Thinking about cueing up some Christmas music? Think again.
Listen… I know we are quickly creeping towards the “most wonderful time of the year.” Despite the last couple of months of the year being known for the holidays, and subsequent “holiday cheer,” we may need to hold off on playing Christmas music and ringing it in early – for the sake of our health.
Call me dramatic, but the “When is the right time to start listening to Christmas music?” tears families apart, drives wedges between even the best of friends, and could even be the number one under-the-radar cause of divorces. And don’t get me wrong, Christmas is a huge deal. I love it as much as the next person. But when it comes to the music that accompanies the holiday, there are some people that feel as though it’s fair game any time of the year, and others that think Christmas music should only be enjoyed within a certain timeframe.
To get on my soapbox for just a moment, I really stand by Thanksgiving, and the basic principle that each holiday deserves its proper time and respect. October belongs to Halloween, right? No problem there. The first three or so weeks of November should belong to Thanksgiving, and then Black Friday might as well ring in the Christmas season, and take us the rest of the way to New Years.
That’s not how it works though. Most people – and certainly almost all retailers – believe that as soon as trick-or-treating is wrapped up, and the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, that marks the official start of the celebration of Christmas.
That’s just plain wrong, and I’d argue that you can dilute the most wonderful time of the year by celebrating the season too early. In fact, there’s even a psychologist by the name of Linda Blair that suggests listening to Christmas music too early can have negative effects on your mental health.
She warns that the constant and early push of Christmas tunes can actually lead one to enjoy the holiday less, since the music can trigger thoughts and pressure of Christmas chores: like buying gifts, putting together parties, and even booking holiday travel. The early cueing up of Christmas music – and the repetitive, elongated nature of it – can apparently really get under the skin of people:
“You’re simply spending all of your energy trying not to hear what you’re hearing. Christmas music is likely to irritate people if it’s played too loudly and too early.”
So if you are a part of the “Let Christmas Wait!” movement, you can cite this as a source for your argument. And according to another study, you’d be better off listening to country music instead until the time is right for the Holiday Season to take over. I know it’s tempting to de-thaw Mariah Carey and her “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” but stay strong if you can.
If you think about it (and lean on this study), waiting to cue up Christmas music until after Thanksgiving is the best move for your personal health.
“Let It Be Christmas” by Alan Jackson
That was a test.
If you clicked play on the above video (and I wouldn’t blame you if you did… hard to beat the smooth country stylings of Alan Jackson), you failed. If you scrolled down to this without letting “Let It Be Christmas” ride, you have what it takes to wait for Christmastime to play Christmas music.
