Oh my and what?!
Yes, I started listening to Christmas music, a lot, on October 1st. It is a ritual I have for the holidays. I figure if the stores can put Christmas lights next to the Halloween decorations, I can surely play my Christmas music!
I posted on Facebook how this crazy person loves Christmas and finds any excuse to play the music early.
The comments I got back were mostly supportive…and if they didn’t agree, at least they were nice about it.
Christmas is a purpose, not just a season, so listen to the music all you want!
And this:
I play it in July, in my car, with the top down and the wind in my hair!
Why do I (or we as a somewhat general population) like Christmas music or not? Why Christmas vibes in October?
Love It….or Not
Not everyone loves Christmas, and especially Christmas music. I admit it is an acquired taste. You either like it or you don’t. And, when one plays it is completely up in the air.
Some say wait until after Thanksgiving. Others say November is ok. Others, like crazy me, start in October.
According to radio stations Christmas music is OK either starting November 1st or Thanksgiving Day. What they all seem to agree on is that you must say good-bye to it at noon on Christmas Day.
I have friends that love it; like it; run from it.
Sorry to those who run from it…you just don’t know what your are missing!
Why some dislike it so much is probably for a variety of reasons:
- Too corny.
- Christmas is a sad time for them.
- They don’t believe in the true meaning of Christmas.
Those that typically shy away from Christmas, are probably also ones that run from Christmas arriving too early. (At least I guess they do…I have no firm research on it.)
Christmas Vibes
According to research by M. Ludwig, it is not unusual for people to get into the Christmas mood earlier than December and earlier than November. Society, in general, thanks to marketing, is getting programmed to think Christmas as early as October. Thank you corporate America sales and marketing research teams! My desire for Christmas in October has been justified (sort of).
In the article Christmas: an event driven by our hormones? by Ludwig, M 2011, he states:
…over the last 10 years or so, the start of the organ-isational phase has been slowly but steadily phase advanced from the classical Zeitgeber (Advent) to the beginning of October.
Stores put up Christmas lights right across from the Halloween Décor. At Wal-Mart the other day, they had about three aisles of Halloween and about five for Christmas. I was almost tempted to shop the Christmas section, but I didn’t. *Pat myself on the back for that one!*
Ludwig claims that we, as society, have neuro-responses to Christmas that literally last 365 days. Now, I did not download his article (being cheap that I am and not wanting to pay $15 for an article I will read once), but the entire idea is that we respond to Christmas in various levels all year. I would imagine quite a bit depends on how far away Christmas is (days/months) and if it just ended.
No other event in the Christian calendar has such a deep impact on our behavior as the annual event called Christmas. Christmas is not just ‘Christmas Day’; indeed, it is a long developmental rhythm with a period of almost exactly 365 days.
I think I can honestly say I agree.
I’ll base it on my recent following of Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas Facebook page. When I read comments on Facebook on their posts, I see comments such as these:
- No! Too soon!
- OM! Yea! So excited!
- Groan
- Ah! I don’t want to think about it!
Then you get the people (who technically are smart when you think about it) who have been buying Christmas presents throughout the year and are done way before Christmas. This means, no frantic shopping. This leaves time for enjoying lights, food, concerts, etc.For those of you who love Christmas and the music, yea! For you Grinchs, Bah Humbuggers and Scrooges, please bare with us Tiny Tims. It is only for two months.
Celebrations360 wrote a good blip:
People have forgotten what Christmas is and should really be about. That is the whole reason why there is Christmas in the first place. It is not to be confused with the usual holidays that has been gazetted by the government. It is a religious festival commemorating the birth of Christ, and the celebration of Emmanuel, of God being with man on earth.
And, that is something to celebrate all year!
