The Christmas season is just around the corner. Stores across the country are already displaying Christmas items as the sounds of the season serenade shoppers. Lots of people have already put up their decorations. But this raises the annual question: When is the right time to begin all the festivities?
“Christmas is my favorite holiday, and when Nov. 1 rolls around, I believe that is when it is time to start decorating,” said Tanner Gallahair, a senior business management major. “I like when companies put out all of their Christmas stuff around this time, too, because it puts me in a good mood. Christmas decorations take a long time to put out, so it is nice to begin early so I can have more time to enjoy it all.”
For many, the transition from October to November means a jump straight from Halloween into Christmas. Many wake up on Nov. 1 feeling a shift in mood and energy from spooky to merry, making it feel like the perfect time to kick off the season. The sight of holiday decorations and festive items in stores adds a spark of excitement and warmth that eases the pressures of daily life. For students balancing school and work, this early dose of holiday cheer can be especially uplifting.
“As soon as Halloween is over, everything Christmas should come out,” said Sahar Ziv, a sophomore business management major. “My roommates and I decorated on the first of November. This time makes the stress of finals and school so much more joyful. I love seeing all the decorations at stores too. I think the best part is the Starbucks holiday drinks.”
Many GCSU students think that Christmas celebrations should begin at the start of November. Many businesses start decorating for the holidays over two months before they officially occur. In places like Walmart or TJ Maxx, Christmas is soft-launched before Halloween is over, and when November first hits, it is a winter wonderland.
Though all may seem merry and bright, there are still dissenters. Lots of people wait until after Thankgiving to kick off the Christmas spirit. They treat November as the month of turkey and family, keeping the Christmas celebration squarely in December.
“Do not get me wrong, I love Christmas, but everyone needs to hold off until after Thanksgiving to start celebrating,” said Laney Foust, a junior exercise science major. “I love Thanksgiving, and when everyone starts to celebrate so early, Thanksgiving gets overlooked. I grew up getting the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, so I have always gone about decorating for Christmas at that time as well. ”
Thanksgiving is not a minor holiday in America, especially compared to less-noticed days such as Flag Day or Groundhog Day. But the Christmas Holiday season is so enormous that it may have the capacity to drown out the month for thankfulness and turkey.
“Christmas is so joyful, so I feel like people should decorate whenever they want to,” said Alexi Quisito, a sophomore nursing major. “I do not have a certain time or day that I decorate every year, but this year my roommates and I decorated a few days after Halloween. We wanted to decorate early because we will not be here much in December due to fall break. ”
The holidays are meant to bring joy, so if decorating two months early adds to that joy, perhaps that’s exactly what the season is all about—creating moments that lift spirits and bring people together whenever they choose to start celebrating.
