Ah, Christmastime. It’s easily my favorite time of the year due to the sheer amount of childhood memories I associate with it, and winter is simply a beautiful season. There’s gift-giving, cookie-making, sometimes some snow, and I get to spend time with my family. I love the magic of Christmas and its themes of kindness and bringing people together, and it’s truly a beautiful holiday. But even the most beautiful things have problems, and my biggest problem with Christmas–something that almost sours the season for me–is the music.

As a child, I didn’t mind the music one bit and quite enjoyed listening to it. Then I got older and, after hearing the same songs every year for so many years, I realized the music drove me completely and utterly nuts. The lyrics were heard far too often. The tune was way too familiar. The songs had lost their magic, and instead of adding to the enchanting feeling of the season, they made Christmastime virtually unbearable. Never have I once walked through a store after Halloween without hearing “Winter Wonderland” or “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and each time I hear these overplayed songs, I lose another brain cell. I don’t want a lot for Christmas, but there is just one thing I need: to never hear any of these notoriously obnoxious songs ever again.

While Christmas certainly wouldn’t be the same without these songs, as they help shape the holiday itself and give it its identity, it wouldn’t hurt shopping malls to play them a little less. Just when you finally get the songs from last Christmas out of your head, they’re back again for another round, driving you crazy right up until New Year’s.

Christmas is a wholesome, happy season, full of food, family, and togetherness — and it can be like that without the merciless playing of nonstop Christmas songs. Instead of hearing those torturous tunes over and over again, we should all spend the holidays being grateful for each other, being kind, and enjoying good food. That’s what Christmas is really about, and Mariah Carey has nothing to do with it.