HO! HO! HO!

There are 32 days this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

There are 32 days this year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If you are a master of trivia, then perhaps you already know that this is the maximum number of days possible between the two holidays. That means a few more days to procrastinate on putting up the tree, a couple more days of Christmas promotions to help retailers get out of the red and, as anyone who’s turned on the radio lately would know, more days that your favorite station has switched exclusively to their library of holiday hits.

Apparently, 2007 is a good year for radio-worthy Christmas music. The releases of late October have brought some well-known names to the canon of Christmas collections this year. So regardless of what Billboard chart you follow—or used to follow—this season promises not to disappoint.

Frat rock gets festive with ‘80s great Rick Springfield (“Jesse’s Girl”) and his new release Christmas with You which appeared on November 6th, about one month after a holiday debut by peers from his decade, The Smithereens.

From the Contemporary Christian list, we have Relient K with their clever-but-cheesy title Let it Snow Baby… Let it Reindeer, and Jars of Clay’s Christmas Songs, certain to be a bestseller, which became available in mid-October.

On the country side of things, this year’s Christmas compilations look like a survey of any local country station’s playlist: Toby Kieth, Lonestar, and Diamond Rio—whose Christmas offering is paired with a comeback under a new label—all hit shelves before November 6. And let’s not forget to mention Hear Something Country Christmas, featuring previously released songs by Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, and Alan Jackson, and new recordings by Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler.

If you’re looking for a version of “Jingle Bells” that isn’t destined to become a radio jingle, you might want to reach into last year’s stocking. Compared to the more musically substantial holiday releases of the same time last fall—from James Taylor, Sarah McLachlan, or Aimee
Mann—the pickings are slimmer this year. Mannheim Steamroller honors the tradition of re-gifting with Christmas Song, so if you aren’t maxed out on Mannheim with the band’s three other previous Christmas titles, you can check out the new one. Over the Rhine‘s first holiday album,Snow Angels, might present some welcome refreshment from the radio, as well as Mindy Smith’s holiday album.

So settle in, snuggle down, and tune your stereo up.