Fairy tales, ‘Last Christmas,’ Mariah Carey festive staples

The holiday season brings together two favorite habits: reading traditional fairy tales and listening to Christmas carols from the golden age of pop music.

A lot can separate Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen from Mariah Carey and Wham! but surprisingly the spirit of Christmas brings them a little closer. This year in Britain for instance the festive season kicked off with a "Whamageddon." Attendees must avoid listening to "Last Christmas" by Wham! from December 1 to 24 - if they don't make it, the moment they hear it they must post on social media #whamageddon.

It will be difficult, of course, because the iconic Christmas song of 1984 along with Mariah Carey's all-time classic hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You" are broadcast all over the world already in November, on radio stations, in malls, restaurants and cafes, hairdressers and supermarkets.