Now that Halloween is behind us, the next major holiday is Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for some, the holiday is completely ignored when it comes to decorating.
Christmas on the other hand, is the most popular holiday in America.
As of late on social media, it’s a constant argument between when the tree should go up. December 1? After Thanksgiving? Or as soon as Halloween is over? Some use the time before Thanksgiving for buying and planning decor. We will decorate as soon as the decorations come, whether that’s before or after Thanksgiving. Others swear by letting themselves digest a Thanksgiving feast before hanging the mistletoe.
So why do so many Americans decide on decorating early? According to “Today,” there may be more to the early decorating than happiness or nostalgia. The theory: Americans decorate so early because of business corporations. With the many offers, ads, deals and videos, Americans feel an urge to decorate. Shoppers may feel that by the time Christmas is closer, deals and items will be gone.
Studies have shown that early Christmas decorating can actually make a person happier. “It does create that neurological shift that can produce happiness,” psychologist Deborah Serani shared on “Today.”
“I decorate the first week of November because it makes me happy and surfaces warm memories from my childhood,” Kacie Marston ’25 said.
“I decorate before Thanksgiving, because I feel like after Halloween is the start of the holiday season, it’s fun,” Emerson Miller ‘26.
Other families wait until after Thanksgiving, keeping out their pumpkins and other autumn decorations. “I decorate after Thanksgiving because I procrastinate decorating, though I plan my decorations before,” Fiona Wu ’25 said.
“We decorate after Thanksgiving because I feel like it’s too early to decorate for Christmas before. The weekend after Thanksgiving is the perfect time to decorate,” Benjamin Willey ’25 said.
