Christmas season is my favorite season. The joy that it brings me and the family traditions that surround it make it the best time of the year. Yet, I find it to be too short for my liking. I grew up listening to Christmas music beginning as early as Halloween. This was instilled in me by both of my parents, but my father in particular. My dad enjoys Christmas more than anyone else I know. He finds the purest and most simple joy in playing Christmas music while he cooks dinner, or strumming Silent Night on his guitar. When I was younger I remember asking him why we would listen to holiday music and put up our decorations so early. He told me, “Christmas brings me joy, warmth, and love. Why would I postpone that?” This has stayed with me for my entire life. I have found that listening to Christmas music makes me feel immediate happiness. Putting up my Christmas decorations early makes me feel physically surrounded by warmth.
On the other side of this, my family is also notorious for having our decor up until February and our music playing consistently long after Christmas has passed. I specifically remember one year in which our outdoor lights and decorations froze into the ground until April, so our Holiday season did not end until then. However, I didn’t mind because my joy and happiness were only extended. My family has lived by the motto “It is never too early for Christmas music.” I am going to offer my list of reasons as to why everyone should start celebrating the holiday season just a bit earlier in the year.
1. It Makes You Happier
Many people make a connection between Christmas music and happy memories. Listening to this particular type of music has even been shown to release a rush of endorphins, similar to a workout. Upbeat and faster songs like Jingle Bell Rock can make someone feel a sense of joy.
2. What Else Does November Have to Offer?
November may mean Thanksgiving to most people. However, I have yet to find a single interesting or existing Thanksgiving song (except for maybe the one Linda sings in Bob’s Burgers). In my mind, Thanksgiving decor is no different than fall decor. There is nothing particularly special about it. I see November and Thanksgiving as another opportunity to decorate and listen to Christmas music. These two holidays complement each other well, and nothing seems better to me than making a Thanksgiving pie while listening to my favorite Christmas songs on repeat.
3. You Get To Enjoy it Longer
Upon a poll of many of my close friends and peers, the majority of people will NOT listen to Christmas music until Black Friday. And many won’t even put up their decorations until December 1st. In addition, many immediately take down their tree on December 26th. This creates a time period, on average, of about one month in which people encase their entire holiday season. There are simply too many songs, too many movies, too many traditions, and too much Christmas joy to fit into one month. If you begin early and end late, you only extend the time in which to fit everything in.
4. More Traditions
My family can’t be the only one who has a multitude of Christmas traditions. We rely on November and January to celebrate and participate in these traditions. When I asked many of my peers what their holiday traditions were, they told me they didn’t have many. Some even attributed this to not having enough time to do anything. Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year. If given more time, wouldn’t you do more? If you begin early you can start some new traditions. For example, one of my closest friends watches every Glee Christmas episode on Thanksgiving every single year.
5. Christmas Movies!
If you haven’t seen a Hallmark Christmas movie you are missing out. I mean, there are hundreds of them. While all the storylines contain people with not a real concern in the world, I find these movies to be heartwarming. It is one of my mother’s favorite holiday pastimes and she practically waits all fall for them to begin playing. In addition to any Hallmark movie, you can always find a Christmas classic like White Christmas, or possibly even a new Christmas movie that is sure to be playing somewhere. You might even enjoy the Freeform 25 Days of Christmas movies. No matter what, there are way too many movies to jam into one month and you might as well start your viewing early.
6. Because You Can
One of the biggest takeaways from my childhood is that it is never too early to listen to Christmas music or begin decorating. If it makes you happy and it brings you joy, why not? It is for this reason that the instant that I begin to feel it get cold and I long for a good dance session to Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas”, I choose to start my holiday season. It just so happens to be October for me most of the time.
While this list is short and it may seem way too early to celebrate for some people, I encourage everyone to celebrate early if they wish, even if it is only a week earlier than you usually do. The holiday season for me has always meant love, warmth, and family. These are things that I will gladly celebrate for a solid three months of my year anytime.
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