With Halloween’s end, some look to the next holiday: Thanksgiving. They make their plans to go home for break and begin to dream about the feast they’ll soon have whilst standing in line at the dining hall. However, others jump ahead straight to Christmas. For some, Nov. 1 means Mariah Carey blasting in their airpods on the walk to class and decorating dorm rooms with lights and mini trees. 

This way of life is not completely unfounded, as companies like Starbucks and Dunkin’ begin to roll out their Christmas beverages and treats on Nov. 3 and Nov. 1, respectively. Even in October, certain store shoppers were greeted with Michael Buble’s voice in “Holly Jolly Christmas,” with stores such as Kohls beginning to play holiday music before the leaves had even changed color. 

I recently posted a TikTok about this idea of celebrating Christmas right after Halloween, indicating that the end of the spooky season signaled the commencement of the next holiday season. 

Some in the comments agreed with me. UNC student Ava Campbell said that her “tree goes up in November” and Olivia Rogers, a student from Buffalo, commented that she “already started listening to Christmas music.” The popular ginger ale company Canada Dry even commented how it is “almost Christmas time.” 

However, not everyone in the comments was as receptive to the idea of a Christmas commencement on Nov. 1. Some scoffed at the idea of even mentioning Christmas before Thanksgiving, saying that people who do so are disrespecting Thanksgiving celebrations. Some in the comments simply commented the word “Thanksgiving,” as to remind those of us who seemingly forgot about the existence of the holiday. 

Those who want to celebrate the Christmas season sooner argue that, because Santa Claus himself appears at the end of the Thanksgiving Day Parade, that the media, and all the corporations selling Christmas products, justify their behavior. 

This is also compounded by celebrities who profit off of Christmas through songs. Most widely known is Mariah Carey, who at midnight on Halloween, posts an annual video saying “It’s Time,” referencing the beginning of the Christmas season. 

However, Thanksgiving defenders say that she puts a disclaimer at the end of this video saying we need to get through that holiday first. However, this is likely to just appease her whole audience. 

The main point surrounding Christmas lovers’ arguments is that there are no songs, movies and only sparse decorations for the Thanksgiving holiday, and if there were more they would embrace and listen to them rather than “jumping the gun” so quickly for Christmas. 

However, since this Thanksgiving fanfare doesn’t exist and they need something to get them through the mid-semester lull and the end of year slump, they resort to the joys of Christmas. 

Truly, if you enjoy blaring Mariah Carey and Michael Buble on Nov. 1 and ordering your peppermint lattes the day they become available, do it. People are always big proponents about doing what makes you happy, until it comes to those who want to celebrate Christmas in November. 

If Christmas lovers’ are blasting music in Falvey, then the complaining is justified. However, if they’re listening to this music through their headphones, drinking their Christmas drink or wearing a sweater with Santa Claus on it, then there shouldn’t be any complaints. 

The Christmas season goes by quickly in general, and with college students’ overall mood being dampened by finals and end-of-semester stresses during December, we should embrace those in the Christmas spirit. 

If celebrating Christmas the minute the clock strikes midnight on Nov. 1 makes you happy, do it. If it agitates you, ignore it. As for me, if you spot me walking to class on Wednesday with airpods in, know that there’s a good chance I’m listening to Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree.”