As soon as Halloween ends, the unmistakable sound of Christmas takes over. Mariah Carey defrosts for seasonal domination, “Jingle Bells” jingles through the air and holiday tunes spread across the internet faster than Black Friday sales. But then, the calendar flips to Dec. 26, and it’s gone. We treat Christmas music like an unwanted guest the minute the holidays leave. 

Even subconsciously, peer pressure influences us into refraining from things we enjoy, especially when it comes to Christmas music. But if listening to this genre brings us so much cheer, why should that magic be boxed up with the ornaments and nutcrackers and then shoved to the back of the garage?

It’s not like these songs lose their charm overnight. Christmas music taps into something deeper—it’s a soundtrack for baking cookies, decorating with family and driving aimlessly on a cold night. Whether it’s Bing Crosby’s carols or Wham’s heartbreak anthem, holiday music has the very rare ability to lift spirits and bring people together. 

The argument against year-round Christmas music is that it could lose its appeal, but this logic really has no backing. People rewatch their favorite movies, eat the same nostalgic foods and listen to their favorite songs continuously without complaint. If holiday music makes people happy, like rewatching a favorite show, we should lean into it rather than restricting Christmas playlists to the same two months each year. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to start rolling out Holiday tunes mid-summer, but allowing Christmas music to linger through January or indulging in a “Last Christmas” listen in May shouldn’t be unacceptable. 

Maybe it’s time to let go of the “seasonal” mindset and stop treating Christmas music like it’s a temporary genre. Joy doesn’t have a time limit and the songs that deliver it shouldn’t either. Couldn’t we all use a little extra holiday spirit—no matter what month it is?