Holiday Decorating: When is too early?

November has arrived and the air is crisp, but does that mean it's time to begin decorating for the holidays? The topic is controversial. Die-hard Christmas fans will often be glad to begin holiday decorating before Thanksgiving. But others staunchly resist, often stating that decorations can't go up until after Thanksgiving, maybe not even until December.

Let's look a little more at common ideas of when it's okay to begin holiday decorating.

When to Begin Holiday Decorating

For decades, the rule of thumb was to not put up holiday decorations until after Thanksgiving. Prior to Thanksgiving, autumn decorations stayed up. Then, on the day after Thanksgiving, or December 1, depending on the group, holiday decorations could go up.

But some have even stricter rules, especially regarding Christmas decorations. It's not unheard of for some people to hold off on decorating until two weeks before Christmas. Part of this depends too if your family places presents under the tree in the lead-up to Christmas, or only on Christmas morning. If your choice is the latter, you may be less inclined to put the tree up early.

But for every person who advocates for decorating after Thanksgiving, there's an advocate for Christmas-vember. These are the folks who pull out the Christmas tree and begin playing carols as soon as Halloween is over. For most, the goal is to extend the holiday cheer as long as possible.

There isn't a definitive answer on when holiday decorating should begin. It comes down to your own preference. If, however, you don't want to spend extra on electricity, we recommend waiting until December to hang lights and put out inflatables or signs.

When to Take Down Holiday Decorations

Just as important as putting up holiday decorations is taking them down. The date for this can vary, but there tends to be less controversy. For example, New Year's Day acts as a clear end to the seasons for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. The exception is Orthodox Christmas, which typically takes place on January 7.

Once the New Year has arrived, it's customary to take holiday decorations down. However, you can still leave winter decorations up if you'd like. And some individuals even choose to keep Christmas decorations up all year, skipping the trouble of packing up each season. The choice is yours, but you'll find yourself in the clear minority if you leave your decorations up past the end of January.

In the end, there's no right or wrong answer for holiday decorating. Do what you enjoy and focus on safely enjoying time with friends and family during the holiday season.  

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