general When do you start listening to Christmas music?

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

Once November comes around is when I start playing it xD

[Envy 5,999]

Never. Working at a grocery store, once thanksgiving hit, the Christmas music was playing.  All day. Every day. Nothing but. You'd get 2 different renditions of silver bells. 2 versions of jingle bells. 3 versions of silent night. 3 renditions of have a holly jolly Christmas.  That Mariah Carrie song.  It'd be essentially the same half dozen songs played for 6 hours straight, while the grating of salvation army bell ringers and amateur high school quire singers echoed from the lobby.

 

Working during the holiday for two years broke me of Christmas music.  There's little innovation, little complexity or progression, coming from the genre. We've pretty much heard it all before. It's just so tame and boring to me. So I try to avoid it if at all possible. Stick with whatever rock and metal come out during the winter solstice season. 

 

 

I don't know as a (former - THANK GOD) retail worker, I actually looked forward to the holiday season musically because it meant playing something different.

 

In my four years at that job we had so many phases of awful music playing. At one point we had a lady who worked there who brought her radio and blasted country music all of the time. When the holiday season rolled around she had to turn it off and for a short time I didn't have to listen to country music! Hallelujah! I hate country music more than anything.

 

Then after a long time of that (or people putting country music on over the speakers. UGH) the company started playing its own playlist of awful music over the speakers - a combination of modern pop, 80s music, and...country. Everything I hate.

 

Sadly, last year they chose the worst possible Christmas songs they could find and put them in a playlist (imagine every cover they played being as awful as Taylor Swift's cover of Last Christmas, that's exactly what it was like). So it wasn't much of a break.

 

...Still, I'll take Christmas music over what I had to hear the rest of the year.

[Mortar 143]

Generally, I don't.  I've heard them for over 50 years and I'm sick of them.  There are only a few I don't mind hearing:  

     Bruce Springstein - Santa Clause is Coming to Town,

     Eartha Kitt -  Santa Baby

     John Lennon -  So This is Christmas

     Cheech & Chong - Santa Clause & His Old Lady

     Gayla Peevey - I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Edited April 26, 2021 by Mortar

[Denim&Venöm 16,515]

@@Envy,

 

My work place was the same. Pop and soft rock from the past 30 years, plus some old do wop & oldies tunes. Same playlist each day. But at least there was a track or two that I liked, and it was all different songs. W/ Christmas music, it was essentially what you went through last year. The same holiday standard bearers, just w/ multiple cover versions being played for each. 

 

It wouldn't be an issue if there was diversity in the music. But rarely is there ever. In a sense, it's just the same playlist I used to deal with all year long, only w/ Christmas decorations attached. 

 

Although congrats on gettign out of the retail business. 

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

I don't usually listen to Christmas music on purpose; it's generally thrust upon me while I'm browsing store aisles.  This has already happened to me this holiday season.  But, to be honest, I don't really mind it; I like Christmas.  I'm fondest of some of the stupidest songs, though; the one about wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas, in particular.  Idunno if I'll do it again this year, but I turned on Bach's Christmas Oratorio one Christmas.

 

So, I'm an atheist who likes and celebrates (the gift-giving part of) Christmas, doesn't mind the music for the most part, and enjoys Bach - including his pieces revolving around Christian holidays and religious texts.

Edited November 20, 2016 by Ziggy + Angel + Rain

[idunnomaybe 344]

not to sound depressing because im really not trying to but when you're an Orphan with no family Christmas doesn't really mean anything to you 

actually it mostly just annoys me love the sales though 

[Kaneki 1,072]

The people who are talking about work music:

 

The last place I worked (a certain non-profit charity thrift store) played no music, if not, so quietly I couldn't hear it, so I'm glad.

[Merion 783]

December 1st! But I'm already updating my Christmas playlist

[Jonquil the Wanderer 41]

Wait til December to play Christmas music

[Raritas 6,820]

Probably when they start playing it at work... It'll make a difference to the usual crap they play all year round.

