Ah yes! Christmas music! The seasonal soundtrack that seems to sneak into stores before we’ve even finished our Halloween candy. For the record, I must admit that I’ve flipped AC stations to all Christmas as early as November 1st. I know, I know…
You say, “Way too early!” But not so fast!
After the first weekend, we received scores of excited emails from listeners who just love it. The best part happened even earlier, one Halloween night when my next-door neighbors were out trick-or-treating with their two little girls. As they were walking away, mom turned and yelled out, “Hey Bob! Does Christmas music start tomorrow?” I answered, “Sure does!” She raised her arms and started dancing down the driveway, hooting and hollering about how much she loves it.
Frankly, it’s those smiles (and the extra revenue generated) that excite me.
Love it or loathe it, you really can’t escape it. But deep down inside, we don’t really want to.
Technically speaking, Christmas music is emotional manipulation at its finest. The second those sleigh bells start jingling, our brains begin the flood of nostalgia. You’re not in traffic anymore; you’re eight years old, wearing footie pajamas with those ever-so-useful nonstick bottoms, shaking your presents to see if anything rattles with clues. Bing Crosby croons “White Christmas” and suddenly you’re misty-eyed over snow, even though last February, you cursed every flake that touched your driveway and created 6-foot ice daggers that hung from your gutters like samurai warriors waiting for the strike!
The secret to Christmas music’s power is simple: it’s engineered for true inner joy. It’s cheesy, sentimental, and sometimes downright ridiculous, but isn’t that the point? For a few weeks each year, we all collectively agree to suspend our cynicism and just feel good. Even the grumpiest among us get worn down eventually. You can roll your eyes all you want, but when “Last Christmas” comes on, you’re going to sing that chorus. We all do.
In the end, we don’t love Christmas music despite its overexposure; we love it because of its overexposure. It’s predictable, it’s comforting, and it’s the one time of year we can turn it on without judgment. And nowadays, anything that is universally appealing and doesn’t create division is truly a holiday miracle in itself.
