It’s the 1st of December, and the first door of the Meery Christmas Advent Calendar is… Christmas music!

By now, Christmas tunes having been blaring out for some time, but I resist putting them on my playlist until the 1st of December, because to this meerkat, Christmas starts in December, and not a moment before. I am not oblivious to the need to prepare, but in terms of the spirit of the season, it’s now that it kicks in, and not one minute before. Now is when I get my festive spirit on, and Christmas music (as samey and unbearable as some of it can be) is one means of helping me do exactly that. Songs such as I wish it could be Christmas everyday, by a band called Wizzard, and Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine, have been mainstays of my Christmas playlists ever since I was a cub.

There are certain songs that are hugely popular, yet because they are so popular, they have been so over-played that they torture the eardrums of many unfortunate souls. Mariah Carey’s All I want for Christmas is You gets played virtually non-stop from the 1st of November, and Wham’s smash hit Last Christmas, whilst not unenjoyable, is an overdone turkey by the time Christmas Day arrives. The incessant use of these songs in shops ultimately erodes any pleasure one can take from them.

There is another form of Christmas music (well, in fact, there are two, if you ask me, but one of them is set aside for another prompt). You have the classic singalong songs like Jingle Bells, which I would consider warm, friendly material, that anyone of any age can appreciate. These fuzzy, pleasant tunes make for lovely background noise on a cold December evening.

What are your thoughts on Christmas music? When does it start in your house? What is the one song that’s been done to death for you?!