Decorating Early: A Debate or an Opportunity?

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For some reason I feel like the debate on when to decorate for Christmas has been bigger and louder this year than ever before. It has been all over Facebook, I heard a debate about it on the radio, and it was even talked about on the news! People seem very opinionated about whether or not you decorate for Christmas on November 1 or after Thanksgiving.

The fear of decorating too early is that either Thanksgiving will get forgotten or that people will get tired of Christmas before December even starts. Those that want to decorate early say they have waited as long as they can and they love Christmas so much that they want a little more of it.

My thought is: Why not start early? And here is why:

Christmas is the one time of the year where I feel like Christians get a free pass to be a little extra outspoken about being a Christian. Everywhere you look, Christ is being celebrated even if it is unintentional. You can say Christmas has become too commercialize and Christ has been taken out of Christmas - and to an extent I would agree. But can you think of any other time where you can hear songs about Jesus on regular radio stations or hear the Christmas story read in popular movies on TV?

Let me give you an example, just in case you aren’t fully in agreement yet. Last November a new Grinch movie was released in theaters. Simply titled The Grinch, this new animated version of the story explored the story in a new way. In this movie, the people in Whoville really wanted the Grinch to be a part of Christmas. He wan’t forgotten and he didn’t strike fear, but instead he stole Christmas because he was annoyed that the Whos wanted him to love Christmas. And… well you know how the rest of the story goes.

Within this movie there is this hilarious scene where The Grinch and his trusty dog Max must venture off Mount Crumpet into Whoville to go to the grocery store. At every moment The Grinch is trying to avoid the Christmas spirit, and ends up finding himself being chased around the town by some rather aggressive carolers. And do you know what song these carolers are sining? “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.”

There in the middle of an Illumination movie is a group of carolers singing “Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day.” Yes, I know it’s a silly movie and most people were probably laughing at the Grinch being chased around instead of thinking about Jesus, but do you see what I mean? During Christmas the world gives Christians a free pass and people are less on guard when it comes to hearing about Jesus.

So what does any of this have to do with decorating November 1? Well, you can wait until after Thanksgiving if you want and I will respect your decision. But I want to give all of you your free pass to decorate early. But don’t just decorate early because you can, do so with the intention of sharing the love of Jesus.

It’s ok if you still want to watch Home Alone, write letters to Santa, and sing “Let it Snow,” but as you are stringing lights on your tree begin thinking of ways to show a little more love than usual. Use your Christmas spirit as your launching point for loving others as Jesus has called all Christians to do.

Get your co-worker a Christmas gift, send your neighbors Christmas cards, play your Christmas music as much as you want, read the Nativity story, or invite someone to a Christmas Eve service at church. Don’t let Christmas go by without using your free pass to share with someone about Jesus, wether that is with word or with deed.

At the end of the new Grinch movie, The Grinch says this to Cindy-Lou Who’s mom, “Your daughter’s kindness changed my life.” To which she replies without much surprise, “That’s my little girl!” Be the person this Christmas who’s kindness can lead other’s to Christ. And if that has to start with you putting your tree up tonight, then what are you waiting for?


Elizabeth Anne-Lovell is
an Associate Pastor at
Generations of Grace in
Lebanon, TN

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