Something Special About December: Rocking and rolling all night with the Kissmas Tree

If there is room in the Christmas songbook for both Mahalia Jackson singing a majestic version of “Ave Maria” and the Singing Dogs barking a silly “Jingle Bells,” then there is space among the holiday treasures for what we call the Kissmas Tree.

I’m not sure why, but I’m drawn to the goofy battery operated, music-playing Christmas electronics. 

And today’s Something Special About December is about the best one I’ve ever found.

Once the Christmas items hit the shelves, I start hitting buttons. Most of these dancing Santas, reindeer or whatever seem to play “Jingle Bell Rock” and they’re fun for a moment or two.

Then one year at the local Meijer I came across this pudgy Christmas tree with sunglasses and a guitar. I hit the button and what to my wondering ears did I hear, but not “Jingle Bell Rock” but the opening chords to Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

And sure enough, there’s a voice that sounds somewhat like Gene Simmons – and kind of looks like him, too -- bursting into Christmas lyrics to the tune of the Kiss classic, leading to a chorus of, “I wanna rocking Christmastime and rocking, rolling New Year!”

This is awesome!

Mind you, I’m not looking for anything too deep here. There’s plenty of time to reflect on the big stuff. This is a blinking, dancing, guitar-strumming evergreen busting out a Kiss song, ending with “Merry Christmas, and rock and roll! YEAH!”

I love it. As Bono says, three chords and the truth!

The cat doesn’t. That’s Tug yowling in the background in the video. Or maybe he’s singing along. There’s a Cat Man in Kiss, after all.