It’s officially the holiday season! A time dedicated to spending time with loved ones and giving back to others. Whether you’re driving home with a Christmas tree strung to the roof of your car, or in the store buying presents for friends and family, it seems like Christmas music is being played on the radio everywhere you go.

Regardless if you have been listening to festive holiday tunes since Halloween or only started up on December 1st, you probably have at least one x-mas tune stuck in your head, playing on repeat. Although there are some old time favorites like the classic “Jingle Bell Rock” or “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” chances are they aren’t your favorite songs in the whole world.

Not to mention, there are way too many “overrated” songs that are played over and over again. Songs such as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” or “Mistletoe” by Justin Beiber, have become out right annoying.

At this point in the year, Christmas music is being played 24/7 on many stations, and we are sick of it. By the time Christmas finally comes around, everyone is tired of hearing the same hits on repeat. Not to mention, there are even some stations dedicated to playing festive holiday songs throughout the whole year.

Does the tireless flow of holiday music really make people more excited for Christmas? I mean how many songs have you heard about Thanksgiving? We don’t seem to need music to get us excited for other holidays. And don’t even get me started on those who start listening to Christmas music in October.

I know for me personally, it’s really hard to get into the festive spirit knowing I still have midterms and lots of studying ahead of me. And honestly, Christmas music doesn’t really help.

I have literally turned off the radio or changed the station to avoid having to listen to modern day pop stars renditions of some Christmas classics. And while this might be one of the reasons why Christmas music has remained as popular as it is, in reality, these songs have just become more and more annoying.

So is Christmas music really as popular as we all think? Or is it really just commercials overplaying and tradition that makes us feel like we have to listen to these holiday tunes over and over again in order to get excited for Christmas.

I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy listening to Christmas music, I just don’t think this is what Christmas is really about. It should be a time for spending time with friends and family, and giving to others.