What to Know About Whamageddon: The Holiday Game Thousands Play by Avoiding Wham!'s 'Last Christmas'

The annual Christmas tradition, which involves avoiding listening to one classic holiday song as long as possible, is trending across social media

This year, to save themselves from tears, thousands of people are avoiding listening to Wham!'s holiday classic "Last Christmas." It's not because they hate Christmas music, though: They're participating in a viral holiday game.

Whamageddon is an annual tradition that a group of friends from Denmark started 18 years ago, as reported by The New York Times, which has continued to trend across the globe every year since.

The rules, laid out on Whamageddon's official website, are simple (but not so easy to follow, given the popularity of holiday music). As soon as Dec. 1 arrives, anyone can play by avoiding listening to Wham!’s “Last Christmas” until Dec. 24. Once you hear the 1986 hit — whether it accidentally queues up on a holiday party playlist or comes on while you’re out shopping for presents — you’re out. In that moment, players are encouraged to capture a photo or video of the moment and share it with the #Whamageddon hashtag on social media.

Related: Wham!'s Andrew Ridgeley Recalls Hearing 'Last Christmas' for the First Time: 'Absolutely Knockout' (Exclusive)

If you can last until the night of Christmas Eve, you’ve won and made it to “Whamhalla.” Then, you’re more than welcome to celebrate by ringing in the yuletide with the sweet sounds of George Michael.

For those who can’t get enough holiday music, good news: You’re able to listen to other versions of “Last Christmas,” which has been covered by the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and more, all you want.

Although Whamageddon began as a joke among a group of friends who would say that they were “hit” with the song as soon as the holiday season rolled around, it’s grown into something thousands of people participate in. Their official Facebook page has over 19,000 followers and nearly 800 people chime into the Reddit thread. As for the hashtag, there’s over 14,000 posts with it on Instagram and a whopping 12 million views of it on TikTok.

According to the BBC, a DJ at the Northampton Town Football Club stadium in the U.K. even received a bit of viral backlash (all meant in good fun) on social media for playing the song at a game earlier this month.

Related: From Wham! to Solo Success: George Michael's Life in Photos

“It’s just a funny little thing that a couple of idiots from Denmark did to entertain themselves during Christmas,” one of the founders, Thomas Mertz, told The New York Times.

He explained to the outlet that they see it as a way to provide some holiday cheer. “It’s just not a good time of year to a lot of people,” Mertz added. “If we can add a little bit of fun to that, I think it’s worthwhile.”

Mertz, 42, also clarified the common misconception that Whamageddon is because they “somehow hate Christmas music, or Wham!, or pop" — even adding that he loves pop himself.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: KC and The Sunshine Band Release 'Last Christmas' Remix: Listen (Exclusive)

If you're considering joining the festivities, just know that the popularity of the '80s favorite is on the rise. It tends to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 annually, and it's already returned to the Top 40.

Wham! instrumentalist Andrew Ridgeley recently opened up to PEOPLE about the Christmas tune’s lasting legacy when his bandmate was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posthumously.

“The first time I ever heard it, it was absolutely knockout,” the instrumentalist, 60, shared. “It sounded for all the world like a Christmas classic.”

He continued, “It's Christmas distilled if you ask me. It's the essence of Christmas.”

“And so, its enduring nature, its perennial nature isn't really a surprise,” Ridgeley said. “But it's a wonderful privilege to have had bestowed upon Wham!, to have one of the all-time Christmas classics — which I think it's fair to say it probably is now.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.