How early is too early to listen to Christmas music?

It is no secret that holiday decorations have been on display for months now. During the first week of October, there were “Merry Christmas” signs in stores and Santas on display. We have been skipping to holidays that are months away, glazing over others that have not yet occurred. There are many varying opinions on how early is too early to begin celebrating the holidays – specifically regarding those who celebrate Christmas, as Christmas music plays a vital role in the atmosphere in preparation for the holiday. The lingering question is – how early is too early to begin listening to Christmas music? Should there be certain “rules” about when these songs should begin playing on the radio or listened to while casually walking through campus? You often hear people saying that it is way too soon to begin listening to holiday music, but how does the public really feel about this? Do people’s words and actions really align with their opinions?

In order to get a better understanding of how students’ feel about holiday music, students filled out a survey. In the survey students were asked when they began listening to holiday music and when they think it is appropriate to begin listening to such music. Interestingly, these responses did not coincide with one another. Thirty six percent of students said they begin listening the day after Thanksgiving which was closely followed by 29% of students who begin listening after Halloween. Furthermore, 7% of respondents said they listen to it all year long. On the contrary, 36% said that it is okay to listen all year long and 29% said it is okay to start listening the day after Thanksgiving.

The results from this survey do not align with popular belief and conversations regarding when people should begin listening to holiday music. The overall consensus is that it is ok to listen to holiday music whenever you want, but most people do not start until after Thanksgiving. Where do you fall into these categories? Did you start listening to holiday music yet?

We also asked what students’ favorite holiday songs are. These four songs had the highest rating of 14% each. Are these on your holiday playlist?