With the final weekend of October putting a wrap on the Halloween season, Americans are now turning their attention to the next big item in consumer culture: Christmas decorations.

For some, Thanksgiving is just a detour to the ultimate destination of gifts, hot chocolate and bright lights at night. These folks put their Christmas decorations up after Halloween, or even before. For others, Christmas and Christmas decorations are most special when celebrated in moderation. Viewers would only be able to see Christmas cheer emanating from these folk’s houses during December, or if they’re lucky, maybe a week before, undoubtedly vacuumed and wrapping paper-free mere minutes after the festivities end. Where do Elizabethtown students stand on this issue?

“I’m pretty sure people who decorate for Christmas earlier are generally more happy people, statistically,” first-year Haley Grubb said. 

While that assumption is debatable, Grubb is not alone in her early adoption of Christmas decorations on campus. Or, in her words, “Waking up after Halloween to a Christmas wonderland in my house.”

Senior Grace Feeney takes things even a step further. “We have our decorations up all year, including multiple Christmas trees,” she said. “And we always keep the Christmas lights on.”

If this sounds like a lot of unhinged chatter, you could also find statistical grounds to argue your case. Despite most of the students interviewed for this article supporting early Christmas decorations, statistics show that most Americans only display their Christmas cheer post-Thanksgiving. According to a 2024 article from Today’s Homeowner, 51% of Americans agree that the most suitable time to hang Christmas decorations is the first week of December.

For first-year Rory McLeod, this is common sense.

 “Christmas decorations? In our house? After Thanksgiving, strictly,” they said. “Christmastime is for December!” 

In my humble opinion, this is the correct choice. Christmastime and Christmas cheer are best enjoyed within the elements that it takes place in: December. How else would Christmas be able to transport us back to the childlike version of ourselves where nothing mattered and gifts were around the corner and there was a chilling bite of cold in the air?

Regardless of your exact plans for Christmas decorating, traditions and respectful time spent with family should remain the focal point of our holiday gatherings, especially amidst civil unrest and an upcoming election. Stay tuned for the next campus debate!