By: MATTIE SPINK
Staff Writer
Many of you have probably already seen the “Mariah Carey is defrosting as we speak” meme that goes around every winter. This joke is made in homage to her song “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” However, Mariah Carey is less so the punchline rather than the fact that her song along with other Christmas music plays so early in the year compared to when the holiday actually is. Just recently, the local radio station 97.5 started playing Christmas music and we’ve barely entered November. The premature presence of Christmas comes from more than just music though; I have seen stores begin to sell the festive decorations often used during the holiday season as early as October. While I myself celebrate Christmas like many others do, I am a firm believer that Christmas music should not be forced onto the public until the appropriate time, December.
I can reluctantly understand why decorations must be available before December 1st, seeing as things would go out of stock quickly if they were only for sale for such a short period of time before the holidays begin, but there is no valid excuse as to why Christmas tunes need to be broadcasted everywhere before the festive month even begins. Being in orchestra and choir, I regularly have to begin learning holiday music starting in October in order to be prepared for winter concerts; it has been this way since I was in the fifth grade. For nearly as long as I can remember, I have listened to at least one Christmas song every day from October-December. Listening to that much holiday music really kills the whole thing for you. But, even if I wasn’t in any music programs, listening to so many holiday tunes so early on makes Christmas seem more of something to get through than anything else. There are two whole other holidays that happen before the classic winter holidays that come in December, and listening to Christmas music during Halloween or Thanksgiving season is simply irritating. I want to have time to be able to thoroughly enjoy the other holidays that come before Christmas without being attacked by “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” a million times.
All I want for Christmas is for the carols and other tunes to wait for December to come. For the love of all things good, put Mariah Carey back in the freezer.
