How early is too early to decorate for the holidays?
Well, if you ask me, it honestly depends on which holiday you are decorating for! Hear me out, in recent years it seems that any box store you visit, the Christmas decorations share the same aisle as the Halloween candy. I mean I am all for a kit kat and some tinsel but really? If you are like me it TOTALLY STRESSES ME OUT and makes me feel like I am behind when all I went to the store for was candy for trick or treat-ers and I see Christmas lights.
Let me reassure you: You are NOT BEHIND! You are right where you are meant to be, in the present. Don’t let your surroundings and daily shopping zap your energy.
This answer to “when is the right time to decorate for the holidays” is a bit more complex in my household. You see, I grew up in a household where my father’s birthday was three days before Christmas. We tried desperately to separate the events but without fail his birthday was surrounded by Christmas and Advent preparations. So we began to purchase our tree around December 18th and we would gradually decorate it over the next few days, always sure NOT to finish it on his birthday.
We also always left our tree up until January 6th (Epiphany in the Christian church). As a college kid, decorating the tree always coincided with my arrival home for the semester (brilliant planning on my parents’ part). As we aged, we began to put up decorations earlier and earlier (and they seemed to take longer and longer).
But now as an adult, each year I ask myself this very same question: when is the right time to decorate? So, here are a few things to consider when trying to decide when the right time to decorate your home for Christmas, Hanukkah, Festival of Lights and/or Winter.
Do you decorate for Fall or Halloween?
This year because we seem to have a plethora of decorations (we didn’t purge all the pumpkins and goblins after our move), I used Halloween as a time to pull stuff out of the extra large storage tote. Believe it or not, I did use most of the decorations. So on November 1st I tucked it all away and pulled out more fall foliage for Thanksgiving.
If you, like me, enjoy celebrating each holiday as its own - naturally decorating for Christmas will fall later in the season, likely after Thanksgiving has come and gone.
This year, Thanksgiving seems to fall relatively earlier than it has in years past. So with that said, I think I will go the traditional route and decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving. NOW - don’t get me wrong I LOVE a discount. So late October we had lights put on our house (they just won’t get plugged in until after Thanksgiving, if we can wait that long).
How much are you decorating?
In our previous house, we had a tree in what seemed like every room! I am not kidding! Which is why over time, I began to decorate for the holiday earlier and earlier – because it took me longer and longer to do.
One of the benefits of downsizing I realized is HOLY MOLY I can un-decorate for one season and re-decorate for another in a fraction of the time!
Why your decision is the right decision regardless of what date it is?
This conversation of “how early is too early to decorate” got me thinking….why do so many of us get the itch to decorate early and why is this such a controversial topic. I mean, most of us LOVE the holiday lights. We love the glimmer they put off, we turn off our ceiling and ‘normal’ lighting to sit by the fire and bask in the tree lights. I can remember for years, living in an apartment (without a fireplace), I would put apple cider on the stove top and literally turn on the holiday music and plug in the tree. It really is my favorite time of the year.
But, for many, the holidays can be stressful and overwhelming so I wanted to offer a few nuggets of encouragement if you’re struggling with when to decorate or this time of year in general:
Your timing is perfect - whether you decorate or don’t. Do what feels right and what honestly brings you joy.
Share your joy with others. This might look like putting out a box of water and/or protein bars for your mail carrier, amazon delivery driver, anyone who happens to be making a delivery or stopping by. It’s a great way to share blessings regardless of how decorated your house is.
Smile at strangers in the store. Let someone in front of you in line. It’s a stressful time for most, so might as well share some glad tidings.
Make time to take a walk or ride around a different part of town and take in the wonder of the holidays. It doesn’t have to be you decorating, you can still go out and enjoy someone else’s hard work.
As children hopefully the holidays were a time of glee and laughter and fun times. I honestly believe that is why many of us, myself included, love the holidays: it takes us back to our childhood. So why don’t we do this everyday? Make time to laugh, be kind, spread joy, and honor ourselves and others – and carry that spirit of joy into the New Year.
In case we haven’t met, I’m Rebecca. a spunky, Jesus- loving entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and wine enthusiast on a mission to help go-getter women cultivate a happier and more fulfilling life by establishing healthy routines with sustainable, high quality food, beverages, and nutrition supplements. I want to help you live your best life! Here are a few ways to get started:
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