When Should We Celebrate Christmas?

I’m here to talk about the great debate: should Christmas be celebrated before Thanksgiving, or can it wait until after it’s done? This topic is one to end friendships because of the seriousness of this issue. Until last year, I was a strong believer in waiting until Thanksgiving was over to start celebrating Christmas, but thanks to my friend Marie, I am now a believer in celebrating it once November begins. Although I might sound crazy to some, I think there are completely valid reasons to celebrate early. There is no better feeling than the holiday season, so why not carry that feeling on for as long as humanly possible? Now, I respect the people who choose to wait for after Thanksgiving, for example, my roommate Felicia, but I think they are simply missing out on extra joy. I’m not saying everyone needs to put up their Christmas trees and break out their Christmas sweaters right now, but I do think it is appropriate to watch movies and listen to the music to get in the mood for the season.

As I said before, I used to wait to begin my festivities, but then I realized all the extra happiness I was missing out on. When it comes to the music, they’re usually the same songs everyone knows so you can sing with anyone you want! With regular music, more often than not, you’re the only one who knows all the words to your favorite songs and you have to sing by yourself; not with Christmas music; the same thing goes with the movies. Plus, you cannot tell me the most exciting part of Christmas music is hearing a new person cover your favorite song because that is one of my favorite feelings. Kelly Clarkson Christmas? HECK YEAH!! I definitely don’t break out any trees or tinsel before Thanksgiving, but I’m singing the songs in my head most of the time you see me in public.

In an article I read from the Independent, it has been proven the earlier Christmas decorations go up, the happier you are. This is because the decorations tend to remind people of their childhood and help distract from the stress of adulthood. I think this is exactly why celebrating Christmas early is popular with college students. We want a way to forget about our final exams and projects that will come in the next month, so we turn to the jolliest part of the year a bit early. We want to be reminded of the good things in the world, and Christmas is exactly the good thing to take away the anxiety.

There is a big difference between celebrating it early to get in the spirit and forgetting about Thanksgiving because trust me, I refuse to let anyone forget about Thanksgiving. Honestly, it is similar to Christmas in the idea that we have to be thankful for friends and family, which is why they go hand-in-hand. Thanksgiving is all about being grateful for what you have and it is such a great message, it’s just a message without music to back it up. I’m not saying we should be listening to Christmas music while sitting at our Thanksgiving meal; that would be absurd. I think they should be celebrated in conjunction with each other because although winter is a hard season to get through, these holidays make it much more enjoyable.

You can celebrate Christmas whenever you feel like it, but don’t hate on me for pulling up my Christmas playlist and being joyful for the season. I am capable of celebrating two holidays at once and recognizing both of them in all of their glory. On the contrary, I will try my hardest not to look down on you for waiting to celebrate Christmas, but don’t be surprised if I try to force it on you; I’m simply trying to make you happier!! After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!