Even if you’re the Grinch, with a heart that’s two sizes too small…you will eventually catch yourself humming and singing along to Christmas classics.
For most of us, that music puts a pep in our step, a sparkle in our eye, and brings out the kid in all of us. Christmas is a magical time of year when homes are transformed into winter wonderlands. And Christmas songs play a pivotal role in setting the stage for the most wonderful time of year.
The Joy of Memories…Old and New
The main reason is that listening to it just simply makes us feel good! Recent research by McGill University proved that when people listen to happy, upbeat music, they can recall happy memories within a shorter amount of time. That’s never truer than with the warm and joy-filled memories from our childhood over the holidays. In fact, part of the reason Christmas music is so popular is not just the music itself, but the nostalgia associated with it. Songs like Jingle Bell Rock, Frosty the Snowman, and A Holly Jolly Christmas trigger a sweet spot in our brains that affects us both physically and psychologically. The positive vibes we get from Christmas carols are anchored to prior experiences with those songs – those memories trigger a host of warm and pleasant emotions, which then affect our outlook on life and our interactions with others. We sing along. We smile more. We feel better.
Christmas tunes draw people together and create community. For about 30 days, it doesn’t matter your age or your music preference…people come together over the holidays. All demographics sing along when it comes to Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. During the rest of the year, your jam may be ACDC or Garth Brooks or Ariana Grande and Post Malone…but when Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” comes on, we all collectively turn to mush. Why? Because it brings back the sights, smells, and laughter from decorating Christmas cookies in our grandmother’s kitchen when we were 6 years old.
And, it happens to all of us, regardless of age. According to Nielsen, listeners between the ages of 18-34 account for over a third of all Christmas music fans, with another 30% are listeners between the ages of 35-54. It seems that Millennials have emerged as the generation most enamored with Christmas music. And it’s more than just a few people…the stations across the country that play Christmas music from about Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day experience, on average, a 90% ratings spike during workday listening and a 130% increase in the evenings. On Christmas Eve, ratings shoot up to nearly 600%.
Bottom line…Santa delivers. And we LOVE singing about him. We’ll be listening and singing along in our offices, in stores while we’re shopping, in our cars, and in our homes. So, get ready…it’s almost time. And in a year like 2020 that has been a challenge to say the least, I think we’re all ready for a reason to smile.
We think it’s yet another reason to LOVE the Dove.
Interested in advertising your business on the happiest station this Christmas? Contact us today by clicking on the image below, or email us at 983thedove@zimmercommunications.com
