Word on the street: When is it acceptable to start celebrating Christmas?

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and, for those who celebrate Christmas, the ongoing debate of when to hang the tinsel and deck the halls has begun.

Staff writer Delphine Liu asked students: “How early is too early to start Christmas celebrations?”

Devon DeLellis, first year

“Oh, I am a strong believer in early Christmas. I feel like too early would be before Halloween — after Halloween it’s kind of fair game. That’s when the malls are starting to put up Christmas trees. I feel like I should be in the holiday spirit.”

Rahul Mehta, sophomore

“I think that Christmas celebrations start too early. If you are doing things before like, Dec. 10 — that's a weird date — but I wouldn't count decorating and stuff as Christmas celebrations. You can definitely decorate before that, I don't think that counts as celebrations. What counts as celebrating is getting in that holiday type of mood and planning all the festivities, just taking your brain off of work.”

Caroline Lanier, first-year

“It has been ingrained in my brain since I was a child that you cannot bring anything out for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. So no Christmas music — you can buy Christmas stuff, but you don't put anything up until after Thanksgiving."

Vinit Satasia, sophomore

“I think the appropriate time to start celebrating Christmas is right after Halloween. Nov. 1, I am putting up the tree, I am putting up lights, I'll start doing Christmas stuff. I think Christmas music is more like, I'll listen to it maybe in December, but when you have Thanksgiving dinner and you have family over it’s cool to have the tree up when you have guests over and they can see it. A little controversial, but that is my answer.”

Blakley Freeman, senior

“When I was home with my parents, I would say before Thanksgiving is wrong, but since being in college I say after Halloween, just because I want to decorate my room, my house and everything but then I won’t be here after the beginning of December. So, now I say after Halloween."

"I am religious and Christian, so for me it’s about the birth of Jesus, going to church, all that fun stuff, but for school purposes it’s more just celebrating, being able to have downtime with my roommates, then go home, have downtime with my family and gather with everyone.”

Jarod Godwin, senior

“You can start celebrating Christmas in any sort of formal sense — putting up decorations, listening to Christmas music — after Thanksgiving. It has to be one day after Thanksgiving, then you’re clear. I think Thanksgiving is a great holiday and if you are celebrating Christmas ahead of time, you are infringing on the greatness of Thanksgiving.”

Jake Sims, senior

“I would like to echo all those wise words. I am a Christmas music after Thanksgiving truther for all the same reasons. Thanksgiving is a great family holiday. And Christmas, it is my favorite holiday, and midnight on Thanksgiving I am definitely turning on the Ariana Grande Christmas album —  but not before that."

Damon Grim, junior

“The weekend after Thanksgiving, no, but the next week, yes. But, it’s definitely starting too early. Not even decorations, but everyone’s posting the Mariah Carey song the next day on their stories. I'm like 'too much, too early, right after Halloween?'"

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