Christmas Music: Before or After Thanksgiving?

With the Christmas season finally here, a never-ending debate has risen to the surface of people’s conversations. When should people begin to listen to Christmas music, before or after Thanksgiving?

Searching for answers, The Mane staff conducted a poll, which was posted to the paper’s Instagram account in mid-November. The results of that poll tell part of the story, but not all of it. Many students had much to say about the side they supported.

Two of these students are Ellie Cosgrove and Mason Bubash.

“Christmas music gives me hope in November, I have nothing to look forward to because it is dark at 4 p.m and all I have is exams,” Cosgrove said.

From the opposite side, Bubash had something else to say about the subject.

“The shorter amount of time you have to listen to Christmas music, the more intimate and special the season feels. Also, when it comes to celebrating Christmas as a Christian, I'm celebrating year-round,” he said.

For the online poll, which was available for 24 hours, 110 people responded. A subsequent in-person poll added 161 respondents. The results were that people selected after Thanksgiving as the appropriate time to break out the Christmas music, with 122 people voting for it before. 

Junior Tiffany Lucero had more to say for her stance with another reason from a cultural standpoint, since where she grew up they do not celebrate Thanksgiving.

“In the Philippines, we celebrate Christmas starting in September because we don’t really have a Thanksgiving. There are some people who celebrate Halloween, but there's not really much to build up to before then. But there are so many various reasons why we celebrate Christmas that early,” she said.

Oliver McLeod, a Senior from TMU, had a more intense view of modern Christmas music and had something else to say about the matter.

“Most modern Christmas music is a travesty. The shorter the window I have to hear it, the better. Actually, the shorter the window society has to hear it the better,” he said.

This debate is still standing strong throughout campus and outside of campus. Thanksgiving time can bring this debate back to the surface with many differing views.