and on the subway trains as well. Stores pipe it in the aisles, and department stores even pipe it outside so that the elaborate window displays have a soundtrack. It's on the radio, and there are countless holiday concerts as well. And in the last few years, some of my friends and I have established a new Christmas tradition--we always attend Clay Aiken's Christmas concerts.

Some of you I'm sure are familiar with Clay Aiken from his American Idol days, and others are familiar with his pop albums. I've been a big fan of his from the very beginning, and have always gone to his pop concerts. When I first heard that he was going to do Christmas concerts as well, I was less excited because I really love his pop concerts. But I decided to go to one anyway--his voice is fabulous, no matter what he's singing.

Well, this is the third year Clay has been doing Christmas concerts, and they're now a highlight of my entire year. Not only do I adore his Christmas concerts, so do my friends, and we've made it a tradition to attend one together every year now. Sometimes it'll be the only time in a very busy season that I'll see some of them at all, and I'm grateful that the concerts help us make time for each other.

I've already gone to Clay's Christmas concert this year, and my friends and I are already planning for next year's. So whenever I play Clay's Christmas album, I'll think of my friends and smile, knowing that like one of my favorite Christmas song says, "Faithful friends who are dear to us, travel near to us once more."

Do you too have a favorite holiday CD or artist?
What about a special tradition that you celebrate with your friends, family and loved ones? I hope so.

May you have yourself a merry little Christmas now!

Cindy Hwang
Executive Editor