I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas music...

So I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas music. First of all, they start playing it on like the 5^th of July. It didn’t used to be like that, but every year it seems that Christmas just starts earlier and earlier and you have to make a conscious effort to avoid it if you don’t want the spirit it used to bring you to slowly become associated with the patriotism of Labor Day.

Once you’ve spent six months trying not to be in the Christmas spirit, it’s finally Black Friday (which is a whole different thing to complain about) and the season has begun. You turn to one of the four radio stations that decides every year it should play the music 24/7 and you’re so pumped, so excited for some Nat King Cole, or Andy Williams, or even Michael Bublé but no, you know what you get? You get some Mariah Carey bullshit or Wham!’s version of Last Christmas that makes your ears melt from an 80s overload.

The options have gotten better recently with things like Spotify and music on Youtube where you can pick exactly what you want to listen to. And when you find those right songs it’s almost unbelievable how quickly they can get you in the holiday spirit and genuinely make you feel like a child again waiting to see what Santa left under the tree.  There’s something about music in general that can bring you back to the situation that your mind associates with it. I’m not sure how the two become connected, but the feelings, emotions, and ideals all rush right back into your head as soon as those first few notes are played. That’s why Fergie’s London Bridge brings me right back to my alarm going off letting me know it’s time to get up and go to sixth grade.

The right Christmas music is magical; it defines the season and makes your mind remember that this time of year actually is special. Whether your preferred sounds of the season include Dean Martin or Justin Bieber, I hope they bring you as much holiday cheer as they bring me. But can we all agree not to have holiday cheer while carving a Jack-O-Lantern? One holiday at a time, please.