Christmas is considered the most wonderful time of the year by many, so it only makes sense that it is seemingly being celebrated earlier and earlier with each coming year. However, in celebrating one of the world’s most anticipated events, another well known holiday, Thanksgiving, has seemingly taken to the sidelines.
If you ask me, a holiday dedicated to eating is pretty much a dream come true in my eyes. Stuffing my face with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, biscuits and pumpkin pie all in one night is heaven on earth.
While spending quality time with family can typically have me rolling my eyes and shaking my head 99 percent of the time, (there is only so much cheek pinching that a 19-year-old boy can take) it is nice to have a night dedicated to genuinely enjoying the company of family members that I only get to see every so often. Even watching holiday specials such as “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” or the hilarious “South Park: Black Friday” trilogy have become household traditions. With all of these positive qualities, why does Christmas seem to get so much more publicity?
For starters, Christmas is generally regarded as a time where people are able to feel carefree and joyful, embracing the genuinely heartwarming feelings that are shared throughout the holiday season. It is a time that most people only associate with those positive and warm feelings, thus people want to be able to celebrate it as early as possible.
So, does that mean that Thanksgiving inspires negative feelings and offers no redeeming qualities? Certainly not, as it offers many similar affirmative attributes that Christmas does. In general, it seems as though Christmas completely takes over the months of November and December.
101.1 More FM Radio, labeled Philadelphia’s Christmas station, broadcasts holiday music for the entire month of December.
In recent years, 101.1 has begun playing Christmas music even before Thanksgiving day. Because nothing goes better with Thanksgiving turkey than Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song.” Am I right?
I was able to speak with Jenn Ryan, a radio host who works for More FM, and she shared her opinions on why she thinks Christmas is becoming bigger with each year.
“Christmas, Christmas music, family and friends and plain old holiday cheer make people feel good!” Ryan said in an email. “You can’t underestimate people’s desire to feel good.”
In regards to playing Christmas music even before Thanksgiving day, Ryan said that this was beyond More FM Radio’s decision, as the station allows viewers to vote for when they would like to begin listening to Christmas music each year, and listeners are encouraged to take a survey on what their favorite Christmas songs are and when they would like to hear them.
Andrea Duffy, another More FM Radio host, also harped on the Christmas craze that has taken the world by storm lately. Duffy herself believes the perception that we want Christmas earlier and earlier comes from stores getting decorations out earlier and earlier.
“I know when people are going to start asking about the music, and while I’ve been at the station, the results of the survey have determined start dates that are right around the same time, give or take a few days, every year,” Ryan said. “However, there are certainly the people who want to celebrate earlier and the ones who’d rather wait.”
Duffy and Ryan gave excellent perspectives on why the popularity of Christmas continues to grow, and it ties into my own personal input on its growth.
In an article I previously wrote about Hollywood reboots and sequels, the world has recently become more focused on the past rather than the present. Really, there is no reason they shouldn’t since Christmas is such a meaningful time of the year that carries so much sentimental value.
For many, Christmas is a break from the typical stress of everyday life. People see the decorations, hear the music and spend time watching holiday themed movies, giving them an overall sense of bliss.
“Christmas is our most favorite time of year, so for us, it never seems overblown,” Ryan said, “It’s a special time of year for us and our listeners and their families.”
With that being said, there is also no reason why that attitude cannot be applied to Thanksgiving, or even everyday life.
I am certainly not discouraging the enjoyment of Christmas, hell, I have been listening to Christmas music since April! I think it is time, however, for people to start enjoying any given holiday, or any given day, as much as they can.
Why should a feeling of overall joy and endearment be limited to one time of the year? People should try to stress making everyday joyful, whether Santa is dropping by or not.
Gifts are a large part of Christmas, but you can also give gifts any time of year. Donating to a charity gives or showing friends your appreciation towards them can be just as rewarding as giving gifts for the holiday season.
Even spending time with family, which I mentioned can at times be an eye-rolling experience, is something important that some people often push off for strictly Christmas. Family is one of the most important aspects of our lives that we are given, and we should appreciate them as much as we can, no matter how much they annoy us or pinch our cheeks.
It is little things like this that can really improve our everyday lives, and even make everyday seem like Christmas.
Taking all this into consideration, be sure to crank up the music, check out some decorations and cook up some tasty holiday treats. It’s important to also remember, however, that spending time with family and eating turkey on Thanksgiving, can be just as endearing.
