As soon as the calendar hits November, the lights go up, decorations come out and the sounds of the Yuletide can be heard through the speakers at almost every store in America.
Many people start bringing out the lights and decorations at various times. Some people might do it right as Halloween ends, some people might wait until after Thanksgiving and some even wait until December hits.
But why do people decorate early? Many people are ready to decorate for Christmas as soon as the pumpkins are put away, and it turns out, this might make you happier if you surround yourself with Christmas spirit.
Big Rapids resident Tyler Koehn has had his decorations up for two weeks already and loves to decorate early.
“I love Christmas,” Koehn said. “My fiancé and I love to collect the little Christmas village buildings, but other than those, we have a lot of decorations that we try to start putting out a week after Halloween. I just love to get in the spirit and be ready for the holidays.”
Many people have fond memories of Christmas time, often stemming from their childhood. Whether you remember waking up early on Christmas morning and seeing the Christmas tree surrounded by presents from Santa. Or you remember going to meet Santa in the local mall, childhood memories are often a cherished part of the holiday season.
People believe that the nostalgic feeling of Christmas may have benefits for their own mental health. That nostalgia may come from going through old decorations and finding a childhood ornament you always put on the tree or listening to Christmas music you remember listening to as a kid with your parents, while looking at people’s homes decorated in Christmas lights.
Even here in Big Rapids, the annual Festival of the Lights parade is often the weekend before Thanksgiving. The parade is to usher in the holiday season, with many parade floats covered in lights, as well as the lighting of the tree in front of Horizon Bank.
But there are many people who think Christmas should wait until after Thanksgiving, like junior accounting major Ethan Thelen.
“I personally think that people should wait until after Thanksgiving,” Thelen said. “It is kind of like people forget there is a whole month between Halloween and Christmas. You have to give Thanksgiving its day in the sun that it deserves.”
Many people believe Thanksgiving should be given its proper praise and representation. Being able to join family for a holiday based around food is usually a great way to begin the holidays. Even lately, Friendsgiving has become very popular for those who might not be close with family.
Junior biology major Josh Smith agrees with this sentiment and believes Thanksgiving should be celebrated just as much as Christmas.
“Personally, I don’t decorate much for Christmas in general, but if I do, I wait until after Thanksgiving,” Smith said. “For me, Thanksgiving should be celebrated just as much, if not more than Christmas, because it’s a time to come together with your family that you may not have seen in a while.”
The holiday season seems to be one of the only times of year when it seems that we, as a collective nation, can all come together in some aspect. People who decorate early just want to put themselves in a festive mood or keep their minds away from the harshness of the real world. So, whether you decorate early or not, have a happy holiday season.