Many people enjoy decorating for Christmas and even if they don’t enjoy it, they do it because it is a long-standing tradition. It is possible to decorate for the holidays at any time of the year but most people wait until Thanksgiving is over before they begin putting up the tree and the Christmas lights. In fact, in a recent poll, 86% of those who were asked said that November was too early to put up decorations.
Then again, there are other people who tend to take things to the other extreme. These are the individuals who not only enjoy Christmas in December, they also experience Christmas in July and they may go all out by decorating in the summer months. If you tend to be one of those individuals, science may actually have your back. In fact, there is research to show that a time limit really can’t be put on when you should decorate.
One of the reasons why you may want to put your Christmas decorations up early is because it could make you a happier individual. Many people look at the Christmas decorations in a joyful way, so it can certainly boost the mood. According to a psychologist, “it creates that neurological shift that can produce happiness. Christmas decorating will spike dopamine, a feel-good hormone.”
Why does this happen? Because many of us are nostalgic when it comes to decorating for Christmas. It is a time when we were able to spend time with family, big Christmas cookies and we tend to hold onto those memories when we are an adult.
“The holiday season stirs up a sense of nostalgia. Nostalgia helps link people to their personal past and it helps people understand their identity,” says Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do. “For many, putting up Christmas decorations early is a way for them to reconnect with their childhoods.”
You also need to keep in mind that not everyone had such good memories about Christmas from their youth. Some people may not connect holidays and happiness but there may still be benefits from decorating.
“For people who have lost a loved one, the holidays may serve as a reminder of happy times they had with that person in the past. Decorating early may help them feel more connected with that individual,” Morin says.
You should also consider another benefit along with the potential for happiness. Your neighbors may also benefit from it as well. This came from a study that was published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, and it shows that your neighbors may interpret putting up Christmas decorations as a sign that you are sociable.
It is impossible to say exactly when you should begin hanging Christmas decorations. One thing that is known is that if you have somebody telling you that it is too early, you can tell them that science says it will make you happier.
Steve McKeown, a psychologist has the following to say: “In a world full of stress and anxiety people like to associate to things that make them happy and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of the childhood.”
I guess it really boils down to, to each his own.