Christmas fever arrives early
As pandemic rages, people are already feeling holiday spirit
NEW YORK — Lindsey Catarino is the talk of her neighborhood. She put up her Christmas tree, lights and all, in mid-September. By Oct. 1, her mantel was decorated. Since, she has added more trees and decorations in just about every room of her Connecticut condo.
The goal for Catarino, like other newly minted early birds, is to bring on the warmth and comfort of Christmas by beating back “an otherwise insane world.”
As some holiday tree sellers fear they’ll sell out by Thanksgiving and parcel shipping companies worry about November gridlock, a growing number of people on a quest for joy have bucked tradition and gone fullon Christmas weeks earlier than they normally would.
“It has definitely overtaken me, and very early,” said Catarino, 42, who lives in West Hartford. “I enjoy being home in a different way. It just gives me a chance to be busy on something that’s happy. I wanted my house to bring me that peace.”
She’s definitely not alone.
Brandon Stephens, president of the professional holiday decorating company Christmas Decor, said early business is up 15% to 20% compared to the same period last year. Orders came in as early as April — for April, he said. The company’s franchises serviced more than 43,000 homes and businesses last year around the country and expect a jump to about 52,000 this year. Most of the early activity is residential.
“We knew that it was kind of an emotional response. People were looking for hope. People were looking for something to feel good about while cooped up in their houses,” he said.
Jacob Pinkham, a new father in
Huntington Beach, California, said he and his wife had a strict no-Christmas-’til-December rule, until this year amid pandemic fatigue, election turmoil and the economic devastation hitting millions around the world.
The couple got to thinking about their Christmas trip to Cork, Ireland, a few years back and the all-Christmas radio station they discovered there, Christmas FM. They’ve been listening for weeks.
“Our daughter was born just before COVID hit so having to deal with being a new parent, a new family and with a highly contagious virus circulating, we decided we needed some Christmas cheer earlier than usual,” he said. “We also have two dogs. I don’t know how they feel about the Christmas music, but they’re not barking, so that’s a positive sign.”
In Louisville, Kentucky, 29-year-old Mindy Jones has about 1,100 square feet and an additional 400-squarefoot basement in a new home she moved into about a month ago with her husband, their 3-year-old daughter and the family dog.
In the past, they’d hold the holiday to two Christmas trees, including a 7-footer adorned with all their special ornaments standing post in the living room. This year, the tree count is five. The first two went up Nov. 11. There may be more by the time Christmas rolls around. Usually, Jones waits until the Saturday after Thanksgiving to jump start the holiday.
“I wanted to spread the ‘holly jolly’ feeling a little longer than just December,” she said. “With everything going on this year, if it brings a little more joy and excitement to what’s been a really tough year, why not?”
Much of the early Christmas fervor has to do with pared-down Thanksgiving due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think the rush is because Thanksgiving is normally about gathering, which more than likely won’t happen for a lot of people this year,” said Jennifer Rizzo, an artist and interior designer who wrote a book titled “Creatively Christmas.”