Hearing people complain about Christmas music playing in November is as much a sure thing as Miley Cyrus sticking her tongue out in her latest photo opp.
Look, I get it. It’s not Christmas until December, “What about Thanksgiving?!”, stores putting out decorations in September…etc.
But I’m here to defend the spirit of the season.
I was trying to hold out until after Thanksgiving this year, I really was.
But with the time change, and the nights so dark as I drive home at 5 pm, and when it dips below 70 degrees and I get to wear a jacket (hey, to this SoCal girl, anything below 70 screams “WINTER!”)…that’s when it starts to feel like the holiday season and my car radio switches to the 24/7 Christmas music station.
And to me, Christmas music is a part of the holiday season. It’s not so much that Christmas music in itself is go great—it’s about what Christmas music represents, and that’s the holiday season.
The way I see it, November is all about being thankful for the year and all the blessings you’ve received, and Christmas is all about enjoying those blessings, like spending time with your family. To me: the holidays are a feeling.
A feeling of being blessed, of being grateful for the safety and company of my family, of hot chocolate and fires in the chimney and cuddling with my husband and dog. The holidays are the time of year where I feel really connected to the rest of humanity.
It’s that time I feel like we’re all in this together and we really wish each other joy and happiness. My road rage goes down, my charity giving goes up, my heart feels full.
Yes, we should be caring and giving the whole year. But you know what? I have sh*t to do the rest of the year.
Most of the time, we’re just trying to get through life—between a full-time job, full-time graduate school, family and friend commitments, exercising and reality TV… I get by day by day, just like everyone else.
The holiday season is that time of the year where I get to step back from the day to day minutiae, and really reflect on the year, count my blessings, and sing along to Christmas music.
Yes, we should all be thankful year-round—but frankly, we’re just too busy living to actually spend time reflecting. SO I’m okay with people posting their 30 days of Thankfulness on Facebook–because as repetitive and cheesy as it is, at least people are being thankful, right?
Who cares that they’re only doing it because of Thanksgiving? That’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Give thanks?
So, if you want to, go ahead and complain about the Christmas music and how much you hate it because it’s not even Thanksgiving, and bah-humbug how dare they sing of reindeer and snowmen?!
But I’ll be over here blasting the car radio to “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year.”
Season’s Greetings.
15 comments
I love listening to Christmas music even if it’s starts playing as early as November. It doesn’t bother me at all. Thanks giving can be done at any time of the year, and it’s always there.
Now I wish there was such a thing as thanksgiving music! I never thought of that before but its true. I really do enjoy this time of the year from everything to the peppermint flavored beverages to the cheesy holiday decorations in the store windows.
Girl, you’re preaching to the choir on this one. Seriously. I’ve been listening to Christmas music the last few weeks and I’ve got no regrets. Not that I need rationalization, but I justify it because Thanksgiving is a week later this year. So there’s less time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I’m not trying to miss out on a week of Christmas music. So deal with it, Scrooges.
I don’t celebrate Christmas, but I do love this time of year =) even if the whole merry/song/gift sensationalism can get a bit out of hand!
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I love Christmas time too, but the same 50 songs played over and over again get to me after a while 🙂
This makes me smile. This is why we are friends. I do wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate but I’ve been listening to Christmas music for awhile now. And for the exact reason, the feelings the season brings. Yay!
I’ll admit, I’m a Scrooge! Just last week I had to write a rant about this exact topic – Thanksgiving gets lost between Halloween and Christmas. But….now that it’s the week of Thanksgiving, I’m feeling less Scrooge-ish. 😉
see I don’t think it gets lost at all. I think it’s just part of the overall holiday time. Frankly, I LOVE Thanksgiving because I get to pig out hardcore. Pecan pie? YES PLEASE
Me personally I love this time of year. I get happy around xmas and not sure if it’s the season or something else but I am always happy at Christmas time. I personally don’t mind the music and decorations going up early. For me it’s a reminder to send those gifts back home to family overseas (I strongly believe the post office raises their rates in December) and also to get me shopping done now-ish so I am not so stressed out later. Its like a reminder for me to get things started early.
I wont, however, where my santa hat until December 1.. But I will wear it everyday up until Christmas..
Bah, humbug.
I think it’s all about respect, really… Smokers are more than ok with others smoking around them, but that doesn’t mean they should do it publicly, especially around those that do not share the sentiment. Likewise, nobody wants excessive PDA before Valentines’ (or ever, really). Not that I am hating on the holidays, but I am giving the other side of the story. I for one will only listen to limited Christmas songs 1-2 weeks before Christmas and maybe a week after. I’m not a fan, and I’m not a fan of people forcing their ways upon me. Not everyone gets “the feeling”, and I for one would rather “feel” my way to Jan 1st and skip all of the excitement. But I won’t ever ruin anyone’s cheery mood and lightness of heart. I just don’t share the sentiment.
Comparing Christmas to smoking?? Really???
Haha, I don’t listen to Christmas music until December, but my husband keeps singing it. All I Want For Christmas is You and It’s the Most Wonderful TIme of the Year are his favorites and he gets like a quarter of the words wrong, it’s pretty hilarious.
I love Christmas music and cookies and general merriness :). Not a fan of the rampant consumerism, but I just don’t partake in that!
I really do wish I got warm fuzzy feelings about anything Christmas, and Christmas music….I mean I really, really do…but I don’t. I don’t have warm happy memories of Christmas…at least I don’t from around the time I was 12 or so. LONG story. I do feel jealous that people do have that feeling. It’s just something that you do or don’t…so yup, I hate Christmas music, but I don’t judge anyone who loves it and wouldn’t take away that right for them to enjoy it. 🙂
This is going to be a crazy holidays for us since we are going to moving in to our new to us house in the middle of December. Expenses will be up since we will be buying some things for the house. Our credit card bill is probably going to be huge and we will be forking a hefty sum towards the down payment and closing costs of the house. Yet it’s really exciting. Can’t wait!
I’m totally with you. My other thing about the Christmas music is that maybe if there was Thanksgiving music we’d be listening to that, but there isn’t. As soon as Halloween is over its the season for thanking and giving and family and friends, and I’m quite happy to have Thanksgiving and Christmas all mushed together in one big season of holidays and celebrating everything good in the world.
Happy Holidays to you too!