Getting into the Christmas spirit early makes you happier according to experts

Time to deck the halls ready for Christmas

woman lookin at phone next to christmas tree
(Image credit: Getty Images)

We all know that one person who can’t help getting into the Christmas spirit as soon as Halloween is over. But we also know how reluctant others are to play non-stop festive tunes and get the Christmas tree up before December even arrives.

Now this year, you have the perfect excuse to embrace all things Christmas as early as you like. Experts have now revealed that decorating for Christmas early may just make you happier. 

So when it comes to picking the perfect Christmas tree, fetching down the light-up reindeer and picking decorations according to your star sign, getting started right now might just brighten your day. 

Why does decorating earlier make you happy?

Psychoanalysis Steve KcKeown recently revealed to UNILAD: "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." 

He went on to add that: "Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extends the excitement!”

christmas decorations

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Reconnecting with the past

That makes complete sense to us. And psychotherapist and bestselling author Amy Molin agreed, telling UNILAD: "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." 

The nostalgia that decorating for Christmas inspires could also help people feel closer to loved ones. 

For those who have lost someone they loved, Amy explained that: “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.”

As a result, she suggested that Christmas decorating early “may help them feel more connected with that individual”.

Looking ahead

With the world approaching an uncertain Christmas this year given the pandemic, it’s unclear exactly how much time we will be able to spend with loved ones.

However, as these two experts have uncovered, the comforting feelings of decorating early might just make things that little bit more magical.

Why not put up the tree and break out the fairy lights as the nights grow darker? You might just be surprised at what a difference they can make...

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Senior Lifestyle Writer with five years experience working in digital publishing, ranging from book publishing to magazines. She currently looks after all things Lifestyle for Woman&Home, GoodToKnow and My Imperfect Life.

Before she joined Future Publishing, Emma graduated from the University of Warwick with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Comparative Literary Studies. After leaving education, she started out her publishing career in the world of books, working as a Publisher for an independent digital publisher specializing in back-list and debut commercial fiction novels. With a huge book list and a passion for bringing the best stories to the broadest audience possible, Emma filled her spare time with reading the latest best-sellers and catching up on hit adaptations.

In 2017 she joined TI Media as a fiction writing coordinator on Woman’s Weekly and Woman’s Weekly Fiction as part of the features team. From here, she used her love of books, working to bring short stories to our dedicated readers and began writing for the books pages of Woman, Woman’s Own and Woman&Home, as well as online features ranging from genre round-ups to travel pieces for womanandhome.com.

After honing her skills, Emma branched out online in 2020 when Future gave her the opportunity to focus on digital-first. When she’s not writing about the next big lifestyle trend, she enjoys cooking, long walks and watching as many crime dramas as she can!