Man, you can almost feel it in the air, can’t you? Very soon, the air is going to be alive. No, I’m not talking about ghosts from A Christmas Carol coming around to haunt us. Don’t be silly, they only show up on Christmas Eve! I’m talking about the air being alive with Christmas lights! Sure, it might be just a bit cliche, but it really is the most wonderful time of the year. Of course with the holidays fast approaching, you might be asking yourself, “when should I start putting up Christmas lights?”
It’s a great question, and the short answer is “it depends.” But a better answer (and a bit longer one) would be that you should start putting up Christmas lights sometime before Thanksgiving.
By the way, my name is Sparkle and I’m here today to help you figure out the best time to start putting up Christmas lights for your house with these three simple tests. Don’t worry though – there’s no failing grade!
Test #1: Do you have a plan?
Do you know what Santa tells me? “Sparkle, you have to plan, plan, and plan some more!” What he’s really telling me is that Christmas doesn’t just happen, but takes lots of prep work from the elves, Santa himself, and even the reindeer to pull off that magical night.
None of it can happen without a plan. Just the same, without a good game plan you really can’t start hanging your Christmas lights. For example, do you know where you’re going to hang them? Do you know if your lights work? Do you know how many you’re going to need? Do you know how many outlets and extension cords you’re going to need? How far is it from your lights to the power…whew, that gave me a headache just thinking about all of it.
To keep it simple though, if you have a plan, you’re one step closer to putting up your Christmas lights!
Test #2: What’s the weather in your area like?
Let’s say you have a game plan — great! Now, take a moment and open the weather app on your smartphone. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.
What was in this week’s forecast? Was it sunny, windy, rainy, or (if you’re a little bit further up north like we are) is snow even in the forecast? While snow is pretty rare here in Florida, we can have some pretty nasty weather at times. Of course, you don’t want to hang your lights up too early as a late tropical storm can really undo all of your hard work.
But you also don’t want to wait too late in the year. So, what’s the answer? As Santa always says, “When the stores start playing Christmas jingles, it’s time to get ready Sparkle!” A good rule of thumb is to keep an eye on the weather forecasts around the first week or two of November and pick a day when the weather won’t be too hot, too cold, or too wet.
Test #3: What does your Thanksgiving week look like?
I know, I just told you to keep an eye on the first week or two of November. So why is there a third test, you ask? It’s simple: plans don’t always work out the way they’re supposed to! Sometimes, a rainy spell will completely derail all of your outside plans. Of course, we don’t get much rain at the North Pole, but we do get snow, so I know what it’s like to be outside when precipitation is falling. It’s no fun at all!
Of course, once Thanksgiving week starts, the holidays get really busy. Trust me on that one. After all, I’m an elf! And if Mother Nature decides to pull a fast one on us, can you bump your light-hanging plans to Thanksgiving week? If the answer is no because you’ll be traveling to see family or visiting your local tree farm to pick out this year’s Christmas tree, you may not even have time to hang your holiday lights. If your Thanksgiving is going to be super busy, you might want to plan for the third week of November as a backup.
Do I have any other options for when I can start putting up Christmas lights?
Absolutely! You can contact our friends at Twinkle Nights Holiday Lights! They can take care of all of the light hanging for you. And believe me, they’re good at what they do. They can fit your house into even the busiest week, so be sure to contact them today and tell them that Sparkle sent you! They’ll be in touch to figure out your holiday light game plan!
Here are some other resources to help light up your holiday season!
Can I Rent My Christmas Lights and Have Someone Else Install Them?
