Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Not just the holiday, but the season where towns are lit up with twinkling lights and families gather to share presents, memories and laughter. However, there is a significant portion of the population who is so eager to celebrate the Christmas season that they start decorating their homes and yards before the end of October. I constantly see posts on Facebook and videos on TikTok about people who wait till the minute after October 31st to set up their trees and blow up reindeer. But, I argue that “the most wonderful time of the year” should start December 1st and no earlier.
I have several reasons why I am so adamant about not decorating too early.
The first is that every holiday should have its own time to shine; they are widely celebrated holidays for a reason. A great deal of people enjoy celebrating each holiday on its own, and it’s honestly tacky to see Christmas or winter-themed decorations before there’s even snow on the ground. This can be said as well for department stores like Walmart, Target, Dollar General and others. Before Halloween is even celebrated, there are more evergreen trees and ornaments on the shelves than any other product. And there are people whose favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, and we can’t just forget about them. Thanksgiving is a preview for getting together with family members and friends that should be cherished and allowed its own spotlight.
Additionally, the fall weather and season is already limited anyways. There is a small window of authentic autumn weather between the end of September and if we’re lucky it lasts until maybe mid-November before the world freezes over. In my opinion, decorating for Christmas a month prior basically manifests blizzards and ice storms in November. Call me crazy, but I’d prefer holding onto a pumpkin-spiced latte and walking around in a flannel for a little longer before I have to break out my double-layered Antarctica-inspired North Face coat.
Don’t get me wrong, there are so many aspects of the Christmas season that I enjoy as much as the next person. Such as driving around to look at Christmas lights, seeing my extended family, building snowmen, crafting gingerbread houses, and more. But, there is a time and a place for that – in DECEMBER! Some say, and I agree, that decorating too early can take the spirit and magic out of every holiday before it and during it.
It is safe to say that my apartment will not get decorated until after Thanksgiving, and I will promptly be taking some of my mother’s Christmas decor slyly when she’s not looking when I go home. I am looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends before I even think about the repetitive jingles and music that will be stuck in my head for 31 days.
