Savannah’s Christmas Market runs from November 20th to December 31st, 2025! The month-long festival will feature handcrafted art, tasty food and more. If you’ve been waiting for this event all year, but you’re worried your hearing loss will get in the way, take a look at our tips to help you communicate in a busy environment.
Practice Active Listening
When someone without hearing loss listens to speech in a busy environment, their brain effectively picks out and decodes the speech—a skill known as the cocktail party effect. People with hearing loss, however, often have trouble distinguishing those sounds. Instead, their brains might fuse the two sounds, making speech difficult to understand.
Try employing a skill called active listening—a communication technique where you give your full attention to the speaker. While it sounds simple, many people struggle with active listening. Either their environment distracts them, or their mind drifts to other things. Do your best to focus on the words your friends and local vendors are saying. You can try repeating back key points to keep your brain engaged. That way, you won’t miss out on an interesting backstory of a vendor’s products.
Ask For Rephrasing
Because hearing loss typically impacts specific frequencies, someone repeating the exact words they just said might not offer any clarification. Instead, ask them to rephrase or add context so you can build a clearer picture.
Wear Hearing Aids
Your hearing aids are helpful tools that collect and amplify essential speech sounds. Many modern devices feature advanced AI processing that helps filter out unnecessary sounds, such as people rushing about behind you, and amplify the speech sounds you need to hear, like those of the person in front of you.
The day before you head to the festivals, charge your devices or replace their batteries if they’re low. Next, clean your devices, removing wax and other debris from the microphone and speaker to prevent sound distortion. Finally, check the companion app to ensure the programming is right for a busy setting.
We’re here to improve your communication at the Christmas Market and every other holiday event this year. For more information on managing your hearing loss or to schedule a hearing aid service & repair appointment, contact Audiology and Hearing Aid Services today.