Generally, the world can be divided up into two types of people: those who absolutely cannot stand Christmas and the tack and chintz that comes with it, and those who revel in the dizzying excitement of it all.
Those from the latter will often get berated for their enthusiasm, told off by housemates for putting the tree up on prematurely or shamed by their family for draping paper chains around the entire living room as soon as Halloween is out of the way.
But it seems the Christmas stans might actually be ahead of the game, because those who put up their festive decorations earlier tend to be happier - according to experts.
Speaking to UNILAD, Steve McKeown - psychoanalyst, founder of MindFixers and owner of The McKeown Clinic - explained that Christmas decorations often evoke a strong sense of nostalgia, which can act as the perfect antidote in a time 'full of stress'.
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He said: "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!"
McKeown isn't alone in his beliefs, either.
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Amy Morin, psychotherapist and best-selling author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do, also told UNILAD: "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.
"It may be a bittersweet feeling. Perhaps the holidays serve as a reminder of when a loved one was still alive. Or maybe looking at a Christmas tree reminds someone of what life was like when they still believed in Santa.
"For people who have lost a loved one, the holidays may serve as a reminder of happy times they had with that person in the past. Decorating early may help them feel more connected with that individual."
Then there's evidence from the Journal of Environmental Psychology, in which a study compared houses covered in decorations with those that weren't to assess their sociability.
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You probably won't be surprised to know that the homes fully kitted out with all the festive finery were considered more 'friendly and cohesive', which again proves that it could be time to clamber up into the attic and dust off the tinsel...
Featured Image Credit: New Line Cinema
Topics: Christmas, World News, News