Holiday decorations stay up longer than most people realize

Everyone has a unique way of going about decorating for different holidays. Some wait until the last minute while others have had scarecrows and jack o’lanterns out since the moment September started.

Certain people go for light displays while others opt for a lawn full of inflatable characters. Some people use the time between Halloween and Christmas to put up Thanksgiving displays while other yards go… ahem… cold turkey on decor.

One thing we definitely can’t agree on is the right time to put these decorations up and when to take them down before the next holiday rolls around.

The folks at JoyBird surveyed 2,320 Americans about when they put up and take down displays throughout the months of October through January to determine the average number of days decorated in each state.

Jack O Lantern string lights

When do people start putting up Halloween decorations?

The average put-up date for New Jerseyans is Oct. 10, which seems a little late to me. Granted, that’s still over two weeks of having them up, but I say once October rolls around, I’m ready to see some ghouls in your yard.

On average, when it comes to the break down, 47% of Americans take down the skeletons less than a week after Oct. 31.

People generally keep the themed decor going for Thanksgiving with items like cornucopias, colored leaves, or inflatable turkeys, but some jump the gun by decorating for Christmas before they even have any cranberry sauce.

Give Thanks and Eat Pie poster with brown frame on green grass field

The majority, 80% of Americans, begin decorating at least three weeks before Dec. 25 to put up their holly jolly displays.

What���s the right time to take down holiday decorations?

You could go by when the “12 days of Christmas” would end (Jan. 5) or you may go by the general vibes like Taylor Swift says in her song ‘Lover.’

We could leave the Christmas lights up ’til January. This is our place, we make the rules.

New Jerseyans tend to keep their decorations up until about a third of the way through the month. The average take-down date in the Garden State is Jan. 9.

This brings our average number of days decorated to 91 days, nearly three months of looking festive.

a house with christmas lights

Of course, none of these are hard-set rules, do what makes you happy. Though if I’m still seeing Santa in February, I will call for a wellness check.

Have an awesome Halloween display? Show us for a chance at NJ Lottery tickets

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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