A tall, blooming tree in the corner of the room. Bright white lights strung all around. Nutcrackers and scenes of the Nativity throughout the house. A scene straight from a Hallmark movie or postcard.

But this isn’t Christmas. Nor is it Dec. 1 or even mid-November. It’s Nov. 1.

A growing debate centers on this question: When is the right time to put up Christmas decorations? It seems as though every year, people want to start hanging their wreaths and setting up their trees earlier and earlier.

Putting up decorations before Thanksgiving may seem like overkill, but they can bring happiness during a notoriously hard time of the year. For that, I say people shouldn’t be judged if they put up their decorations a month or two early.

The final two months of the year can be some of the toughest for many people. For students, finals, increased workload, and holiday stress build up. It’s also the darkest part of the year, with sunlight shrinking each day until the winter solstice.

This final stretch can feel daunting and depressing. While Thanksgiving and Christmas are there to lighten the mood, they’re single-day events.

Decorations, however, are a longer and more constant reminder of the season. Christmas lights quite literally brighten up the darkest part of the year, while a tree or a miniature village can bring a cozy vibe to people’s homes.

They provide much-needed comfort and distraction from year-end hardships — a small boost of joy that breaks up the monotony of life.

While some feel decorations should go up just a couple weeks before Christmas, even a small amount put up a month in advance can make a difference.

Many holidays don’t have nearly as many decorations that change the mood of a home. There isn’t a St. Patrick’s tree or a clay scene of the Founding Fathers for the Fourth of July. For many, this is the only time they can truly transform their space.

So, instead of putting people down who get their decorations out the second Halloween ends, we should remember the joy the season brings — and how decorations are the first step in creating it.