Christmas Trees in October

Finding Joy Before the Calendar Says You Can

For some reason I don’t really understand, people draw hard lines about when Christmas can officially begin. There’s an unwritten rule that one holiday must end before another can start—and heaven forbid you hang a festive wreath before the turkey’s carved! And Christmas music? That can't be tolerated before December. Or, can it?

For me, it’s never been about commercialism or keeping up with trends. I don’t care what the calendar says I’m supposed to do. Once the leaves start to turn (where I live that's mid-July) and mornings turn foggy, I’m ready. The Canada geese honk as they migrate overhead. The festive bazaars begin! The holidays have arrived! I want my home to reflect that joy.

You’ll still find mums and pumpkins on my porch—and in one corner, the striped legs of the Wicked Witch of the West, just like in The Wizard of Oz. (Thank you, Etsy!)

Inside, there’s pumpkin garland, the cutest little ghost and a pumpkin covered in quilting pieces! I found the prize $30 button hidden inside my favorite Mother Hubbard's bazaar over the weekend! I have needle felted acorns, and my Halloween apothecary display lights up the front window! All of that is expected!

I also have a small Christmas tree on my nightstand along with a full-size Christmas tree on the landing outside my bedroom fully decorated and ready to welcome the season.

It’s not chaos—it’s overlapping joy. Halloween, Autumn, and Christmas blending together, like gratitude and anticipation sharing the same space.

I love the whole process—the joy of opening boxes and seeing familiar treasures again. My Halloween apothecary has been curated over many years; each piece carries a memory of where I found it or who I was with. The same goes for my ornaments—each one reminds me of a person, a trip, or a season of life.

I love the colors, the smells, the feeling of transition in the air. While I’m unpacking decorations, I’m also cleaning rain gutters, potting mums, and baking vegan brownies. There’s Halloween candy in a toy cauldron by the front door and kid-made turkey art on the fridge. All of it makes my house feel alive—a reflection of every season at once.

The holidays can be wonderful, but they can also be stressful. There’s pressure to do all the things—decorate perfectly, bake everything from scratch, attend every event, make it all magical. Somewhere in the middle of all that doing, the joy starts to fade.

Starting early gives me space to slow down. I can decorate a little at a time and truly enjoy the process. I don’t have to cram it all into one weekend, enjoy it for three short weeks, and then tear it all down again and start over with new bins full of decorations. When I begin early, the season feels calmer, more intentional, and full of meaning instead of checklists. I celebrate for months! There's no stress when my local store doesn't have an ingredient I need. There's time to find it elsewhere or order online. Nothing HAS to get done today.

Over the years, traditions have changed. My mom and I celebrate Dutch Sinterklaas early in December and open our few gifts then. I've really leaned into Time and Thoughtfulness as the most meaningful gifts. I love making things by hand—baking, crafting, creating something personal—because the investment of time means far more than a gift card ever could. A sleepover with my favorite girls, cozy socks for the extended family.

I’ve also learned that giving doesn’t have to be grand to be genuine. Giving to me these days isn't giant boxes with shiny paper. It's a pair of slippers my mom knitted or an ornament I crocheted. It's making my friend's favorite molasses cookies and delivering them with a bag of fresh oranges from a street vendor.

Every act of kindness, no matter how small, carries the same light.

Decorating early helps me live in the spirit of giving, peace, joy and hope longer. It slows me down. It reminds me that joy is not a date on the calendar—it’s a daily choice. There's time to pause and "see" people, let love in, pour intention into everything I do. There's time to read a book or watch a favorite like "The Muppets Christmas Carol" which I actually fell asleep to last night.

The real lesson of Christmas Trees in October is —that joy doesn’t need a deadline, and gratitude isn’t bound to a season. The Lord doesn’t wait until December to offer His light, so why should we? Whether the pumpkins are still on the porch or the star is already on the tree, there’s room for both gratitude and joy to shine together! 💗

So if you’re someone who puts your tree up before Thanksgiving, light those candles. If you prefer to wait until December, that’s beautiful too. The point isn’t when we celebrate, but why.

Celebrate the way that feels authentic to you. Whether you're eating candy corn and Christmas cookies, listening to carols or grooving to the "The Monster Mash" — you do you!

And remember that joy, hope and peace don't come with a specific calendar date!

Happy celebrating!

~Laura