Near the beginning of October, I had a customer come up to me to settle her bill at the restaurant I work at. She asked me when I think the appropriate time to set up a Christmas tree is. Not thinking much about it, I said probably no earlier than Dec.1. She immediately agreed with me and complained that a coworker of hers has already set up a Christmas tree at their work. She said it was ridiculously early, and I nodded along with her.
That got me thinking though: when is the appropriate time to start setting up Christmas decorations? I think most people would agree that the beginning of October is too early. But the more I see what others think, the more I disagree with myself.
There are benefits to putting up Christmas decorations early. According to Amy Morin, an American psychotherapist, many people look forward to decorating because of nostalgia. Christmas recalls those strong feelings from childhood. This is a season for families traditionally to get together and spend quality time with each other as well as a time for gift-giving and sharing. It is a time to connect with loved ones and even strangers.
Reliving these memories from past Christmases can bring warmth and comfort to oneself during a hectic time. We all know the stress and the amount of spending that Christmas also brings. Spending time at home, taking out the Christmas decorations from storage and sorting them, is also taking time for yourself to rejuvenate.
There has also been research on how people use holiday decorations on the outside of their homes to communicate their friendliness to the world. The research examined what strangers thought of houses with or without decorations. When the homes had the decorations on, strangers thought that the owners of the homes must be more friendly and sociable people. That is because the homes looked more lived-in and open. The results of the research indicated that people can use their homes to communicate friendliness and help them become more involved with their neighbourhood.
I think that we are quick to judge those who put up their Christmas decorations early, which I am guilty of. If it makes you happier, then do it. It’s not like we are forcing people to put up their own decorations early or putting them up in public. Putting up Christmas decorations early in your home should be completely fine if it brings you and your loved ones happiness.
Illustration: Kayt Hine/The Cascade
