It seems obvious to us that as soon as Halloween is over, Christmas is close approaching. On 17th November, Heart, a popular radio station, played ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, leading to many raised eyebrows.  Which begs the question, when is the right time to play Christmas music? 

November 16th saw the Christmas lights switching on in Croydon, Christmas decorations have started piling up on the shelves of stores too. And, come November, Christmas trees get dragged out from the garage again.

So, preparing for the festivities early on is apparently acceptable, but what about radios playing ‘Santa Baby’ in November? Is blasting that iconic song by Mariah Carey, 7 weeks before Christmas, even allowed? Avid listener of the radio, Analisa Carrozzo says, “Playing Christmas music before December 1st is like putting your milk in, before your cereal. It’s just not done!”

On the other hand, student, Alice Monaghan says “I listen to Christmas music all year round. The earlier the better, as it adds to the Christmas spirit.”

All in all, no matter whether you’re the person who waits for Christmas to return as soon as it is Boxing day, or you avoid “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” till the latest opportunity, what makes Christmas in London, all the more special, is the anticipation. So, whilst they say we should at least wait until 1st December to dive into belting out those well-known tunes, I say "Bah Humbug" to that, and encourage you to embrace the festivity, the moment the first song hits the radio decks.  

Aditi Rammohan

Croydon High School