Christmas Music: Can it come too early?

Come December, most heads are filled with the idea of Christmas trees, twinkle lights, toy commercials, and more importantly Christmas Music…except for a few.

Meghan Macdonald, a Sociology junior at the University of Oklahoma reserves her stereo for her normal listening habits. Instead of Jingle Bells, it’s The Postal Service. Instead of Silent Night, it’s The Shins.

“I think Christmas songs become so overplayed throughout the month,” she said. “When I was a kid, Christmas shows and songs were reserved for at least two weeks before Christmas, but now they’re starting in mid November.”

Radio Station KMGL 104.1 in Oklahoma City begins playing an all Christmas music set list the Friday after Thanksgiving. Malls and departments stores begin their Christmas soundtrack before that, and stores like Wal-Mart, and Target begin setting out Christmas decorations and candy before that.

And that’s the way that Lyndon Parker likes it.

“I like to start the Christmas season off as soon as possible,” she said. “Christmas is only once a year so I want it to last as long as possible. I love it that you can listen in your car, and then listen in the mall, and then listen in the restaurant after the mall. I put my usual cds in storage for at least a couple months. That’s the way it should be.”

It seems that Christmas music is just a matter of preference. Some like it early and often and some like it short and sweet. Regardless of how much you enjoy it, there's no getting away from it. So you might as well just embrace it and be merry.