‘Christmas Crazies’ getting lit up early
When most of us were relaxing on Halloween night after an evening of answering the door to trick or treaters, young Mullingar mother Kym Devaney was busy putting up her Christmas decorations.
This Christmas is particularly special for Kym and her partner David. Not only is it their first Christmas in their new home in Ardilaun, it is also their first with their baby son Ezra, who was born in June.
Traditionally, December 8 was the day when many Irish families put up their Christmas decorations. Over the last decade though, increasing numbers have started decorating their homes in November.
Last Christmas more people than ever decided to get their decorations down from the attic earlier than usual and anecdotal evidence suggests that it will be same again this year.
Kym and the local other “Christmas crazies” that we talked didn’t need an excuse like the worst global health crisis in 100 years to start the festive season early.
“It’s been a tradition in my family for years. My grandad [Paddy Corroon] used to put them up early. When he passed, we kept the tradition going. We only bought a house in March and had a baby in June so I said right, it’s our first year, we may make a start,” she told the Westmeath Examiner.
“My mother kept up the tradition and growing up, it was always such a nice feeling. You’d take down the Halloween decorations, throw on the Christmas music and put up the Christmas tree.
“Everyone outside our family thinks we’re stone mad, even my in-laws.”
Like Kym, Daisy Carey’s family in Tyrrellspass have been putting their Christmas decorations up in November for as long as she can remember. Earlier this year, Daisy and her boyfriend Darren moved in to their first home, in Mullingar, and have decided to carry on the tradition.
“I spent last weekend helping my dad but up his lights outside and my sister and my mother are doing their decorations as we speak. We are all as bad as each other!
“It was kind of a running trend when we were kids. My parents always put decorations outside and all of the local kids would come down and have a look because my dad would go mad [with decorating]. He still does. He is great with wood and he has made reindeer for the front lawn. We are definitely a Christmas crazy family.”
She put up her Christmas tree on November 11 and is unabashed about her love of all things Christmas.
“After the last two years that we’ve had, the idea of having that brightness and the fact of the dark evenings as well, the lights are something to look at and something to admire. It’s lovely. It’s been a long two years.”
Courtney Nevin put up her first Christmas tree, which is Disney themed, on November 16 and was planning to put up a second tree which her grandmother gave her.
She says that given the doom and gloom of the past two years, it is easy to see why more and more people are putting their decorations up earlier.
“It kind of fills a house with warmth come Christmas, just having the tree up. Especially with the cold evenings coming in, it feels right to have the tree up and fire lit. It gets you in the mood that bit earlier.”