Putting Christmas decorations up early could make you happier, according to expert

If you’re the first to put your Christmas decorations up on your street, you could be happier.

Christmas decorations going up too early is around November time, but some people go all out way before that, replacing pumpkins with baubles. 

It turns out those people are not crazy and, in fact, they actually could be a lot happier.

Steve McKeown, a psychoanalyst, told UNILAD: “Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement!”

He also said, and this was back in 2017 but couldn’t be more relevant now, ‘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’.

But the positive vibes from Christmas decs don’t stop there. As well as sending you back to your childhood they could also help you make friends.

It turns out, people perceive those with their decorations up as more accessible, friendly and cohesive, according to research from the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Some people may have a deeper and more emotional connection to Christmas, not only do you reconnect with your childhood but also loved ones who are no longer with us. 

Amy Morin, psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do also spoke to UNILAD, adding: “The holiday season stirs up a sense of nostalgia. Nostalgia helps link people to their personal past and it helps people understand their identity. For many putting up Christmas decorations early is a way for them to reconnect with their childhoods.

“It may be a bittersweet feeling. Perhaps the holidays serve as a reminder of when a loved one was still alive. Or maybe looking at a Christmas tree reminds someone of what life was like when they still believed in Santa.

“For people who have lost a loved one, the holidays may serve as a reminder of happy times they had with that person in the past. Decorating early may help them feel more connected with that individual.”

With all this in mind, shall we put the tree up now then?