SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Now for something that will either make your ears perk up or lead to a long, exhausting eye roll.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MARIAH CAREY: It's time.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As elf) Can we not? Oh.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU")
CAREY: (Singing) I don't want a lot for Christmas.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
On November 1, Mariah Carey, the world's unofficial Christmas ambassador, declared that the holiday season has, in fact, begun.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU")
CAREY: (Singing) Make my wish come true. All I want for Christmas is you.
SUMMERS: While the announcement from Carey has become a yearly tradition, it ignited an age-old debate among ALL THINGS CONSIDERED staffers.
DETROW: When is the right time to start playing Christmas music?
SUMMERS: For director Jonas Adams and producer Vincent Acovino, it is just too early.
JONAS ADAMS, BYLINE: Me and Mariah go back like babies and pacifiers. But it's too early for the Christmas music. I just took Halloween decorations down.
VINCENT ACOVINO, BYLINE: I mean, let's not get carried away here. You have to distill that spirit into a week, not two months. I mean, it's ridiculous.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS")
BING CROSBY: (Singing) It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go.
SUMMERS: Even our resident Christmas queen, producer Elena Burnett, waits until after Thanksgiving to listen to these festive tunes.
ELENA BURNETT, BYLINE: I love Christmas music so much, and I want to listen the heck out of it. But if I start too early, then I'm going to be tired of it by the time that the big day actually rolls around.
(SOUNDBITE OF VINCE GUARALDI TRIO'S "O TANNENBAUM")
DETROW: Producer Erika Ryan takes it a step further.
(SOUNDBITE OF BRENDA LEE SONG, "ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE")
ERIKA RYAN, BYLINE: If it was up to me, there would be no Christmas music in public places because I worked in retail for years, and it just ruined it for me.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE")
BRENDA LEE: (Singing)...You can see. Every couple tries to stop.
RYAN: I don't like to yuck anybody's yum or whatever you want to call it, but, yeah, it's not my thing. Christmas music is just not really my thing. And that's fine.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THIS CHRISTMAS")
DONNY HATHAWAY: (Singing) Hang all the mistletoe. I'm going to get to know you better.
ADAMS: How about this? Mariah Carey, go make a Thanksgiving song. Go do that. And then you don't have to push your Christmas music on us too early. Is that too much to ask?
DETROW: I am also with Jonas. You start the music the day after Thanksgiving. I'm all for Christmas from that point forward.
SUMMERS: I'm a little grinchy. I really don't like Christmas music. Give it to me on the day. Otherwise, I am just not interested.
DETROW: So whatever side you fall on, the ALL THINGS CONSIDERED staff wants to wish you a very merry Christmas.
SUMMERS: ...Even if we are still more than 30 days away.
DETROW: Long time to come.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THIS CHRISTMAS")
HATHAWAY: (Singing) ...Christmas for me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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