- For many, November 1 marks the start of the Christmas-decorating season.
- Jessica Bolio, a 27-year-old content creator, began decorating her home for Christmas in October.
- Bolio said she doesn’t care about the pushback she gets because “it’s not hurting anybody.”
Every November 1, Mariah Carey declares “it’s time” for the Christmas season to begin.
This year, that was too late for Jessica Bolio.
Bolio — a 27-year-old stay-at-home mom and content creator from Fowler, California, near Fresno — began decorating for Christmas before October was even over.
“This year, my son started school, and that’s been a whole new experience as a mom,” she told Business Insider last month. “Because this year has been a little crazy, I wanted some of that Christmas joy earlier.”
Last month, Bolio spent about $400 transforming her library into a winter wonderland with twinkle lights, candy canes, and a large fake tree. The room’s centerpiece is a massive floor-to-ceiling bookshelf brimming with her collection.
“My son loves the decorations,” she said. “He helped me decorate this year and put all of the glass decorations up on the shelves he could reach.”
Not everyone likes an early Christmas
Bolio said that while she loves the festive season’s earlier start, she understands that some people don’t share her enthusiasm.
As a content creator, she posts book reviews and other shopping and lifestyle recommendations to the 52,000 people who follow her on Instagram @theintrovertededition.
She added that she does get comments and direct messages on Instagram from people criticizing her decision to decorate early, even though most of the feedback is positive.
“A lot of the people who complain about it are those who love Halloween, so they don’t want to see Christmas decorations,” she said. “I say, if you don’t like it, just don’t look. It’s not hurting anybody, and it’s in my own home.”
The business of Christmas
Market-research firm Prophecy Market Insights projected that the Christmas-decoration industry will grow from $8.45 billion in 2024 to $13.04 billion by 2034.
According to a National Retail Federation survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, this year the typical consumer will spend an average of $902 on items including gifts, food, decorations, and other seasonal items. The $902 figure is a record high, up $25 from 2023 and a jump of $16 from the previous record, set in 2019.
One factor contributing to the increase may be that retailers are stocking holiday items and offering sales earlier in the year.
The winter holiday season has historically started at Halloween, but it’s shifted sooner, said Sky Canaves, a retail and e-commerce analyst at EMARKETER.
Canaves said the trend began with Amazon moving Prime Day to October in 2020 and officially establishing an annual October sale by 2022, prompting other major retailers to follow. Now, Amazon Prime Day, held on October 8 and 9 this year, is seen as the kickoff to the holiday season.
“Retailers used to wait until Halloween had passed to put out the Christmas decor, now we’re more likely to see Halloween and Christmas sections side-by-side,” Canaves said. “It can be a bit jarring at first, but shoppers are getting used to it.”
Her Christmas aesthetic isn’t just red and green
Bolio shops for decorations from At Home, HomeGoods, T.J. Maxx, and Michaels. She also browses Facebook Marketplace and thrift stores for unique finds — especially pink ones.
“Pink is my favorite color, so I get excited to find decorations that aren’t the traditional Christmas colors like red and green,” she said. “I have pink gingerbread houses, trees, and nutcrackers.”
She draped her shelves with string lights and lined each surface with artificial snow, placing miniature Christmas trees and signs proclaiming “Joy” and “Believe” amid the books. A snowman cup sits on a shelf beside her copy of “The Bodyguard” by Katherine Center.
“I feel like decorating brings great joy,” she said. “When I sit in the room, I feel very calm and have a sense of peace.”
Bolio plans to finish decorating the rest of her house for Christmas soon.
Valentine’s Day, however, is her Super Bowl, and she’s already making a game plan.
“I like to go all out,” she said. “I’ll have pink and red hearts everywhere, and my bookshelves will be filled with Valentine’s Day decor.”
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