Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey frozen in a block of ice

As I walked into CVS to buy candy for Halloween, I heard Christmas music over the speakers. At first, I thought it was weird, but as I started talking to more and more people about the ideal time to play Christmas music, I realized how wrong we have this as a society. I’m here to set the record straight: Christmas music should only be played after Thanksgiving. 

The whole point of Christmas music is to boost holiday spirit. If we were to start playing Christmas music in mid-October, as some people suggest and many others already do, it conflicts with Halloween. Why would people try getting in the Christmas spirit when Halloween is right around the corner? Playing Christmas music before Halloween is completely illogical because all the Christmas spirit you’d build up would vanish after stuffing your face with candy and watching spooky movies. 

The next most popular time people think Christmas music should be played is as soon as November starts. Again, this runs into the same problem. November is supposed to be the month of Thanksgiving, a time of family gatherings and eating turkeys, not the time for candy canes and snowmen. 

Playing Christmas music during this time ruins the entire vibe. When we think of Thanksgiving, we think of the color orange, warm family dinners and gravy. With Christmas music, we are transported to a time of blue, cold and comfort. The two just don’t mesh well together. I would much rather listen to some snazzy old jazz songs than Ariana Grande asking Santa for her Christmas lover. 

At the end of the day, the best time to play Christmas music is right after Thanksgiving. As your family cleans up the aftermath of the Thanksgiving dinner and places the last scented trash bag filled with used cups and plates in the trash, the Christmas music can commence. 

Another perk of listening to Christmas music a month before Christmas is the timing. A month is the perfect time length to listen to a certain set of songs until you get tired of them. If I started playing Christmas songs in October and November, I would be begging for my parents to turn it off by the time mid December rolled around. So until November 30th, please keep Mariah Carey frozen in her block of ice.