# What's your Christmas Music Threshold? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929 "2009-12-04T01:27:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/1 "2009-12-04T01:27:39Z")
Christmas music is omnipresent this time of year. How much is enough for you? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/2 "2009-12-04T01:33:45Z")
Zero tolerance applies for the standard overplayed dreck. A week or so of newer stuff and imaginative remakes (like Pollo del Mar’s “The Saracen Gift”) can be endured. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/3 "2009-12-04T01:38:15Z")
I chose “none” because it was the closest to my real threshold for typical Christmas music, which is approximately 24 hours. It’s more about what the music is than about how long it’s played for anyway. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/4 "2009-12-04T02:52:54Z")
I voted “none” because mostly it’s just the dreck that they play. Although I was in the grocery store today and the only song I actually heard was “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” That put a smile on my face. I’m a hard-core atheist, but the only Christmas music I can really stand (aside from the aforementioned Grinch and the Southpark Christmas stuff) is the old school Christmas hymns – preferably instrumental only, but well-done, classically arranged singing is okay. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/5 "2009-12-04T02:55:43Z")
I love the old school Christmas hymns, but I can only listen to so much Christmas music before going totally berserk. My threshold: two hours, max. And under no circumstance do I want to hear it before Thanksgiving. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/6 "2009-12-04T08:03:35Z")
I get tired of all music after the 5th time or so I hear a particular song. I’ll still remember it fondly, if I liked it, but I have no desire to hear it again. Therefore, I was tired of Xmas music sometime in the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/7 "2009-12-04T13:08:43Z")
I used to love it more than I do now. I said in another thread that I must be getting old, but the season now seems to be more stressful and less fun. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/8 "2009-12-04T14:15:56Z")
None. Because I have heard it all a gazillion times before. I am just about ready to smash in my car radio due to a commercial for Canada Express Post sung by a group of carollers to the tune of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” “We Love Shipping With Express Post…” Holy fuck. Does it get any, any, any worse than this? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/9 "2009-12-04T14:18:26Z")
None, unless it’s Darlene Love’s “Christmas” or “All Alone on Christmas.” ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/10 "2009-12-04T14:37:46Z")
I always wondered why we were subjected to more than a day or two, now I see there are people even here who can withstand 3 or 4 weeks of this crap. I loath you all. Seriously, I don’t even want to think about 12/25 until about 12/20. Why kill a whole month? Don’ t people have more important things to think about in December? I thought a day of cooking for 10 minutes of eating (Thanksgiving) was insane, but holy cow, a month of frenzy one stinking holiday? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/11 "2009-12-04T15:22:08Z")
Working in a bookstore for a few Christmas seasons cured me of any affection for holiday music, especially that of the novelty-Springsteen-Lennon-Rat Pack-Burl Ives-Madonna-Jewel-Special(insert celebrity)Holiday Album variety. A few years have passed and now I can stand traditional carols, preferably without vocals, for one day only. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/12 "2009-12-04T15:40:00Z")
I draw the line at roasting my chestnuts on an open fire. More seriously I can listen to Christmas music for a prolonged time so long as certain songs never play. One of those is The Christmas Song. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/13 "2009-12-04T15:47:04Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > Working in a bookstore for a few Christmas seasons cured me of any affection for holiday music, especially that of the novelty-Springsteen-Lennon-Rat Pack-Burl Ives-Madonna-Jewel-Special(insert celebrity)Holiday Album variety. > > A few years have passed and now I can stand traditional carols, **preferably without vocals** , for one day only. yep - its the singing that makes it atrocious. I can handle the instrumental. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/14 "2009-12-04T15:58:27Z")
It can start the day after Thanksgiving. Of course, I don’t listen to radio too much anyway. Special case: [Straight No Chaser](http://www.sncmusic.com/) can do [Christmas](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8) songs whenever they want. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/15 "2009-12-04T16:02:55Z")
Being Dutch I think anything to do with Christmas should never precede the 5th of December, which is when we celebrate the lovely feast of St. Nicholas, on the subject of which I can bore the pants off anyone wanting to know. As I rather like Christmas it’s all systems go after that, as far as I am concerned. I particularly like The Snowman. “We’re walking in the air…” ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/16 "2009-12-05T05:42:19Z")
I can tolerate a couple of Christmas songs a day, for about two weeks before Christmas. Some of them I quite like, in fact, but there are very few songs of any kind that I can tolerate hearing again and again and again in a short period of time. Since it seems that every radio station in this area tends to put certain songs in heavy rotation for a while, and then they disappear for years, I’m getting increasingly annoyed with broadcast radio. But it’s even worse for Christmas songs. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/17 "2009-12-05T06:11:21Z")
For songs I like, once or twice per song per season. Most of them, I don’t like. I could live with never hearing most xmas music again. I wish we didn’t put all winter songs in the “xmas music” category, though. Sleigh Ride? Marshmallow World? I could handle those in Jan. & Feb. Even Jingle Bells is not really a Christmas song. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/18 "2009-12-05T06:38:28Z")
I get annoyed at it the first time someone plays it before Thanksgiving and then spend the rest of the time trying to avoid it only to tolerate it on Christmas Eve. ---
**Author:** ![silvermist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@silvermist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silvermist)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/19 "2009-12-05T08:08:53Z")
I enjoy the words to the old classics, but there is such a thing as overkill. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929/20 "2009-12-05T08:15:01Z")
Not my holiday, not my music. If I go to the house of Christian friends or family and they have it playing in the background, that’s okay, but otherwise I don’t want to hear it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-christmas-music-threshold/519929.md?page=2)