We’ve all experienced this – you’re walking around Lowe’s looking for extra leaf bags (and maybe your kid) and come across a 20ft Christmas inflatable, followed by an entire section dedicated to Christmas. Later that month, you gather with friends and family, stuff your face with turkey, and take a nice five-hour nap whilst listening to the Detroit Lions play their annual Thanksgiving game. You’re smiling, everyone’s enjoying themselves, and you think to yourself “life doesn’t get better than this.”
Sorry to burst your bubble, but life gets exponentially better than this. How so? Well, when trying to fall asleep but can’t because your stomach feels like a ticking bomb ready to explode, you suddenly hear “ I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need…” You smirk, knowing Christmas songs are playing on all radio stations 24/7, with Christmas season being back.
Roughly 65% of the population believes Christmas songs shouldn’t be played prior to December 1st, in addition to 56% believing the Christmas decorations are up too early. I’m the 35 and 44% who wake up and tell their Alexa to play Last Christmas; who gets dressed while watching the music station on their TV; whose mood can change in an instant at the sheer sound of jovial, jolly music playing; who goes to hardware stores just to admire the inflatable snowman and Santa, wanting to overstock on lights, too.
Now, some people’s reasoning for why music is played “too early” is because it overlooks Thanksgiving, and it “ruins the vibe” for the fall season – again, absolutely preposterous takes.
Firstly, it is never too early to listen to Christmas music. Christmas music is a different type of music – it’s an uplifting, feel-good genre that provides the necessary nostalgia. You’re telling me listening to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Donny Hathaway, and Brenda Lee doesn’t make you want to dance in the middle of a snow-covered street?
Secondly, “ruining the vibe” is completely outlandish, in part to their precious autumn being filled with the same weather experienced in winter – cold, windy conditions that make you say “ why’s it this cold; it’s not even December yet?” Ruining a vibe would be putting up decorations and playing music in summer, when the weather is 96 degrees, you’re sweating like there’s no tomorrow, and resort to listening to summer songs, like Jackie Chan or Watermelon Sugar.
When the weather and conditions are subsequently the same, no vibe is being ruined, just embraced and greeted with open arms.
So yeah, maybe Christmas is too early for some. Seeing decorations in November, seeing inflatables in every yard, and hearing music prior to or right after Thanksgiving is a little incessant and excessive; however, these are the Debbie Downers of the world who embrace the Scrooge mentality and might not completely despise Christmas, but definitely don’t enjoy the early signs of it.
I wouldn’t mind Christmas all-year round. With Christmas only a couple weeks away, I’ll be enjoying all of it — watching 25 movies in 25 days, blasting music, drinking hot chocolate, and all of the other Christmas traditions. Doesn’t get much better than that, right?
