For those of you eagerly awaiting a glimpse at our Christmas Eve festivities, keep in mind that my family gradually moved away from the traditional twelve courses of fish over the decades. Instead last night was an eating orgy of antipasto, chicken liver, shrimp cocktail, baked polenta caprese, calamari/scallop/shrimp salad, baked ziti, meatballs, sausage, roast turkey, Italian bread, and salad, with our traditional dessert of zeppoles and cookies cookies cookies!

So who can possibly eat baked ham for Christmas dinner now? Believe me, we’ll try... ☺

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Like many people, I enjoy listening to Christmas songs. But since I am primarily a rock and roller, most of my favorites come from the rock genre. So here are my favorite Christmas songs:

1. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24, by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which is really a front for composer/arrange Paul O’Neill (no, not that Paul O’Neil, Yankee fans). This song is the centerpiece of their fabulous Christmas Eve and Other Stories album and is the type of “classical thunder” which I really enjoy.

2. Father Christmas, by the Kinks. The Kinks are my favorite recording group, and Ray Davies is definitely my favorite lyricist. His combination of social satire and biting humor are displayed at their best in this look at what Christmas really means to less fortunate kids.

3. Happy Christmas, by John Lennon. Paul McCartney might be the better pop musician, but John Lennon had the ability to write haunting songs that strike an emotional chord. I still cannot listen to Imagine without getting choked up a bit.

4. Santa Claus is Coming to Town, by Bruce Springsteen. Who else but The Boss could take an old chestnut and turn it into a rocking classic? Great stuff.