It’s November, which means we are in the season of turkey, pumpkin spice, football, and—depending on who you ask—Christmas trees. As we enter the holiday season, decorations are starting to go up everywhere. However, with the arrival of wreaths, ribbons, and lights also comes the highly debated question of exactly when you should decorate for Christmas.
You likely already have an established decorating schedule for the winter holidays. But with our preferences aside, when should we really be decking the halls? What is the proper etiquette for Christmas decorating? Is there a right time at all?
For some, the Christmas season starts early. The second Halloween is over, the pumpkins are put away, and the tree goes up immediately.
“I decorate October 31st,” freshman Gwynyth Swan says. “Decorating early brings so much joy to me and my family. My house feels full of warmth the minute we put up lights. You can never be too early for Christmas!”
Several others agree with her. For example, at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, seasonal festivities start on November 3rd. The beautiful Christmas trees, garlands, and twinkling lights make for an enchanting holiday experience. By starting so early in the season, visitors can enjoy all that Christmas at Biltmore has to offer, even before Thanksgiving.
Not only are decorations pretty, but studies have shown that they may even boost your mood! Decorating for the holidays can trigger the release of feel-good hormones such as dopamine, creating feelings of happiness. For many, Christmas decorations also bring about lots of nostalgia, warming the atmosphere with fond memories of the past. If putting up holiday decorations makes you happier, why not do it as early as possible?
On the other side of this argument are those who believe in waiting to decorate. While they still enjoy Christmas decorations, they prefer to give Thanksgiving its time to shine before rolling out the holly and jingle bells.
One of these people is senior Jaden Smith. In her opinion, decorating too early can take away from the enjoyment of fall.
“I think that people should decorate after Thanksgiving,” Smith says. “You can’t just jump straight from Halloween to Christmas because then you don’t have time to appreciate the autumn weather and trees before everything changes to winter.”
In some ways, decorating after Thanksgiving does make a lot of sense. Most people are off school or work, and their schedules have yet to be filled with Christmas festivities. Families may also still be together after their Turkey Day gatherings, allowing decorating to be a fun time of memory-making that everyone can participate in.
Waiting until later in the season may also appeal to those who get real Christmas trees. If you have a faux tree, decorating can begin whenever you like. However, those who prefer the appearance, smell, or special experience of buying an actual evergreen must bide their time. Depending on how you care for them, most trees will last four to five weeks before drying out. The careful upkeep and constant watering required to avoid having a scraggly, dying tree on Christmas morning do involve a lot of effort. Not to mention the cleaning that comes once the tree starts dropping needles, leading many real-tree choosers to avoid decorating until after Thanksgiving.
Finally, while we have found that decorations can bring about better moods, putting them up too early may cause you to get tired of them. After all, staring at the same tree, wreaths, and Santa decorations for two months can get boring. Trying to lengthen your enjoyment may actually be taking away from the unique change in routine that Christmas brings. By holding off before you deck the halls, you may actually preserve the greatness of the season.
Overall, proper Christmas decorating time is still up for debate. Whether you prefer hauling out the holly at the start of November, waiting closer to the actual holiday, or doing it somewhere in between, you should decorate whenever you want. There is no real right or wrong answer, and Christmas is still the most wonderful time of the year no matter when you choose to start celebrating.
