To decorate, or not to decorate? There is still plenty of debate over how early is too early to start putting up your Christmas tree, but some experts say the sooner the better, according to the New York Post.
It turns out that decorating for Christmas makes people feel happier — and for those who start hanging the holly earlier, they reap those benefits sooner, the Post reports.
What is it about decorating for Christmas that makes people happier? There are at least three ways that getting a head start on the holiday season lifts your spirits, psychotherapist and author Amy Morin told Good Morning America.
Nostalgia and memories
The holidays are a time for many to think back on memories of family and friends.
“When you’re putting up decorations, you’re thinking of happier times, times with family and friends and family traditions you engaged in,” Morin told GMA. “For some people it’s bittersweet — if family members are no longer here — but it’s still a way to connect.”
Nostalgia has been shown to increase feelings of joy, Morin told GMA.
Giving and altruism
Giving is a Christmas tradition, but being charitable doesn’t just help others — altruism can make you feel happier.
“Altruism increases in the month of December and as people start to give more and donate more, it makes them happy,” Morin told GMA. “It makes people feel good so they want to start celebrating as early as possible.”
Community and sociability
Experts say that decorating outside of your home makes you appear more welcoming, according to GMA.
“(Decorations) can lead to more positive conversations and they’re an easy way to strike up a conversation,” Morin told GMA. “It helps build a sense of community and belonging and all those things are associated with happiness too.”
What other experts have said
The Deseret News reported last year on a study from UNILAD, which also found that Christmas decorating makes people happier.
“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,” said psychoanalyst Steve McKeown, according to the Deseret News.