Have you already hung your Christmas decorations? This is what psychologists say about you

December 25 – one of the most anticipated days of the year – isn’t for another six weeks or so.

But you could be forgiven for thinking the holidays have already started.

In fact, it’s starting to look like Christmas has shifted slightly in the Gregorian calendar, as more and more people are putting up their decorations early.

While many reach for the tinsel in the days after Halloween, others decorate the halls in October and some get festive even earlier.

And because shops and companies want to sell their Christmas goods for as many weeks as possible, it is becoming increasingly easier to be cheerful in autumn.

In Britain, retailers Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Home Bargains are all guilty of stocking shelves with Christmas stock in September.

However, according to academics, there is a certain type of person who is easily drawn into the Christmas spirit prematurely.

If you already have your decorations ready, here’s what psychologists say about you.

Psychologist Dr. Carmen Harra said early flirting can reveal “hidden emotions and unconscious behavioral tendencies,” including narcissism.

Even if they don’t technically have narcissistic personality disorder, many more people are self-centered by nature than we can estimate,” she told MailOnline.

‘Narcissists get a sense of great satisfaction from being the center of attention, from being praised and applauded.

“It makes sense, then, that these character traits can easily be fulfilled by turning your home into a winter wonderland for the entire neighborhood to enjoy.”

Decorating early can also “fill a void” – making people feel happy when they otherwise wouldn’t – but it also gives people “a chance to show off” or paint a “perfect family.”

“Fights and divisions are common in all clans, but some people feel the need to cover up the truth about what happens within their households in November with lights and tinsel,” Dr Harra added.

Amy Morin, a Florida psychotherapist and author of the book “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” says decorating for Christmas “sparks nostalgia.”

Therefore, especially sentimental types may be in a hurry to decorate to recreate good times from the past at Christmas.

“For many people, Christmas was a magical time in their childhood, full of happy memories,” Morin told MailOnline.

‘So it makes sense that people often want to decorate early, because the sooner they get those decorations out, the sooner they can experience some of that magic again.

“The sooner they decorate, the longer the season lasts and the more time they have to think about happy memories and positive things about the world.”

The holidays provide “a much-needed escape from the stresses of everyday life,” not to mention the short days and increasingly cold weather, Morin adds.

“We feel better when we anticipate something good, and putting up decorations early can remind people that the holidays are coming.”

Professor Erlanger A. Turner, a clinical psychologist at Pepperdine University, said early flirtation can be explained by the “anticipation of joy” theory.

‘By decorating early, people can prolong the feeling of excitement and happiness that comes with the holidays,’ he told MailOnline.

‘As people begin to mentally prepare for enjoyable experiences, such as Christmas decorations and celebrations, anticipating joy helps improve their mood and well-being.

“In our current global climate, with increasing exposure to violence, oppression and insecurity, many may see early hanging of awards as the only thing they have control over.”

According to one Study from 1989the presence of Christmas decorations inside and outside the house can make the residents look more social.

So those who put a lot of effort into decorations or set them up early may – consciously or unconsciously – be trying to build friendships.

British psychoanalyst Steve McKeown also thinks that early decorators are nostalgic and eager to “relive the magic,” but that they may also try to “compensate for past neglect.”

In other words, it’s possible that their parents didn’t celebrate much of Christmas during their childhood, which means they want to make the most of it now.

In addition to decorating earlier, there is a growing trend of people considering Christmas to be ‘over’ once December 25th rolls around.

But Christmas Day is only the first of the twelve days of Christmas, the period in Christian theology that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

The twelve days of Christmas last from December 25 to January 5 and mark the time between the birth of Christ and the arrival of the three wise men.

That’s why January 5 is considered the last day to take down your decorations, although many believe that Christmas is done and dusted long before then.

Although the increased focus on gifts has brought December 25 to the forefront of the Christian festival, many still consider the following days to be a sacred period as well.

Food writer Nigel Slater once said: ‘I hear people describe the days after Christmas Day as ‘flat’. I am of a different spirit.

“These are peaceful days, gentle days that are as much a part of Christmas as the days leading up to Christmas Eve.”

Professor Helen Parish, a historian at the University of Reading, has said that ‘it wouldn’t be Christmas’ without some disagreement about exactly when we should celebrate it.

The common Christian traditional calendar date for the birth of Christ – December 25 – was a date officially confirmed by Pope Julius I in the year 350.

“There is no indication in the Bible as to the date when Christ was born, and there was no consensus in early Christianity,” Professor Parish wrote. The conversation.

‘By the second century it had become customary in the Eastern churches to celebrate the baptism of Christ on January 6.’