As the holiday season rapidly approaches, we are faced with one question: when is the right time to put up lights? The winter holidays go from Oct. 1 to Feb. 15, marking a time of festivity and joy for many. And what is a bigger symbol of the holiday spirit than decorations? They are a physical reminder of the light created by the holiday season in the midst of the darkest part of the year. In a difficult world, why limit the length of our festivities?
In the center of this turmoil, decorating early allows you to get this chore out of the way. Why wait for those cold December days to go outside and put up decorations when you could do it at a far warmer, more convenient time that fits your schedule? By putting those pesky lights and decorations up ahead of time, you free yourself from the scrambles and stresses that come with December. Instead of braving icy winds or frozen fingers, you can instead sit back, rest and enjoy the season as it unfolds.
Besides, why does it matter when decorations go up? Every family celebrates the holidays in their own way, whether that means Diwali decorations instead of Halloween lights, or Christmas wreaths displayed until early March. In the melting pot we call America, attempting to dictate others’ celebrations isn’t among the many forms of holiday spirit. Whether they’re eyesores or not, decorations bring people together, as long as the date on the calendar doesn’t tear them apart.
On the other side of the holiday-decorating coin is the right way. It is the period in which rational, sane people decorate, taking time to carefully consider their options. By putting up decorations on Dec. 1 and taking them down firmly on Jan. 2, you allow the other just-as-worthy holidays their own time to shine. If one were to begin decorating for the holiday season before Halloween, it would inevitably steal the attention rightfully due to the spooky season. The eerie charm of October, with its flickering jack-o’-lanterns and ghostly ghouls, would be overshadowed by premature garlands and twinkling lights. Such untoward haste disrupts the natural flow of the holidays, smothering the delight of one beneath the glittering weight of the other.
Holiday lights are just an eyesore and heavily contribute to light pollution. According to a two-year NASA study, “nighttime lights around many major U.S. cities shine 20 to 50 percent brighter during Christmas and New Year’s”. The lights turn the frosty, darkness of winter into a cheap plastic parade of neon lights. When the year is darkest, with crisp nights perfect for star gazing, the sky is rendered opaque by the “joys” brought by tacky trinkets.
In the United States alone, an estimated 6.63 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity are used during the holiday season alone. That is more than developing countries like El Salvador and Ethiopia use in an entire year, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Energy. Using more energy to power gaudy holiday lights means more fossil fuels are burned, further worsening the state of our planet’s climate. The effect on animals must also be considered, from the disruption of their circadian rhythms to the disorientation of migrating birds.
In the end, after much discussion and debate, the current answer of when to put up your holiday lights becomes clear: Nov. 25 to Jan. 23. It leaves enough time for Halloween and Thanksgiving to shine but is taken down soon enough to prevent decorations from becoming obnoxious. It is the perfect balance, leaving time to celebrate all the holidays that occur throughout the year. So, next year, just save the headaches and set up your decorations after Halloween.
