With the festive season hurtling towards us like a precisely-aimed snowball, the question plagues the mind: how early is too early to start listening to Christmas music? Ella Barnes gets the scoop about what Northwestern has to say.
CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. WELL, KIND OF.
WITH HALLOWEEN COMING TO A CLOSE JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, THE FESTIVE SEASON HURTLING TOWARDS US LIKE A PRECISELY-AIMED SNOWBALL. CHRISTMAS DECOR BEGAN ARRIVING AT THE EVANSTON TARGET IN EARLY OCTOBER, STARBUCKS DROPPED THEIR HOLIDAY DRINK MENU ON NOVEMBER 2ND, AND MARIAH CAREY IS DEFROSTING AS WE SPEAK. ALL OF THIS HOLIDAY PREP RAISES ONE CRUCIAL QUESTION. NAMELY, HOW EARLY IS TOO EARLY TO LISTEN TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC?
I WENT OUT INTO THE NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY TO HEAR WHAT PEOPLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THAT QUESTION. AND BOY, DID THEY HAVE A LOT TO SAY.
[Jack Izzo] My name is Jack Izzo.
WE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE VEHEMENTLY AGAINST EARLY LISTENING.
[JI] It is absolutely too early to start listening to Christmas music. I will maybe listen to Christmas music after Thanksgiving, other than that, like, December? Uh, like, legitimately I used to play a game where I would try to go as long as I could without hearing “All I Want For Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey.
[EB] Oh! I did that in middle school. And I lost immediately!
[JI] Yeah! I mean, it’s very hard, which is why I think it’s funny.
[Sophie Pong] My name is Sophie Pong.
WE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE VERY PRO EARLY LISTENING AS WELL
[SP] No, I do not, because Christmas is a worldwide holiday and a lot of the excuses that people have about not listening to Christmas music is that it isn’t Thanksgiving yet. And the thing is Thanksgiving is an American holiday, so why are we setting the boundaries of Christmas music by an American holiday when Christmas is a worldwide holiday. Christmas music: it’s fun, it’s hype, it gets me in a happy mood. Don’t shut down the Christmas music people!
AND THEN WE HAD…
[Casey Weisman] My name’s Casey.
THIS.
[CW] It is not too early to start listening to Christmas music because music has no season. However, it is too early to start listening to Christmas music for the sake of listening to Christmas music for the sake of the holiday season. Because right now it is Turkey Lurky time. Tom turkey ran away but he just came home, it’s Turkey Lurky time he’s really here to stay never one to roam.
YEAH.
[Emma Nelsen] I’m Emma Nelsen.
THEN WE HAVE THE MIDDLE GROUND OF OPINIONS, KIND OF.
[EN] I personally do. I’m not gonna yuck people’s yum if they listen to it with their headphones in. But I would prefer it not to be, like, on the radio, on the TV yet, in the dining halls for example because – think about this – today is November 11th so that means we’ve got about a month and a half until Christmas. Just personally, I think if we start listening to Christmas music right now, it’s gonna wear itself out by the time we get there and it’s not gonna be as fun anymore. I think – I like to give the fall season its moment, listen to some music that kinda vibes with fall, Phoebe Bridgers Punisher is a great one if I’m throwing out recommendations. Taylor Swift Red Taylor’s Version, um, I love matching music to the aesthetic of the climate. And just personally where we are right now, it’s not really giving winter, it’s not really giving snow yet, it’s not giving Christmas. I like to personally wait until December.
AFTER ALL THIS INVESTIGATION, IT WOULD SEEM THERE IS NO CONCISE ANSWER. LISTEN TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC IN THE WAY THAT MAKES YOU HAPPIEST FOLKS, BUT PUT YOUR HEADPHONES IN WHEN YOU DO. FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M ELLA BARNES.
