As a person who works in retail, I have come to hate Christmas music, which makes me sad because I used to love it. But listening to “Jingle Bells” and “White Christmas” 35 times a week for a month and a half can make you want to rip your hair out. Plus, I always thought it was ridiculous when stores started selling Christmas products the day after Halloween; it just felt so weird to me. So, if this article were just my opinion, I would argue that stores should refrain from playing Christmas music and selling Christmas merch until December first.
But I am aware of my bias, so rather than listening to my Grinch-like opinion, I turned to my Her Campus teammates to ask them what they thought about this controversial topic, and here’s what they said:
(Responses have been edited for length and clarity.)
“I think it’s okay AFTER Remembrance Day. It’s a matter of respect for the freedom we have and the people who fought for it.” – Anonymous
“It makes sense to sell Christmas merchandise after Halloween but stores probably shouldn’t start playing Christmas music until December first (or at least until after Remembrance Day).” – Anonymous
“Honestly for me, Christmas music/merchandise is the only thing that gets me through school between Halloween and exams! It’s the perfect way to take a break and get a reminder of the good things ahead. For me, the perfect time would be November 1st. Give me all the Christmas stuff!!!!” – Anonymous
“I think Christmas music shouldn’t start being played until the middle of November (Nov. 20th ish). Since December is the Christmas/holiday month, it should start close to the beginning of that month, but starting near the end of November gives people time to get into the holiday spirit. For merchandise, I think stores should wait until at least after Remembrance Day, out of respect for that holiday.” – Chelsea
“As soon as Halloween is over. Mariah Carey can only hibernate for so long.” – Anonymous
“I personally LOVE hearing it early (yup, I’m one of those people who listens to Christmas music right after Halloween) because I’m a huge sucker for how the atmosphere changes. The combination of lights, festive music and colour-coordinated red and green decorations makes me feel so positive and optimistic” – Anonymous
“It’s okay to start playing Christmas music/selling Christmas merchandise on November 12th, in order to not take the spotlight away from Remembrance Day. November is such a terrible month with bad weather and no other holidays, so hearing Christmas music makes the month more tolerable. Listening to Michael Bublé just makes me excited for December.” – Heather
“Stores can start bombarding us with Christmas songs and merchandise as soon as it starts snowing. Snow, winter break and Christmas have always been interconnected. Candy canes are the best, and the tunes are so peppy. Plus, they’re a good break from the songs that stores usually play on repeat.” – Anonymous
“CHRISTMAS STARTS OCTOBER 31!!!!!! Michael Bublé’s Christmas album is a work of ART that needs a full two months to be fully appreciated!! That means OCT. 31 – JAN. 31!” – A crazy Christmas shopper, interested in Christmas music after Remembrance Day
So, there you have it. What do you think? Should stores be able to play Christmas music and sell Christmas merchandise starting November first? Should they wait until after Remembrance Day? Or should Mariah Carey be awakened as soon as snow touches the ground?