[Envy 5,999]

I don't usually listen to Christmas music on purpose; it's generally thrust upon me while I'm browsing store aisles.  This has already happened to me this holiday season.  But, to be honest, I don't really mind it; I like Christmas.  I'm fondest of some of the stupidest songs, though; the one about wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas, in particular.  Idunno if I'll do it again this year, but I turned on Bach's Christmas Oratorio one Christmas.

 

So, I'm an atheist who likes and celebrates (the gift-giving part of) Christmas, doesn't mind the music for the most part, and enjoys Bach - including his pieces revolving around Christian holidays and religious texts.

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No need to feel guilty! Many of the traditions that have been appropriated to Christmas are ancient Winter Solstice celebrations. Of course, their beliefs on the matter were outlandish, too... But I can understand such beliefs far before scientific thinking had begun and we came to understand how and why the seasons change.

 

As an atheist, I can certainly celebrate the Winter Solstice, too!

 

J.S. Bach composed for the church because that was the best work he could find in that time. Yes, it was composed for religious services, but his music has so much value beyond that. It's not like monophonic Gregorian chant from the 9th century or before, which is soooo dry. Even still, I'm not saying that doesn't have value. They had conceived a solid foundation of pitches and modes to work from even with music which's sole purpose was for Catholic mass/office, and wasn't ever considered music for the pleasure of the listener. There's always some value to be found, and no shame for being able to see that!

 

As I may have stated in my original post here, my favorite Christmas songs usually fall as the Christian ones. It isn't because they're Christian, though. It's because they're very, very, very old and I just love that sound. New Christian Christmas songs like "Mary Did You Know?" are, to be honest...bad IMO. Not because they are Christian, but just because... Blah. lol

[AmberDust 1,116]

I'm away for school, but as soon as I get home for the holidays, I'll want to listen to Christmas music 24/7. We have a certain CD that I really love...Christmas is all about nostalgia and family for me. ♥

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,298]

 

 

J.S. Bach composed for the church because that was the best work he could find in that time. Yes, it was composed for religious services, but his music has so much value beyond that.

I do agree.  At first, I tried very hard to stick to Bach's secular works (even going so far as to specifically seek out his secular Cantatas), but I eventually realized that I was depriving myself from hearing a huge chunk of his body of work.  I was more or less sold on the Christmas Oratorio from pretty much the opening chorus; I had a similar reaction to the introductory Sinfonia from his Easter Oratorio.

[Luigi 7,868]

Anytime in November is the time I start listening to Christmas music.

[PinkiePie97 913]

Voluntarily, I start once Thanksgiving passes. However, I was on a job evaluation at Marshalls last week and there was someChristmas music being played with the regular music. I didn't mind it, but too early.

[Lunar Glow 674]

On the first of November I whip out the Christmas music! I'm crazy about Christmas. 

But I end it just as quickly, though, on the 26th of December. 

[Kaneki 1,072]

Removed by the poster.

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

As soon as I start hearing it on the radio to be honest.

[The Recherche 29,965]

December 1st, and not one day sooner. I love the Holiday Season, I really do... but dammit, start when it's appropriate! Christmas music is great, but only when it's actually time to listen to it.

[Twilight Luna 30,940]

A friend of mine from college listened to Christmas music all year round. But for me, December 1st. 

[Narcissus 352]

I listen to Christmas music all year long. I love it and good music shouldn't be limited to one season of the year. 

[Yakamaru 3,075]

I don't. I just don't. I am only forced to listen to it at work from time to time.

If I can avoid it I will avoid it like the god damn plague that it is. The same god damn lyrics regurgitated over and over.

[Rosebuds 123]

I am guilty of starting listening to them in November. Though I mostly keep it to myself unless other people wanna join in the Christmas jam session. 

I am a cheeseball who likes Christmas fight me.

[碇 シンジン 27,427]

I never listen Christmas music and I don't think I ever will it's same with any other music I 

[BritishBrony2012 719]

Few last days in November and then whole of December until Boxing day/after Christmas day.

Edited July 7, 2018 by Adam Burt