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Okay, Christmas is still several weeks away, but it’s okay, you can go ahead and hang up all those decorations on your house and in your yard IMMEDIATELY.
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People who hang up their decorations weeks and months ahead of time sure do get a bad rap, don’t they? Well not anymore. According to two psychoanalysts, people who decorate early aren’t crazy or eccentric – they’re happier.
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Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown says:
“Although there could be a number of symptomatic reasons why someone would want to obsessively put up decorations early, most commonly for nostalgic reasons either to relive the magic or to compensate for past neglect.
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.
Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement!”
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Ann Morin, another psychoanalyst, adds, “The holiday season stirs up a sense of nostalgia. 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.” Morin also says that, for some people, decorating early helps them reconnect with loved ones who have passed away.
Photo Credit: Flickr, Mark Goebel
So next time your neighbor has their Christmas decorations up in October, don’t shake your head and laugh. Maybe if you spend a little time with them, their positivity will rub off on you!
h/t: Mental Floss
