Poor Thanksgiving. The phenomenon known as "Christmas Creep" — where early Christmas decorations infringe further and further into Thanksgiving's usual November jurisdiction — has been around for decades, if not centuries. It's not a new idea, with plenty of people entrenched on both sides of the ensuing debate.
But this year is undeniably different. The creep has hit new levels. In my own neighborhood, I noticed more and more people going straight from Halloween decor right into Christmas without even a single buffer day in between. Turns out, a giant Jack Skellington decoration is the perfect bridge between these two holidays!
Photo by Christin Noelle on Unsplash
Why do people seem to decorate earlier and earlier every year? The simple answer is that it makes us happy. Real, scientific studies have suggested that decorating can make you feel happier, so why delay? Hanging string lights and picking out a Christmas tree can make you nostalgic for a happier time, whether that's your childhood or just holidays past. The traditions, sights, sounds, tastes, and smells can transport you and boost your mood.
Even better, putting up your decorations helps build community and get you more socialization, even as the weather gets colder. An impressive Christmas display is an easy conversation starter with neighbors you may not normally speak to much. Add in the fact that Thanksgiving 2024 was about as late as Thanksgiving can get, and you started to get a picture of why people have been so eager to hang the old mistletoe.
That's all well and good. But it doesn't tell the whole story of Christmas decorating in 2024.
The real reason people are decorating earlier than ever? Two words: "Screw it."
Melissa Brawner/Flickr
We know that decorating for the holidays can help us feel joy. Similarly, it can help us cope with stress, anxiety, and hard times.
"This year, in particular, the trend of decorating early seems amplified by a collective desire to combat stress and uncertainty," says Dr. Sham Singh, psychiatrist with WINIT Clinic. "People may be seeking the psychological benefits of holiday cheer as a way to counteract lingering societal challenges, such as economic pressures or post-pandemic adjustments."
"The act of decorating can be a small, controllable source of happiness in a world that often feels unpredictable."
Yes, it's safe to say that 2024 has been a rough one for many people. The election was one of the most stressful and consequential in recent memory. That definitely plays a huge role in people searching for joy wherever they can find it. Millions are not only worried about what will happen in the coming months and years, but as a result, families, friendships, and neighborhoods are more fractured than ever.
We've also had a wild run of devastating hurricanes, war, and threats of new epidemics. Professor McGonagall and Darth Vader died this year. Even the astrologists agree that 2024 has been one of the worst and hardest years on record!
"I think this year feels different because people are craving solace, community, and joy more than ever," says Prerna Menon, psychotherapist at Boundless. "The holidays represent hope, warmth, and collectiveness, and for a lot of us, it feels good to hold onto that for a little longer.
Rachel Kay, a marketer in Chicago, summed it up best when she told Vox: “Fuck it, it’s time for twinkles.”
This is almost exactly what my wife and I said when we decided to hang our lights before Thanksgiving for the first time ever. The sentiment was echoed in a recent Reddit thread from November 2024 in which someone asked: "Are people who are decorating for Christmas way too early?"
"We've had an awful year, usually we wait until the first weekend of December to put up decorations, but we put the tree up last night. I'm dreading this Xmas, but my kids need something positive to end the year on," wrote user unbelievablydull82.
"So yesterday I had the Xmas music on whilst cooking, and my wife set up the tree. I usually dislike Xmas decorations up before December, and as a kid we'd wait until mid December at the earliest, but fuck it, life is hideous, so might as well do something fun."
Some people think decorating too early makes Christmas feel less special, and they might be right.
Some years, early Christmas Creep gets a lot of pushback. But this year, most of us seem to be on the same page. If we're not decorating already ourselves, the general sense seems to be to live and let live. Why not let people find a little happiness in the one thing they can actually control?
The risk is that by the time the actual holiday rolls around, we'll all be burnt out on Mariah Carey and sugar cookies and twinkling icicle lights. But you know what? Screw it.
Sounds like a problem we can deal with in 2025!
And as for whether Thanksgiving might eventually get phased out completely, psychotherapist Prerna Menon says not to worry.
"I suspect that at some point into the future, Thanksgiving and Christmas will find their original space again. But for now, just this year, if putting up your tree in October, and your Halloween decorations in August make you happy, then I say - don’t let anyone hold you back!
The Northern Lights in Sweden. via Visit Sweden, Photographer: Jann Lipka/imagebank.sweden.se
A woman camping in the Swedish archipelago.via Visit Sweden, Photographer: Anders Klapp/imagebank.sweden.se
A Swedish Midsommar celebration. via Visit Sweden, Photographer: Stefan Berg/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se
Photo by 
Melissa Brawner/Flickr