It’s October, which means it’s time for fall and, more importantly, Halloween. Some people, however, skip Halloween and go directly to the major holiday of December: Christmas. So when is it too early to put up Christmas decor? October is certainly too early, right?  

Some people think that the colder weather automatically means it’s Christmastime, and I’d be inclined to disagree. While I do think Christmas shopping is best done early, I don’t think there should be decorations to match in the midst of the Halloween festivities, or even in the midst of September. That is simply far too early.

There are, however, some levels to this. Christmas lights, which are called fairy lights by some, are generally acceptable year-round. It’s a popular decoration, especially notable on TikTok. This is what is considered the exception, though, not the rule to this public “taboo” of Christmas decorations in October.

Is November too early? According to popular memes, starting on Nov. 1 is still too early despite Halloween being over, but as December approaches, it’s generally more acceptable to start putting up the decorations. This is likely because Thanksgiving is still approaching, but that holiday has become more and more divided in its celebration in the U.S., leading some to skip it and put up Christmas decor “prematurely.”  

Is it too premature if the next holiday is Christmas for them?  Considering Thanksgiving’s origins, maybe not. Maybe they’re just a festive person. Maybe, if they do celebrate Thanksgiving, they don’t know what to put up. Thanksgiving is a vague holiday to decorate for, anyhow.

While there is nothing morally wrong with putting up Christmas decorations exceptionally early, it’s still odd and to some, extreme. However, it’s just all harmless fun and as long as nobody’s hurting anybody, it’s all just fine.