It is almost that time of year; the time to trim the tree, put up the lights and get ready for the Christmas season. And for some, that time to decorate may be sooner rather than later. According to a study covered by 6ABC, 43% of Americans are okay with decorating or put up their Christmas decorations before Nov. 1.
Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. In my family, we put up the tree a day or two after Thanksgiving. When I was younger, I would want to get into the Christmas spirit as soon as possible, even listening to one Christmas CD as soon as September started sometimes (until my parents hid the CD from me. I cannot say I blame them, as I am sure hearing children sing “We Need a Little Christmas” over and over does something to your sanity). However, I have noticed that more and more people are against putting Christmas decorations up earlier than December. But my first response to this is, “So what?”
According to Narcity, psychologist experts say that putting up your Christmas decorations early can make you feel happier and more in touch with your inner child. Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown said in this article that in a world of stress and anxiety, people like to associate to things that make them happy.
These past couple of years have been very hectic for so many people. We have had a global pandemic, high inflation rates, a war in Ukraine and so on. That is not even mentioning the stress many of us have had from college work and upcoming finals. For me, I am graduating in December, and I know I have been super stressed about that. So, why not spread a little cheer at the end of the semester?
I also see a little bit of hypocrisy in those who dislike putting up Christmas decorations early. According to an article published in My Central Jersey, the National Retail Federation found that almost half of Americans begin shopping for Halloween in September or earlier. The same article also said that many young adults embrace Halloween, something I have definitely seen throughout my time in college. If people can decorate for Halloween in September, people should be able to decorate for Christmas in November.
If you want to be accurate to the holiday’s origin, according to The Leader, Christmas trees traditionally should be put up at the start of Advent. This year, that start is Nov. 27, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. For those who want to meet in the middle, I think this is the perfect time to put up your Christmas decorations. It gives Thanksgiving time to shine as well as giving Christmas a tiny head start.
Getting into the holiday spirit early is not harming anyone. Putting a tree in your living room and putting glass balls on it is not going to make the entire world explode. If it makes them happy, why try to bring them down with, “It’s too early?” So the next time you see someone with a wreath on their door on Nov. 15, do not go up to them and rain on their parade. After all, what is wrong with spreading a little joy?
by Hallie Gallinat | Feature Editor
When it comes to decorating for the holidays, I am always one to want everything to look extravagant. From the living room to the bedroom, I want everything to have a cohesive look. However, I believe there is a certain time where you transition to winter decorations. Christmas decorations should come out the first of December. Having a Christmas tree in the room while you are eating your Thanksgiving turkey gives me the wrong impression. I want to be able to see the red and the orange decorations in the house while celebrating Thanksgiving with my family.
Perhaps I have this opinion because my whole life, my family always decorated the day after Thanksgiving. We got our Christmas tree in December and left the decorations up until the middle of January. It gave me something to look forward to and I got to spend that time being thankful that I am there to help. As I drive around town and I see blow-up decorations in people’s yards, I think to myself, “It is too early.” There are many arguments as to when you should put up your Christmas decorations. According to Architectural Digest, a popular time to put up your tree is during the first day of Advent.
“Advent is when Christians commemorate and contemplate the birth of Jesus Christ. It begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas and lasts until Christmas Eve, making the first day of Advent a popular time to raise your real or artificial Christmas tree. This year, Advent begins on November 27.”
Before Christmas, there are two other holidays that people celebrate, those holidays being Halloween and Thanksgiving. I think that people should be able to celebrate and see the fall decorations instead of taking down fall décor and immediately putting up a tree. I think that Thanksgiving is overlooked by people as well as stores. Having an important holiday that celebrates when Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag shared an autumn fest together is worth paying attention to as well as having time with your family to feast and be thankful. You should wait to put up Christmas lights, trees, and stockings until the first of December, so Thanksgiving tis not overlooked. Take each holiday one at a time, take the time to celebrate with your family. According to NCAT, “We should celebrate one holiday at a time, it is important not to overlook holidays. Sometimes Thanksgiving is overlooked, and we forget to be thankful. Christmas should not only be advertised for people to want to buy more Christmas items but to increase the holiday spirit.”
