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For the month of December, it’s rather difficult to visit any public shopping area or waiting room without hearing the sounds of old holiday melodies. Furthermore, many families gather to spend quality time together, and more often then not, someone inevitably turns on those infamous holiday tunes. Oh, how those magical jingles whisk you into to an ambiance of bliss, possibly with the help of a little extra holiday eggnog.

The ability of this music to move your mood or conversation is most likely varied by the extent that you were subject to them during your youth. Conditioning and time have formed a very specific niche in your mind: holiday music equates to holiday times, and holiday times, for most anyway, induce a sense of happiness and contentment. They directly mirror those that you would or will feel when you gather together with your closest of kin later this year.

It is no wonder then, that you hear this music just about wherever you go during the last month of the year. Retail outlets pump these melodies out and directly or indirectly influence your mood. Logic prevails, and your enhanced mood leads to a merry disposition…and less concern over opening your wallet to the holiday spirit.

Be aware that these people are using your nostalgic tendencies to bond with Holiday music and think of idealized family time to control your behavior and get you to spend money. [editor’s note: Greg just told me I really need to see a therapist].

Let’s look at it from the opposite standpoint to get another example for you naysayers. Obviously, if some melodies have a positive affect on you, then there are also certain sounds that will negatively affect your wellbeing. Did you know that some stores blast classical music into their parking lots to deter troublemaking teenage delinquents from loitering. They count on the affect of the music to directly manipulate the behavior of these rowdy teens.

It’s interesting to note the behavior of those around us during these times. While music certainly has different affects on different people, this is one rare time where the majority of the population can be influenced in the same manner by the same melodies. The social affect, or value, is undeniable. In fact, the next time you find yourself splurging on a few extra gifts for your loved ones this season, take a moment to listen up and check if those holiday tunes are humming away from the speakers above you, and see for yourself.