“Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away…” Kasey Corra ‘22 and Annie Bratschi ‘22 were jamming away to this tune on the back of the bus one early September morning. It wasn’t long before many of us joined in, singing at the top of our lungs. What our poor bus driver thought, we never knew, but some people made it very clear that September was just way too early to listen to Christmas music. Spandana Vagwala ‘22, along with many others, replied that anytime after Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to start. Here’s a culmination of our opinions on the matter, through Team As-Early-As-Possible and Team Too-Much-of-A-Good-Thing.

Bezawit O’Neill ‘23: Team As-Early-As-Possible

  Listening to Christmas music fills the hearts of many people with pure joy and spirit. It increases their excitement, preparing them for the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas music is a very important part of the Christmas culture that brings us all together. The thought of Frosty the Snowman, jingling bells, and angels singing sweetly about a baby lying in a manger brings fond memories to each and every one of us. 

For people who are far away from home, listening to Christmas music brings wonderful memories of a certain place and time. It is a way for them to remember their childhood and bring laughter into their lives. Days leading up to Christmas can be very demanding for many people. Running around like crazy trying to find the perfect presents for their families and friends can often leave people stressed and frustrated. When they take the opportunity to let their hearts go and sing along with Christmas music, it slows them down, helping them to experience the true meaning of Christmas: finding pure joy and happiness while celebrating the birthday of our Lord. 

If Christmas music brings you joy and reminds you of good times, then start listening to it whenever you are ready. Just because Christmas is in December doesn’t mean you have to wait until then to get yourself in the mindset. There is so much suffering, sadness, and pain in our world that when something brings us joy and laughter we should take advantage of it. Just because others are not ready to hear Christmas music doesn’t mean you have to wait. After all, it is the most wonderful time of the year. So, with your beautiful, loud voice, let them know it’s Christmas time!

Ciara Scamby ‘21: Team Too Much of a Good Thing 

 Not to be a Scrooge, but I think listening to Christmas music before Halloween is way too soon. Christmas is a very special time of the year, as the Lord was born on December 25th. Listening to the Christmas tunes before Halloween, or arguably even before Thanksgiving, takes away from the holiday. It opens the scope of Christmas all the way from September to January. The “Christmas season” is supposed to be when it’s cold and snowy outside: when you can sit by the fire in your pajamas sipping hot chocolate. If you are listening to Christmas music in September while on the way to school, it takes away from those “Christmas-y” moments.

Jesus is the reason for the season, and though it’s great to celebrate him year-round (don’t get me wrong!), I think His coming should be celebrated between late November and early January. I get it, we all love Christmas, but think about it this way — if we started setting off fireworks 3 months before the Fourth of July, the actual day wouldn’t seem special to us. Independence Day as a whole could eventually be forgotten. It’s the same with Christmas. If we listen to Christmas music starting in September, the weeks of savoring the music towards the end of the season wouldn’t feel as nostalgic or special. 

If we begin thinking about Christmas in September, the two major holidays that precede Christmas can also become underappreciated. Chloe Stefani ‘24 said: “I feel like we always skip over Thanksgiving and Halloween in favor of Christmas. That is why I believe Christmas music can wait until December.” We should take it one holiday at a time. I can appreciate jamming out to “Jingle Bells,” but only after we’ve enjoyed Thanksgiving. Before then just doesn’t feel right. If you love listening to Christmas jams for months before the actual day, go for it. To be completely transparent, though, we, the Christmas music police, will be silently judging your music choices. 

Although both of these articles make excellent arguments, at the end of the day, it’s your choice. There are those who are ready to listen to Christmas music after Halloween, those ready after Thanksgiving, and the crazy few who are ready in June. When you start listening to Christmas music is not very important. As long as you find pure joy and happiness in Christmas, you can go about it as you please. Remember to savor this time as it gets closer to Christmas, because once it’s over, Christmas music will have to wait until next year, whether it comes back for you again in September, October, or November.