When it comes to the holiday season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is like a kid on Christmas morning—eager, enthusiastic, and unapologetically festive. But this year, his early embrace of Christmas music ignited an unexpected backlash, leaving him to defend his holiday cheer against fans and even his own team on his latest episode of the ‘Dale Jr. Download’.

Dale Jr.’s taboo early festivities

For Dale Jr., the Christmas season isn’t just about the music—it’s a cherished time of year that brings him joy. “I love our kids getting excited about Christmas, and now I’m getting more excited about Christmas,” he explained, adding, “I’ve just really fallen in love with this portion of the calendar year.”

The two-time Daytona 500 champion shared a lighthearted story about how his early Christmas vibe wasn’t exactly a hit with fans. “The Christmas music is playing on the local radio station,” he began. “I did not know that people don’t really like that to happen before Thanksgiving.” his excitement over setting up his Amazon-bought radio to play holiday tunes in the garage clashed with a vocal majority of fans who believe in waiting until after Thanksgiving to start the yuletide celebrations.

“I walked out there in the garage and I heard a song. It was a Christmas song, and I tweeted, ‘Hell yeah.’ And everybody was like, ‘Noooooooo, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!’” Dale Earnhardt Jr. recounted, bemused by the strong reactions.

Yet, not everyone shares his sentiment. Podcast producer Dalton Greco even ran a Twitter poll under Dale Jr.’s tweet, revealing that ‘69% of respondents felt it was too early to listen to Christmas music’. Andrew Kurland, another member of the podcast team, admitted he sided with the majority.

“I’m in that boat,” Andrew said, sparking an amusing exchange with Dale.

“Why does it matter?!” Dale shot back, clearly puzzled by the pushback.

Andrew argued it was about honoring the holiday season in order. “We’re just forgetting about Thanksgiving?! It still feels too warm outside.”

But Dale wasn’t buying it. “That is not Christmas’s fault!” he quipped.

Thanksgiving vs. Christmas: The Great Dale Jr. debate

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Amy Earnhardt, Dale Jr.’s wife and a frequent guest on the podcast, chimed in to tease Andrew for his lukewarm take on Christmas tunes. “I’m actually shocked that the one out of the four of us is you [Andrew] that doesn’t like any of the Christmas songs!”

Andrew clarified, “It’s not like I don’t like the Christmas music, I like the Christmas music!” But his attempts to explain himself only made him a bigger target.

Dalton teased him further: “Why do you care so much about Thanksgiving? Do you have a personal tie to the pilgrims?”

Despite the jokes and the playful roasting, the discussion ultimately underscored the personal nature of holiday traditions. For Dale Jr., Christmas music represents the “green flag” that kicks off his favorite part of the year. “It’s here, it’s fine. You know this part of the year that I love,” he said.

But for others, Thanksgiving holds its own special place on the calendar and deserves its time in the spotlight without being overshadowed by Christmas cheer.

As for when it’s officially okay to break out the Christmas playlist? That might just remain as polarizing as a green-white-checkered finish. But one thing’s for sure: Dale Jr. will be rocking his garage radio, no matter what the polls—or his podcast crew—have to say about it.