I love Christmas! And I don’t think it’s too early to say so. In fact, it was when I was beginning to put up my modest array of Christmas decorations that I began to think about how silly this conversation is about “Christmas creep” and the expanding holiday season. I decided to write down how I feel about it if for no other reason than to get my thoughts in order!
Not everyone likes Christmas – and across the world, billions of people don’t celebrate. That’s totally okay with me, and I’d never tell anyone that they should feel the same way about any holiday or time of year as I do. I’m not especially interested in Valentine’s Day or Easter, for example, and I really don’t like my birthday – I tend not to share my date of birth with people nor celebrate in any way. But Christmas is 100% my jam; this is the holiday I care the most about, and the time of year that I’m always looking forward to and happily welcome back.
As with so many things online, the “debate” around Christmas and when it’s okay to start celebrating started out pretty casually and light-heartedly. But some folks seem to have started to take it unnecessarily seriously, with some even suggesting that people who put up their Christmas decorations before they deem it appropriate are somehow committing a horrible moral sin or doing something unacceptable.
I’ll share my two cents on decorating and you can see whether we’re close to being on the same page. Here in the UK, we celebrate Bonfire Night on the 5th of November – something you might remember from the film adaptation of V for Vendetta, if for no other reason! Bonfire Night doesn’t bring with it any decorations, but there are fireworks and – naturally – bonfires. Bonfire Night is the last noteworthy holiday/event (in my life as an English atheist, at any rate) before Christmas – so I consider any time after Bonfire Night to be “fair game” for putting up my Christmas decorations.
I like to decorate my home. It’s fun to have something to look at, both inside and out, and I take any opportunity I can get to put up a string of fairy lights, banners, streamers, or really any kind of decorative items. With my Halloween decorations coming down in early November, there’s a bit of a void… and I like to fill that void by getting started on my Christmas decorations.
Maybe we’re getting a little philosophical or even psychological… but I’m someone who doesn’t like conflict, and I like to “live and let live.” If someone disagrees with me, even on a topic I care greatly about, I’d rather move the conversation along than get into an argument. I’m also the kind of person who’d never tell anyone that they’re doing something wrong – not unless it was literally a life-or-death kind of situation! “You do you, friend” is something I’ll often say – even if I vehemently disagree!
So with all of that in mind, I’d never want to tell someone that the way they’re decorating their own home is somehow wrong or inappropriate. Some people begin to prepare for Halloween months in advance because they love that holiday a lot more than I do – and that’s fine. I’ve dated people who wanted to go all-out for Valentine’s Day, and even though it’s really not my favourite holiday, I was happy to go along with it for their sake. I guess I don’t really understand why so many people feel the need to butt in and give their totally unsolicited and uninvited opinions on Christmas decorating.
I saw a web comic once, a few years ago now, that said something to the effect of “some people don’t get a lot of joy or pleasure in life… so why try to rob them of it when they do find it?” And that’s kind of how I feel about this silly “debate” around decorating for Christmas. Some of the trappings of Christmas – the snacks, the decorations, and the twinkling lights – give me a small amount of pleasure at this time of year. And if someone wants to decorate for Christmas in August… why should you or I care? Why should we tell them that they’re being silly or childish? It seems mean… it feels almost like bullying.
On an individual level, making a one-off remark about it being “too early” might seem inoffensive enough. But we have to try to keep in mind that, especially when we’re communicating online, the chances are that these comments have been made and seen before… time after time after time. And although it may seem harmless… that kind of thing wears you down after a while.
Christmas isn’t always the most fun time of year. I have memories of someone close to me who passed away in between Christmas and New Year that always come to the surface, and I know I won’t be alone in that. Christmas can, for people like myself who live alone, also be a very lonely time of year. When you don’t have anyone close to share your life with, holidays like Christmas can really feel like they’re rubbing it in sometimes! And those feelings impact me, too.
But in a way, that’s why decorating is so important to me. It helps me to remind myself of Christmases gone by, and to seek pleasure in the small things. I’m not going to have a big family Christmas this year – most of my close family members are gone, and others live too far away to visit on or around the big day. But I can still find things to enjoy about Christmas time: Christmas music, festive snacks, and of course, my decorations.
I’ve said before in totally different contexts that we should all try to be careful with our words when we hop online – and this is another one of those times. It’s totally okay to not enjoy Christmas, not to celebrate Christmas, and even to get irritated and annoyed if you see people getting ready for the holidays “too soon.” But there’s no need to call out someone for seeking a bit of joy and pleasure at this time of year – and since none of us can really know what anyone else might be feeling or going through, doing so could really upset someone or push them over the edge.
On behalf of people who like to put up their Christmas decorations before December: we get it! Some people think it’s “too early” and it shouldn’t be done. But how I choose to decorate my home – and how I choose to live – really isn’t anyone else’s business, is it?
Happy decorating… and a nice, early Merry Christmas from me to you!
Some images used above courtesy of Unsplash. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.
Trekking with Dennis 