Science Makes the Case For Putting Up Holiday Decorations Early

To my fellow grinches, we might be too quick to judge our holiday loving brethren. According to a new study, those who bust out the winter wonderland decor early might have something to teach us Christmas cranks.

Turns out, those who can’t wait to start celebrating are generally happier than those of us who cringe at seeing trees set up on November 1.

Though the practice isn’t always about happy memories. Steve McKeown, Psychoanalyst, founder of MindFixers and owner of The McKeown Clinic, told UNILAD:

Although there could be a number of symptomatic reasons why someone would want to obsessively put up decorations early, most commonly for nostalgic reasons either to relive the magic or to compensate for past neglect. In a world full of stress and anxiety, people like to associate to things that make them happy and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of the childhood. Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement!

Further, a study in the Journal of Environmental Society says that holiday decorations can convey “friendliness and cohesiveness with neighbors,” with survey respondents more often assigning a high level of sociability to homes with exterior Christmas decor.

So whether hardcore holiday lovers want to seem welcoming or to just take a trip down memory lane, the rest of us would probably be better off if we were a bit less judgmental (which is just good advice in general).

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h/t House Beautiful