Dec. 8, 2024
By Nicolle Alvarez
Staff Writer
One of the most controversial topics of the holiday season is when to put up Christmas decorations.
For good reason, a majority of people decorate after Thanksgiving. In fact, according to a 2021 YouGov survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, twice as many people put up their decorations after Thanksgiving rather than before.
Christmas is a treasured holiday for many people, and that is, in part, because of the brevity of the holiday season.
Putting up decorations before Thanksgiving takes away from the appreciation of the holiday. Since Thanksgiving corresponds with orange tones, red and green Christmas decorations limit one’s enjoyment of Thanksgiving and autumn.
Furthermore, Christmas trees and decorations take up space needed for serving Thanksgiving dinner. Hosting guests requires extra seating and space, so a home may feel cramped if there are a lot of Christmas decorations.
Another reason to postpone putting up the tree and installing outdoor decorations is the cost of electricity. Using incandescent holiday lights from 5-11 p.m. for a month typically leads to a $33 increase in one’s electrical bill. Elaborate decorations come at a heftier price. Using LED lights for extensive holiday displays leads to an average $47 increase, and using incandescent lights can amount to a $350 average increase, according to USA Today.
Putting up decorations before Thanksgiving takes away from the appreciation of the holiday.
Americans spend an average of $1,455 on shopping during the holiday season, according to a 2022 Deloitte study. Inflating the electrical bill does nothing to help people recover from the high cost of gift-giving.
It is also important to keep in mind the religious origins of Christmas. Traditionally, holiday preparations begin on the first day of Advent, as people await the birthday of the baby Jesus. Therefore, from a religious aspect, the Christmas season does not begin until Dec. 1.
If people want to extend their holiday celebration, they can leave their decorations up after Christmas. According to the Catholic faith, Christmas festivities end on Jan. 8, which marks Jesus’ baptism, so it is appropriate to keep decorations up until then.
People should not rush to replace their cornucopia with poinsettias or their turkey with a Christmas tree. Undoubtedly, it is best to put off holiday decorating until after Thanksgiving.
