By Jackson Wedel, Staff Writer; Taryn Yee, Staff Writer
The winter holiday season brings with it a unique atmosphere, a renewed sense of joy, and its own traditions, like Christmas music. Often, this music is the highlight of people’s holiday season, and helps set the mood for the coming festivities. However, there is one constant debate surrounding it: when should people start listening to it?
According to various polls, by far the most common opinion is that Christmas music should start after Thanksgiving. Others object, and begin listening to music before Thanksgiving (in some extreme cases, before Halloween). In this article, Prospector staff writers Taryn Yee (T) and Jackson Wedel (J) attempt to determine once and for all when people should start listening to their favorite holiday music.
T: Christmas music itself isn’t so bad, but when the radio suddenly switches from regular music to holiday tunes the day after Thanksgiving, it loses its value and excitement very quickly. People who turn on Christmas music before the month of December spread holiday cheer a little too early. It seems as if Thanksgiving is just another obstacle prolonging ‘the most wonderful time of the year,’ and playing music seems to erase that date straight off the calendar. The commercialized nature of Christmas correlates it as a holiday more centered around giving and receiving, and the music associated with it disregards the feeling of gratefulness that accompanies Thanksgiving.
J: Overall, I disagree with the notion that Christmas music undermines Thanksgiving because the majority of Christmas songs do not actually revolve around gift-giving and consumerism. Most Christmas music focuses on the very same themes that Thanksgiving emphasizes: family, togetherness, and kindness. Holiday classics like “Jingle Bells”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, “Deck The Halls”, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”, “White Christmas”, and so many more do not mention presents at all, instead emphasizing other prominent elements of the holiday. The songs simultaneously increase anticipation for Christmas and add to the Thanksgiving mood.
T: Regardless if it reflects the values set forth by Thanksgiving, it’s still inevitably tied to Christmas. While I have the luxury of aux in my car, there are those of us that have to hear the same songs repeated on the radio. Part of what makes the holiday so special is the anticipation of waiting for it all year. Like Jackson argued, music adds to the excitement. However, when it’s played in November it causes the arrival of Christmas to be somewhat anticlimactic. At that point, the suspense has been drawn out and when December finally arrives, the magic of Christmas has been diminished by its overbearing presence in every department store.
J: Being forced to listen to Christmas music before you feel the holiday season would definitely become irritating fast. However, there is absolutely nothing forcing you to listen to this music if you do not want to. Sacramento’s own holiday radio station does not start playing until a few days before Thanksgiving, giving people lots of time to listen to whatever music they want to without any hindrances whatsoever. Therefore, it seems unfair for people to govern when others should listen to Christmas music if it is so avoidable.
T: As for my most controversial take yet? Christmas music is annoying and overplayed. While I don’t mind it during December there are some songs I can’t seem to escape. Christmas classics quickly become worn out, and the sound of bells and carolers are only palatable in small quantities. Call me a Grinch, but the soundtrack that accompanies December should honestly only play during December. Singing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving, at the risk of everyone else’s sanity, is Grinch-like in itself.
J: Obviously, it is impossible to argue about whether Christmas music is annoying or not, because that is simply a matter of personal opinion. However, arguing that all Christmas music can be summed up with bells and carolers is fairly reductive. Lots of Christmas songs have completely different flavors to them. For example, the various Christmas songs written by popular artists of their times, like “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “Last Christmas”, have completely different moods. Whether you like pop, rock, metal, or any other genre, there are Christmas songs that fit those tastes. In fact, many of these songs work fine outside of the Christmas time period. Therefore, while I agree that Christmas music can often be repetitive, there are plenty of songs to listen to that fit anyone’s personal tastes.