When is it acceptable to play Christmas music?

Every American retail worker knows the pain of coming into work on Nov. 1, fully aware that they are about to be subjected to two months of torture.
The start of the Christmas season is one of the busiest times of the year for stores and businesses alike. People are shopping for gifts and loading up on food and treats of the Christmas variety.
All of this must be stressful for the people who keep the stores running, but the one thing that customers seem to never consider is the music in the stores. Most people just go shopping and hear a few Christmas songs over the loudspeaker; that’s as far as it goes. Employees, on the other hand, listen to the same repetitive music for several hours at a time with little relief.
Anybody would go crazy if they had to listen to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” three times an hour.
This poses the question: When should people start listening to Christmas music? The answer to that question is tricky. What timing would best ignite the Christmas spirit and start the celebration of what is many people’s favorite time of year?
While many would argue that Nov. 1 is that date, Dec. 1 would be a much better option for several reasons. Thanksgiving may be a popular holiday, but it gets very little recognition than its successor. There aren’t Thanksgiving songs and movies, so people fill the month of November with Christmas. That, however, takes away the thrill of kicking off the season. If people waited until Dec. 1 to break out the Frank Sinatra and Mariah Carey albums, then everyone would have a more exciting December.
Christmas is almost sacred for many families, so keeping its magic alive ensures that traditions continue, and Christmas will always be one of the top holidays.