Early Christmas Decorations: A Personal Perspective on the Great Holiday Debate

Towards the end of October and the beginning of November, a great debate returns to Facebook: when is the proper time to decorate for Christmas?

In the United States, we have three major holidays on our calendars:

October: Halloween

November: Thanksgiving

December: Christmas

Traditionally, people would wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas. However, over the last few decades, our schedules have become busier, and it often feels like Christmas arrives in the blink of an eye right after Thanksgiving.

I decorate early because I love Christmas lights, and when Daylight Saving Time ends, it gets dark by 5 pm. In late autumn, some days lack sunshine. My schedule can be hectic and busy, and dealing with my health can be unpredictable. For me, it’s best to have my decorations up so I can enjoy them.

One common argument I hear is that one can’t be thankful with Christmas decorations up, but that’s not necessarily true. I love Christmas. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that November is a time to count my blessings and be thankful for what the Lord has given me out of His love and mercy.

As Thanksgiving approaches, and I reflect on God’s goodness by taking time to count my blessings, it prepares my heart, soul, and spirit for Christmas. Having my Christmas decorations serves as a reminder that the hope of my salvation was given to me at the cross.

 

 

When do decorate for Christmas? Let me know in the comments.

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving 

With Thanksgiving almost here, I thought I would share my thoughts. Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings and to be with family. In a few days, I will be gathering with my family, and I’m looking forward to it.

The one thing I am thankful for the ability to read. We as a society take reading for granted, and don’t give it a second thought. There are many in our society who struggled to read a simple text. 

1 in 5 people struggled to read due to Dyslexia.  

In these individuals, reading is a difficult task because the left side of the brain has a hard time decoding language, and doesn’t connect with the pathways that form the ability to read. 

In school, when we were taught to read; our minds were forming the pathways and connections to decode language on the left-side of the brain.  

If you are a parent, you’ve seen this process of learning to read developing in your child. 

How does struggling to read affect a person’s life? 

Imagine trying to decode a simple post on Facebook with some of the letters flipped or having no phonics to words while reading. 

A person taking a long time to fill out forms for medical or job application trying to decode letters and comprehend the information. 

This is a hidden struggle in our society, but slowly is emerging into the light.

I hope you found this post helpful to you. 

For more information on Dyslexia please visit understood.org

.