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Living in the Bay Area is, at times, synonymous for living under the yoke of political correctness. Somehow over the years at Christmas time in the Bay Area, it has become more and more de rigueur to sing Christmas Songs in public instead of Christmas Carols. In other words, it is perfectly acceptable to dream of a "White Christmas," but not to express "Joy to World the Lord has come."

While I do love chestnuts roasting on an open fire, I notice that most people do not know all the lyrics to Christmas songs and the average non-Ella Fitzgerald voice certainly cannot sing the melody of "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" without considerable pitch problems. Judy Garland had the pipes and vocal economy to bring sweet pathos to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," but most of today's R&B chanteuses powerhouse through with dismal flourishy results.

In comparison, many people know the first chorus to "O Come All Ye Faithful," or at least they can sing the melody if you give them a lyric sheet. Not to mention the people who you didn't know could sing at all, yet suddenly bust out into an appropriate harmony when they get to the "Glo-or-or-or-or-or-ia" part. And while Elvis may be the King, does "Blue Christmas" really give you that ultimate warm fuzzy feeling? No, I think "Silent Night" wins the international award for conjuring up childhood Norman Rockwell waves of nostalgia.

Somehow we have all tricked ourselves into believing that if we don't sing the "Jesus Christmas songs" then it is a PC OK! I hate to break the news to everyone, but the Jewish and Muslim religions don't have Christmas at all and the very word Christmas has a big fat Christ in it. My point? Don't bother eradicating traditional Carols in favor of less familiar Christmas Songs that only trained voices can sing well. They are all Christmas tunes in the end.

The key to multiculturalism is embracing and promoting other people's cultures, not watering down your own. So learn some songs for the days of Eid and trust me, Tom Lehrer's "Hanukkah in Santa Monica" seems to be a big hit with the audiences every time I sing it.

Have a Happy New Year, and here is a mp3 gift for your Christmas playlist next year.

P.S. Did I mention we don't have to pay songwriter royalties on the Carols? 'Nuff said!