The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.
by Kate Hedrick
Opinion Editor
As December begins and we near the end of the year, the age-old debate rages on: when is the appropriate time to start playing Christmas music? It’s a question we’ve all heard before and likely all have opinions on, some stronger than others. Seeking an answer, I asked several Bradley students for their take on the subject.
Some strongly believe that it’s best to wait until December, or at least after Thanksgiving. When discussing this topic with Anna Kellar, (11) she said “I think that at the end of Thanksgiving or the 1st of December is appropriate.” This appears to be a commonly held sentiment. Noah Buscher (11) felt similarly, saying: “I think Christmas music should be played after Thanksgiving. We should focus on one holiday at a time.” This has always been my family’s approach, so I can understand why others would hold the same opinion.
Some believe that the Christmas season begins as soon as Halloween is over. Kyle Metzler (11) said “I think it’s perfectly okay to listen to after Halloween. So literally anytime after October 31st.” Taking a similarly lenient stance on the subject, Ellis Goodwin (11) said: “I think you can listen to Christmas music whenever you want to but radio stations shouldn’t start playing them until at the very least the second week of November.” Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference.
Normally I would be in full agreement with students like Anna and Noah, but as of now, I’m more inclined to agree with Ellis and Kyle. Before Thanksgiving, I spent several hours sitting by the fire and watching it snow. Despite it being mid-November, I felt the undeniable urge to pour myself a cup of hot chocolate and listen to some Christmas music. No matter what time of year, it’s perfectly fine to listen to it whenever the Christmas spirit strikes.