Please Stop Hating on the Early Holiday Decorators

With the news that Starbucks is bringing back Pumpkin Spice Lattes earlier than ever in 2024, we can expect the usual predictable social media backlash:

• "It’s still summer—why?"
• "Can we at least finish August first?"
• "Not ready for fall yet!"
• "Can we get through one season at a time?"

But what if I was to ask those backlashers to take a minute, give it some thought and consider a different way of thinking about this.

Could Early Holiday Cheer Be the Perfect Antidote to Our Hectic Lives?

While initially, it might feel like fans of the holiday seasons (and the corporations that love them) are rushing things along and creating seasonal fatigue, there are some things to consider.

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First, we’re all busier than ever, juggling fragmented lives filled with work, parenting, the quest for work-life balance, and the many challenges we each face daily.

What if things like the taste of the holiday season and festive decor are actually the one thing that can bring a bit of a "pause" to our busy lives, if only for a fleeting minute a few times a day?

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For a few years the same study seems to pop up during discussions about this topic, stating that early decorating can actually be good for you.

Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown told the website Unilad (via Good Housekeeping):

Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extends the excitement!

In addition to triggering happy nostalgia, this can also bring a hint of happiness to those in your neighborhood who may be struggling, and physically or even emotionally unable to decorate their own homes.

Let's look at some other perspectives.

Planning Ahead Can Relieve Stress for Some People

While it might seem excessive, even frustrating, for stores to stock holiday merchandise months before the actual holiday, it's worth noting that many people experience stress as the busy holiday season approaches.

Shopping for holiday items well in advance can help relieve some of that pressure. Plus, if you’ve ever tried to buy Christmas lights or ornaments just weeks before the holiday, you know how disappointing those empty shelves can be.

Holidays — While Stressful — Bring Brightness for Many People

Twinkling lights and the smell of fall and winter spices might be some of the only things that people struggling with emotional challenges have to look forward to, so while it seems "a bit much" to you, it could be everything to someone else.

I have a neighbor who recently started leaving their Christmas lights up all year, and it really bothered me. When I mentioned it to another neighbor, she said, 'I think they had a recent loss, and those lights might be their only source of brightness right now.'

That stopped me in my tracks, and now I see those Christmas lights in the summer as something nice.

Don't Make It About You

I’ve learned not to view early holiday celebrating as something to be offended by and have shifted to a more empathetic perspective. You never know what someone else is going through, and we all deserve a bit of happiness wherever we can find it, especially these days.