Why do we love -- or hate -- holiday music so much? An expert weighs in on the psychology connected to festive tunes
NEW YORK -- We haven't even carved the Thanksgiving turkey yet, but already holiday songs are starting to play in some retail stores, restaurants, and homes all around.
But why exactly do we like the music so much? Or not at all? CBS2's John Dias found out.
She's the so-called "Queen of Christmas," and when Mariah Carey says it, her followers obey, falling out of the autumn spirit and into holiday cheer.
But it's not just the pop star's fans feeling the joy; it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas all over New York City.
The Winter Village at Bryant Park is already in full swing. There, holiday cheer is all around, and so is the music.
"It just, like, gets me in a holiday mood," one shopper said.
According to the music software company Blòkur, there are nearly 50,000 songs with the word "Christmas" in them, and it seems everyone has their favorite holiday song.
"Bob Seger's version of 'Little Drummer Boy," said Melissa Kelley, of St. Louis, Missouri.
"Adam Sandler's Jewish holiday song," Joanne Perahia said.
"'The 12 Days of Christmas,'" said Erin Stack, from Orange County, California.
Some like the music so much, they wanted to sing for everyone.
But why exactly do we like holiday music so much?
"Gives us a sense of nostalgia," said family therapist Dr. Kathryn Smerling.
Smerling says most of the songs are uplifting and trigger a feeling inside us that we have entangled with the holiday season over the years: joy.
"Here you are as an adult, and singing along to the same thing that you sang in third grade, that's a sense of continuity," she said.
But sometimes nostalgia isn't such a good thing; it could bring up some bad memories, which is why some don't like Christmas music, but Smerling says to try to look past that and focus on all the positive things in your life.
"Those old grudges that you had, that have not gone away, let go of them," she said.
And attempt to re-think how you look at the holidays.
