The holiday spirit is something that everyone has felt, but some debate over when you should start showing your holiday cheer. While some people believe that the celebration of the holiday season starts “too early,” others believe the season can begin later than intended. Christmas music can be heard as early as the beginning of November, whereas decorations can pop up in town throughout the month.
Music
The music played during the holiday season can bring people warm feelings of joy, or simply irritation. A survey sent out to the students of Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) showed that some students thought that holiday music should be played the moment that Halloween is over. Others believe that mid-November is the time to satisfy that special craving for holiday cheer. Some students answered thinking that holiday tunes should start being played on December 1 and only within the month of December.
Geneva Longheyer, a sophomore at HBHS, said, “I definitely think we start [playing] Christmas music too early. I perfectly understand in APA whenever it comes to ‘Sounds of the Season’… and [the] same for ‘Nutcracker,’ but, like, when people start playing Christmas music the night of Halloween or the day after, it’s too much.”
Not every student agreed with Longheyer’s point of view, HBHS senior Shelby Young said, “Holiday music should be enjoyed on November 1 and [so forth], and it must begin no later than that.”
Apparently, holiday music elicits very strong opinions among students. For the most part, they thought that Christmas music should be enjoyed after Thanksgiving.
Decorations
Decorations are a huge part of getting into the holiday spirit. The energy that a room gains when a Christmas tree or a menorah is put up makes the holiday season enjoyable, but when should these decorations be put up?
A survey was sent out to HBHS students which showed that most people think decorating should start after Thanksgiving ends, much like their opinions on Christmas music. Others think that the beginning of November is the way to go. However, some think that November is for Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving only, preferring that Christmas decorations start being put up at the beginning of December.
After having a conversation with some students about this topic, for the most part, they all think that it’s okay to start the holiday decorating when the time is right for those individuals
Grace Derks, a sophomore at HBHS said, “I think that Christmas time should start whenever you see fit. I think that if you’re really into Christmas and you do like this whole extravagant Christmas time, like decorations and you make music for it that it can start…whenever you want to.”
HBHS junior Roxie Brookhyser said, “Personally I don’t think Christmas is a holiday that can be celebrated too early. But in my personal opinion, I would normally put decorations up around beginning to mid-November.”
Despite that, others view decorations being put up right after Halloween as an atrocious act.
Eli Harrison, a freshman at HBHS, said “I think it’s really stupid that the day after Halloween people immediately take down the Halloween decorations and put up their Christmas decorations. I love that people are very jolly and excited to celebrate Christmas, but that’s two months before the holiday is even here.”
Holiday Festivities are up to the person decorating. Putting up holiday decorations should bring that person joy, not just another task that needs to be done.
The holiday season is a time that is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, no matter when you start these celebrations. When it comes to decorations and playing holiday music this enjoyment should be for the decorator, not the spectator.
