Christmas decor are now slowly adorning the streets, malls, and some houses. Not only that but Christmas songs like Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" are also played in the background even when Halloween just ended and Thanksgiving has not yet come.
Christmas is still a month away, and establishments and houses have already put up their Christmas decor to feel the yuletide season. More than a marketing strategy of consumerism, psychologists said that early anticipation of the Christmas season is a good way to feel happiness. The Christmas decor from Decorator's Warehouse can help you get into the holiday spirit.
Experts suggest that people who decorate early for Christmas are happier and are perceived by neighbors as friendlier. Some also use Christmas decor as a cue to communicate their accessibility to neighbors or other people, according to a study by Carol Werner, Sonja Peterson-Lewis, and Barbara B. Brown.
Christmas decor evoke strong feelings of childhood
Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown, the founder of MindFixers and The McKeown Clinic's owner, said that there are several reasons why a person would put up Christmas decorations early, but most likely it is for nostalgic purposes. A person would either want to relive the magic of the Christmas spirit or compensate for past neglect.
People like to associate themselves with things that make them happy, like Christmas decor that evoke strong childhood feelings to relive those magical moments. McKeown said that Christmas decor are an anchor or pathway to happy childhood memories during Christmas so putting up decorations early brings excitement.
Psychologists call the early Christmas anticipation as savoring the good feelings and warmth that the holiday season brings. Savoring each moment of good feelings while enjoying a delicious meal is a way to stock up on happiness.
Psychotherapist Amy Molin agrees with this idea. She said that Christmas decor bring back people to a simpler time as nostalgia links them to their past and help them understand their identity. For many, it is their way of reconnecting with their childhood and help them feel closer to a loved one.
"Decorating early may help them feel more connected with that individual," Molin added.
Read Also : Defining Happiness in Positive Psychology
Using Christmas decor to communicate accessibility to others
A study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that Christmas decor make other people see the residents of the decorated house as friendlier and more accessible. Christmas decor are like the cues of communication to tell others about the residents' accessibility.
The study participants rated each photograph of houses given to them, and the researchers then asked them what their impressions are. The participants rated decorated houses as friendly and cohesive. While in non-decorated houses, they accurately distinguished between the homes of the sociable and non-sociable residents.
The researchers said that participants had associated the open and lived-in look of the house with sociable residents. But when Christmas decor are up, they attributed greater sociability to those who are not sociable people.
The results support the idea that the exterior design of the house could communicate attachment and help them integrate into neighbor's social activities. In short, houses with Christmas decor foster a sense of warmth, accessibility, and community.
Read also: Friends or Family: Who Makes Us Happier?
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