The Halloween decorations are barely packed away; the candy sits in the pumpkin bowl on the kitchen table, and all you have left are the pictures and memories from the nights. Yet all you can think about is whether it’s socially acceptable to start the Christmas preparations. Or do we have to pretend we’re interested in Thanksgiving for another three weeks?
Every year, there seems to be an unspoken rule about when Christmas is officially allowed to begin, and every year I feel like it changes. Some people think Christmas shouldn’t make its grand entrance till December 1st. Others imagine the pine tree dimly lit, topped with a shining gold star, with Mariah Carey’s beautiful voice filling the silence, and the smell of freshly baked snickerdoodles filling the air, pretending they’re living their Hallmark movie dreams. And honestly, I think those people might be on to something…
There’s just something about November 1st that makes me want to completely skip the rest of fall and go straight into Christmas mode.
Suddenly, the pumpkins on the porch are rotting, the Halloween candy is stale (not really), and every store starts looking a whole lot more exciting when the Christmas decorations come out. One minute you’re buying fake spiderwebs and bags of candy for trick-or-treaters, and the next you’re convincing yourself that you absolutely need a new Christmas blanket, matching PJ’s, another stuffed animal wearing a Santa hat, and a new Hallmark movie.
Now let’s be honest, Christmas isn’t just one holiday; it’s an entire personality. It’s the music, the movies, the decorations, the baking, the shopping, the lights, the snow, and the feeling that everything just got a little bit better. Why would we want to limit all of that to only one month?
I also believe there’s something especially exciting about decorating for Christmas when you’re in college. Your dorm room or apartment suddenly becomes a little less depressing and dreary when you add some twinkling lights, a tiny Christmas tree, a gingerbread-scented candle, and a few crappy decorations from the dollar store to stay within that college kid budget. It doesn’t matter if your room is a mess, your laundry is piling up, or you have four papers to write due by Friday. At least your corner of the room looks like Christmas. Priorities, ladies, priorities.
Of course, there are always going to be people who think decorating before Thanksgiving is completely unacceptable. But what are you supposed to decorate with for Thanksgiving? A couple of pilgrims? A giant turkey? Dead fall leaves?
Those people will remind you that Thanksgiving deserves its own time and that Christmas is still weeeeeks away. I call bull. I understand that Thanksgiving deserves its appreciation; don’t get me wrong, it’s a holiday that celebrates food, and it’s my birthday month. But I don’t really think putting up a Christmas tree means you’re protesting and refusing to eat! We can all be thankful and festive at the same time.
Besides, Christmas preparation takes time. There are gifts to buy, playlists to make, movies to rewatch, cookies to bake, and approximately 67 Pinterest ideas on my Christmas board that I convince myself I’ll recreate every year. If I wait until December, I’ll already be behind. Some of us girls need a head start just to make sure our Christmas spirit is fully developed by December 25th.
So maybe the true question is not whether it’s too early for Christmas, but instead, why are we so quick to judge people for getting excited about something that makes them happy? Life is busy and stressful enough already, and if putting a Christmas tree up on November 1st makes some people just a little less stressed, I don’t really see the problem.
So, to everyone who has already taken their Christmas decorations out of storage, started crafting their wish lists, listening to their playlists, baking their cookies, hanging their twinkling lights, or bought their first peppermint latte of the season, I support you. I applaud you. I am with you. And to everyone who thinks it’s “too early,” give it a week. You’ll be singing along to Mariah Carey before you know it.
Halloween had its moment. Thanksgiving will have its turkey dinner. But Christmas? Christmas deserves a head start. And if anyone needs me, I’ll be decorating my room and singing Christmas tunes like one of Santa’s little elves.