Someone’s Knocking: It’s Christmas
“However, the vibes of the weather pulled me in too much the other day, and thoughts of Christmas started creeping in” (Abby Washburn).
November 26, 2025
Abby Washburn, Writer
The weather recently has been quite dreary – cloudy or foggy, chilly, a little windy and it always seems to be misting or raining. This feels like the epitome of fall weather, and I have been, for the most part, enjoying it. However, the vibes of the weather pulled me in too much the other day, and thoughts of Christmas started creeping in. I was immediately annoyed at myself with how much I wanted to listen to Christmas music because it wasn’t even November yet. My self-imposed rule is that any Christmas music before Thanksgiving (or the week of Thanksgiving) is too early.
Upon reflecting and discussing with some of my friends, I think the dislike comes from stores shoving Christmas into our faces as soon as it is Nov. 1. It is expected to see Christmas decorations and candy even before Halloween, especially if the store is a craftier store, like Hobby Lobby. Now, I don’t mind seeing decor and food and fancy napkins and plastic trees, since not everyone waits to decorate until the last minute, and I understand it’s better for the store to be ahead of buying cycles or whatever. I don’t mind the swapping of candles to more ‘wintery’ scents, nor do I mind the rows of baubles and stockings and wooden nutcrackers. I do mind, however, when these things get so overwhelming that general shopping becomes a hassle; not just avoiding the extra isle-carton-rack-things of more red-and green colored goods, but because everything becomes an advertisement for some ultra-consumeristic fantastical idea of what will make you happy or satisfied with things that Christmas is supposed to be about.
The other thing that absolutely drives me crazy about early Christmas in stores is the music choice. Radio stations for the Christmas season seem to continuously only ever play the same ten songs over and over and over again.There are reasons why there is a whole genre of memes and reels out there about Mariah Carey “defrosting” for the season to sing “All I Want for Christmas is You.” This song, according to an article written by Gary Trust, was at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks. I can’t speak for everyone, but after the first time hearing it, every other time becomes too many times. There are so many other songs out there that are not “All I Want For Christmas is You,” “Jingle Bells,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Winter Wonderland,” or “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire).” I have a playlist that is only Christmas songs, and it is just about ten hours long. All I Want for Christmas is You only appears once (it’s the Dolly Parton Version, so it’s acceptable). The country-Christmas sub genre is one I like, but I find that these types of songs are only played on occasion, even on country stations. I’m partial to more traditional carol/hymn-type songs as well, though they do not escape the repetitive playing either. There are days when I feel like all I hear is “Mary Did you Know,” “We Three Kings,” and “Away in a Manger.”
There are also plenty of Christmas songs that are more “wintery” than specifically for Christmas. As such, I will probably be listening to Christmas music until January. I understand that most people are not in this boat. I suppose if I started listening to Christmas music on November first, I would probably be tired of it by Christmas day too. The argument about how early is too early for Christmas will continue, but both early and later listeners can both gang up on people who listen to Christmas music every single month of the year. We will leave the people who don’t like Christmas music at all alone.
Gary Trust’s Article: https://www.billboard.com/lists/mariah-carey-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-hot-100-number-one-16-weeks/hits-with-the-most-weeks-at-no-1-on-hot-100-2/
