These past weeks, Christmas decorations have started to pop up amongst the colorful leaves and cooler fall temperatures. At first, it started as a few yard ornaments and small decorations, now it has become Christmas trees in windows, strings of lights adorning houses and stockings hanging over the fireplace, all while it’s still fall outside. The Christmas season is impeding onto the season of fall.

More and more people are buying festive decor sooner because stores are stocking holiday items and having sales earlier in the year. Fourth of July decorations begin selling in May and Christmas decor has been on the shelves as early as Halloween. This extension to holiday seasons causes people to become disinterested or bored of the holidays quicker.

While decorating early can enhance the excitement of holidays, extending it for too long ruins the meaning.

Any holiday, is special because it only happens once a year and for a short period of time. Now, instead of being about giving and compassion, Christmas is just about gifts and money.

We need to stop the unnecessary early decorating of holidays. But, when is the best time to start decorating? Some people start a few days before Christmas, many start on December first, but others start the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Decorating right after Thanksgiving is the best option because many businesses and schools are closed, so people usually stay home, and families are still gathered and can decorate together. Some people may set their lights up earlier because of the good weather, but they don’t turn the lights on until after Thanksgiving. 

Decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving needs to stop, because it ruins the holiday season before it can even begin.