The weather outside is frightful—or as frightful as it gets in southern California. At the end of each year, nestled between bouts of cramming for cumulatives, comes a time when you know the words to every song on the radio. On December 26, the notes drifting from cracks in open car windows takes a sudden shift. But for now, it’s all Christmas music, all the time. The question is: should it be that way?

Some people explained that they prefer not to cut off their Christmas music on Boxing Day. “Christmas music spans the month of December. You stop listening on New Year’s,” declared Sancia Milton (‘22). Maddie Cramer (‘22) explained that it’s acceptable to listen until the end of December, but “after January 1 – no, no, no!” But we all have that one friend who is still belting out Christmas tunes in April, and that one friend who refuses to start listening until the day after Thanksgiving, and that one friend who’s a Scrooge and just hates Christmas music for no good reason. So, when is it officially the holiday season? Halloween? Thanksgiving? The end of cumulative season when everyone can finally sleep again? According to a Buzzfeed survey, 40% of people believe it’s appropriate to start listening to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. 

Nadia Bitar (‘22) is a traditionalist when it comes to holiday music. “Christmas is infringing on the month of November. You don’t start eating turkey in the month of November; you don’t start carving pumpkins in September,” she said. “The whole reason Christmas music is special is because you only listen to it the month of December.” 

Which time of the year do you think is best?