The debate began as soon as Halloween ended. When is the best time to put up the Christmas holiday decorations? Some believe that Thanksgiving must come and go before Christmas should even be a thought. Others believe that the sooner the decorations go up, the better. These people long for the festive feeling the holidays bring and want everyone to partake in their job. However, there is an actual standard that can help many families answer this debate, as long as their hearts are not set on a specific date.
The General Standard of the Industry
The general standard of the industry is that the lights and decorations should wait until the day after Thanksgiving. This mirrors the standard that holiday shopping begins the Friday after Thanksgiving. According to this standard, decorations are supposed to come down on or around January 2. This standard allows for the towns and cities countrywide to light the way for those attending holiday parties and events with friends and family, while allowing for life to go back to usual as soon as the holidays are over.
The Reality
Contrary to the standard, the reality of holiday decorating is that people and stores are setting up earlier and leaving the decorations out later. Retail establishments do not see Thanksgiving as a consumer holiday. Therefore, they start displaying holiday decor as soon as Halloween is out of the way. In addition, in areas with a larger Jewish population, these retailers are working to attract the shoppers who must prepare for Hanukkah, which may start as early as Thanksgiving or as late as Christmas Eve, depending on the Jewish calendar. Many homeowners take their cues from retailers and begin to set up their decorations as soon as possible. Since they often are outside anyway taking down Halloween decorations, they feel as if they might as well put up the decor for Christmas.
The reality gets even more skewed when it comes to taking down decorations. People enjoy the festivity of the holiday season and hate to see it go. Once the lights come down, people are still left with dark and cold days and nights. There is nothing exciting to see as they drive to and from work or school daily. Plus, people are tired. They worked hard getting ready for the holidays, only to have to rush to put it all away while they are still reeling from the joy and excitement. Those same people may keep their decorations up through the winter months, maybe even until July!
The truth is, unless there is an ordinance in your town, apartment, or condo complex, there is no rule as to when holiday decorations should go up or come down. However, there are professionals who can help. These professionals take the work out of the setup and tear down, making the holiday season easier and more enjoyable for you. They even store the decorations until the next year. If you would like a more relaxing holiday where someone else takes care of the hard work, contact the decoration experts at Roof to Deck Decoration at (651) 699-3504.