The start of the holiday season brings everything from gifts to hot cocoa and celebration. Many celebrate by singing jolly carols and wrapping gifts for loved ones, some even have a tree already set up in their living room. Many usually start their Christmas decorations the second the Thanksgiving feast ends while others have been ready since Halloween which begs the question: when is the right time to put up Christmas decorations?
“The best time to decorate is the middle of November because that’s when you can start smelling the winter Christmas air, Christmas songs are different though, those start December first,” said senior Sienna Petty.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) people typically start buying their Christmas decorations as early as October and have their peak sales in November. They state that 20-25% of Americans begin decorating before Thanksgiving.
Contrary to what people might say, there’s no such thing as a right or wrong time to set up for the holidays but decorating a week or two after Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start putting up Christmas lights and hanging up stockings. This is the perfect time to decorate especially if you get a real tree so that it stays looking fresh and smelling good.
Sophomore Shara Shapton agreed with this decoration timeline, “Definitely a week after Thanksgiving because you get to settle with Thanksgiving before you start seeping into Christmas, but you don’t want to decorate too late because then you won’t get enough Christmas,” said Shapton.
The NRF has also said that psychological factors also play a part in decorating, pointing out that the timing is influenced by people’s desire to feel festive and experience more of the holiday season.
Those who are more lenient with their decorating usually tend to decorate later in December rather than deciding to hang up garlands before winter has even started.
“The second week of December is the best time to start decorating because that’s when it starts getting cold. I have to visibly see my breath in the air for it to feel Christmassy,” senior Alex Elias said, adding on how Christmas carols are accepted only after Thanksgiving.
At the end of the day the perfect time to decorate comes down to everyone’s personal preference. It is important not to yuck someone’s yum, especially during the holiday season, after all, the holidays are meant to make us feel festive. Having said that, no one should have Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving, turkey day deserves some celebration of its own.
