With Halloween’s conclusion and the rapidly approaching holiday season, I find myself questioning, as I do every year, when it becomes truly acceptable to indulge in Christmas music.

Like clockwork, every November 1 my social media becomes overrun with tributes to Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey holiday classics. Despite these songs being some of my favorite tunes, I found myself skipping through these Instagram stories before the songs can play out in an effort to wait until more appropriate timing.

Christmas music should not be listened to until Thanksgiving.

While some may see premature holiday cheer as a good thing, particularly in the dismal year of 2020, listening to Christmas carols too early on may actually spoil the holiday season when it comes. According to clinical psychologist Linda Blair, using up all that cheer too early in the holiday season can trigger feelings of stress, as stated by Travel + Leisure.

It is a known fact that music targets our emotions, which means that the early playing of Christmas jingles can prompt anxiety regarding the holiday season. These tunes, however delightful, can trigger anxiety-inducing reminders of the many tasks that come with the holidays, including shopping, cooking, and wrapping gifts.

Anyone who has been in a retail store during the months leading up to Christmas is all too familiar with a phenomenon known as the “Christmas Creep.” A marketing ploy to get shoppers to buy more during the holidays, some retailers begin playing seasonal music as early as November 1.

BBC describes the Christmas Creep as “annoying at best and maddening at worst.” By the time December 25 actually rolls around, songs like “Jingle Bells” are enough to irritate even the most festive of people.

A self-proclaimed Christmas fanatic myself, I find myself holding my hands over my ears at “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Santa Baby” through the month of November. I, like many others, do not want to be bombarded with premature holidays tunes each and every time I set foot in a grocery store a whole 2 months before the big day.

Not only does festive music cause blatant irritation and anxiety, but it also steals the spotlight from Thanksgiving. The November holiday is almost entirely bypassed, drowned out by the sound of Bing Crosby’s “Winter Wonderland.”

Junior Caitlyn Kutzscher said, “I do get annoyed when they play Christmas music or have the Christmas decorations out before Halloween. During Halloween it’s just not the time; there’s a different feeling between Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

While I completely understand the allure of Christmas music, it is simply inappropriate to indulge prior to Thanksgiving Day. Instead, opt to save all that holiday festivity for the true holiday season.