Experts say that people who like to put their Christmas decorations up early are happier than those who wait. Many people like to use things that make them happy to help them deal with feelings of stress and anxiety. Christmas decorations evoke a lot of happy memories for some people, which is why they might choose to put them up early. Therefore, having Christmas decorations up early allows the happiness of the festive season to last a bit longer. "Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement," said psychoanalyst Steve McKeown. One study shows that some people decorate early to appear friendly to their neighbors. Study participants were shown houses that were covered in festive decorations and some that were not. The houses that were decorated for the holidays were deemed more “friendly and cohesive” than the undecorated houses. Decorating for the holidays can be a way for people to “integrate themselves into a neighborhood's social activities.”