The breeze has a slight freeze to it and the air is crisp. Orange and brown leaves lay on the ground as a light blanket of frost covers the grass. The trees stand bare on all branches except one, as a bright red ornament dangles in my face on November 1. That leaves the question, “When is it too early to start decorating for Christmas?’

The calendars mark each holiday and for the month of November, Thanksgiving has its priority. However, even with the upcoming celebration, people have become more and more ecstatic about getting into the Christmas spirit. 

The first snow is what really takes me spiraling towards the Christmas season, but there are also considerable factors that encourage Christmas celebration earlier on. Whether it’s turning on your car radio and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You is blasting, or when you sit down for some TV and Hallmark is on playing all the newly released Christmas romances. Each of these plays as early as the 31st of October. 

I remember being 7 years old, it was just after Thanksgiving, the Christmas music was playing and the Christmas trees were ready to be bought. My family and I rushed to go get a grand tree and I was beaming from head to toe. After an hour of my brutal critique “we” finally picked the perfect tree. The whole car ride home my eyes glittered as I kept watch over the tree. The car parked and I was overjoyed to get out and get the tree inside, the next thing I knew I had slammed my fingers in the car door. 

Safe to say I was not Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree that year. Despite that experience, I still joyfully associate Christmas with its decor after Thanksgiving.

Concluding that this was not a worldwide experience, I can understand why other people enjoy decorating at such early times. 

Yet, it is quite possible to see that you are decorating way too early. That is by looking just outside your door. There is comfort in seeing the multitudes of decor down your street. Except for the times when none of your neighbors have even taken down their ghoulish decorations and you are already putting up giant snowflakes in November. 

That’s when you know you began decorating way too soon, and you could be setting off a chain reaction. Spiraling the rest of the neighborhood into thinking it is time to decorate way too early. 

Getting to see houses lined with warm cozy lights or with whole winter wonderland displays on their roof is comforting. It is important to decorate, even if others around you do not, as December comes around. 

Another question that might dwell on one’s mind around the holiday season is, “What is too much decoration?” The answer to that is there is never too much!

The holiday season is meant to be shared with others around you, and giving them a bit of cheer with Santa and reindeer roof decor is always a merry option. The National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is also a phenomenal example of enough is never enough. Clark Griswald makes it a priority to drag his family through the cold to find the largest tree, even if it won’t fit the house. He then managed to fall off a ladder and staple his sleeve to the gutter; all for a completely lit roof. Although the lights and decor had catastrophic results, whether it be the oil leak or squirrel attack, seeing the family’s reaction spread all the Christmas love. 

So decorate your house to the fullest, pull the neighbors together for a party as you hang up garland, and light up the night with red and green. As the most significant thing is to spread joy.

Listen to your Christmas songs, bake some gingerbread houses, watch cheesy Hallmark movies – but try to keep the decorations in December.