The passing of Thanksgiving means the Christmas season is on its way for many. The ushering in of Christmas means time with family, cooler weather, festive music, and of course the beautiful lights on houses and the tree in the living room. Everything about Christmas is cheerful and brings families together to enjoy traditions and be together. Many people are especially excited for Christmas because it signals the end of 2020, and opportunities to celebrate the new year. The year 2020 was a hard year for many people with economic issues, a global pandemic, mask-wearing, the election, political unrest, and school closures. 

Typically, stores begin selling Christmas lights and other decorations during the month of November, but this year they began to make their appearance even before Halloween in some stores. Seeing the bright lights and festive decorations makes so many people happy and hopeful, and takes their mind off of the difficulties this year. Throughout social media platforms, it was not uncommon to see families decorating for Christmas as a way to take their minds off of the uncertainty of the election while anxiously awaiting the results. 

During the pandemic, people are spending more time at home with their families. Hanging lights early is one of the best ways to celebrate family traditions safely. Many families also enjoy filling their refrigerator doors or windows with Christmas cards sent to them from family members or friends, a tradition that continues to keep loved ones connected. 

Not only does decorating for Christmas keep families in the Christmas spirit, but it also brings neighbors together. Christmas decorations light up the street and make people smile. Setting up Christmas lights early allows the Christmas season to go on longer and admiring lights is an activity to look forward to every Christmas season. Especially during these dark winter months, Christmas lights have practical use beyond making people smile just by looking at them. 

While decorating for Christmas is an exciting and cheerful activity, it also has specific health and personality benefits. It is definitely the right idea, especially for a hectic year like 2020 that has left so many people feeling sad and lonely. According to a research study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, people who decorated their homes for Christmas were seen as more friendly or involved than people who did not. 

The Christmas season is much too short to only be celebrated in the month of December and decorating for Christmas gets many people into the Christmas spirit early on.