Holiday Lights Survey: When Do Americans Start Decorating?
It’s an age-old debate—how early is too early to start celebrating the holidays? It seems like the holiday spirit creeps earlier and earlier each year, with holiday music, movies, and shopping ads making their debut in November or even sooner.
About 64% of Americans plan to hang exterior lights and decorations this holiday season, but when they’re hanging their lights ranges from as early as September to late December, according to a survey of 3,000 Americans from the This Old House Reviews Team.
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans who plan to decorate will put up lights themselves, which can save money but comes with risks like damaging your gutters or injury. Giving yourself ample time to plan for these tasks can help mitigate risks and give you more time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
See our full findings below to find out how your decorating plans compare to those of other Americans—as well as tips on how to hang your holiday lights.
Key Findings
- 51% of Americans decorating for the holidays will have their exterior lights up before Thanksgiving. About 7% put theirs up before November.
- 53% of Americans who put up holiday lights will take them down after January 4.
- Americans who are shopping for exterior lights and decorations expect to spend $175.
- 39% of Gen Z plans to spend more on outdoor holiday lights this year than last year.
70% of Americans Will Put up Holiday Lights in November—or Sooner
The schedule for holiday decorating varies from household to household, but the vast majority of Americans with decorating plans (70%) will hang their lights before December. In fact, 7% said their lights will be up by the end of October, according to our survey.
More than half of households decorating (51%) will have their lights up by November 27—the day before Thanksgiving in 2024. Still, the most popular individual day to hang lights is in December, with 18% of Americans saying they plan to put up outdoor lights and decorations on December 1.
The calendar below offers a visual depiction of the most common days for hanging holiday lights. A darker shade of green means that more people are hanging lights on that date.
When Do Americans Take Down Their Holiday Lights?
Though many Americans plan to get a jump on decorating for the holidays, they’re in no rush to break down their decorations. Only 12% of those who plan to decorate said they will take down their lights by the end of the year, with many leaving their lights up into the first week of January.
More than half of Americans (53%) say they will still have their lights up on January 4, though the number drops to 43% by January 5. The most common individual day to remove lights is January 1, with 14% of Americans saying they’ll take down decorations on this day.
The calendar below shows the most common dates for taking down holiday lights. The darker the shade of green, the more people take down their lights on that date. As you can see, the first week of January has the greatest number of dates marked with dark green.
One in 12 with decorating plans (8%) said they will leave their lights up throughout January—possibly because their holiday lights brighten their mood.
“My own research and that of others has shown that brighter lighting can intensify emotional experiences and make people feel happier,” said Aparna Labroo, Ph.D., a professor of marketing at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. “During the holidays, it is possible this effect is magnified because the lighting can reinforce and create traditions and new memories and experiences.”
The Most Festive States Based on Search Data
Some states seem to be more merry than others when it comes to holiday lights. We reviewed the past five years of Google Trends data to find out which states search the most for “holiday lights.” Iowa earned the title of the most festive state, with Mississippi earning a lump of coal for its search scores.
The states with the highest search scores for holiday lights are Iowa (100), Minnesota (86), and Connecticut (73). The states with the lowest scores are Mississippi (14), Alabama (17), and Wyoming (18).
A higher score means a greater proportion of searches, not a higher absolute count. In other words, Iowans are five times more likely to search for holiday lights than Wyoming residents. This could be because Wyoming is more rural and has more distance between homes, which makes going out to see holiday lights less convenient.
The weather might also play a role in the holiday spirit, with warmer states like Alabama and Mississippi showing less search interest in holiday decorations than stereotypically snowy states like Minnesota.
Decorating Costs Are Stopping Some Americans From Hanging Lights in 2024
Decorating can be fun, but associated costs could make it as frightful as snowy weather outside. While most Americans are planning to decorate their homes for the holidays, about one-third (36%) said they don’t plan to decorate their home’s exterior for the 2024 holiday season. Cost was a big reason for this, with 26% saying lights will increase their electric bill and 21% saying purchasing lights is too costly.
Costs aren’t the only barrier to decorating, though, with 39% saying putting up and taking down decorations is too much work.
Electric costs are also on the minds of Americans who plan to decorate. About 60% of Americans who will hang holiday lights worry their lights will raise their electric bills, including one in six who believe it will raise their electric costs by 30% or more.
“Consumers can use highly efficient LED lights as substitutes to reduce their energy costs and use less overall electricity,” said Noah Kittner, Ph.D., an assistant professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It’s the incandescent lights that are expensive and use excess electricity.”
The Average Holiday Lights and Decor Budget Is $175
If you’re in the market for holiday decorations this year, make a shopping list and check it twice. Americans buying exterior holiday lights and decor this year have an average budget of $175, according to our survey.
About 26% of Americans plan to increase their spending on exterior holiday lights this year compared to last, but Gen Z is the most festive in this regard, with 39% of that generation upping their spending on holiday lights. Just 16% of baby boomers plan to do the same.
Tips on Hanging Your Holiday Lights
If you plan to decorate your home this holiday season, make a plan to do so safely. Hanging lights, in particular, can be dangerous to both you and your home if you don’t take proper steps. Follow these tips to decorate your home:
- Test your lights before installing: If you’re pulling lights out from storage—or even straight from the box—make sure they’re functional before you install them on your home. Check for any blown bulbs, loose wires, or damage.
- Read the guidelines for your lights: Review the instructions that come with the lights you purchase, and follow any recommendations to prevent fire hazards. For example, there may be a limit to how many strands you can connect to one another or have on a single outlet.
- Hang lights with a buddy: Finding a partner to decorate with can be a fun experience and help you hang lights and decorations safely. That way, you have someone to hold a ladder steady, pass up any necessary equipment, and test outlets while you work.
- Protect your gutters: Even if you have gutter guards installed, putting up holiday lights can be hard on your gutters. Try to work around them to ensure you have a cheerful home while preventing exterior damage. “Invest in plastic clips or light magnets, which are designed to avoid damage to your roofs and gutters,” said Chris Counahan, president at LeafFilter Gutter Protection. “Hang lights from your fascia (the boards below your gutters), which are stronger than gutters. Hanging lights from your gutters may cause them to detach from your roof, creating damage to the gutters and roofing materials.”
Expert Tips and Insights
Another tip is to use timers or smart plugs to control when your holiday lights are on. An automatic schedule can be set up to make sure the lights aren’t on all night or during the day, so you’re not consuming energy when the lights aren’t really visible anyway.
Do not hang lights via clips, magnets, or other methods directly from your gutters. Instead, hang lights from your fascia, which are stronger than gutters. Hanging lights from your gutters may cause them to detach from your roof, creating damage to the gutters and roofing materials.
Always prepare your materials and practice hanging the clips or magnets before climbing a ladder—you’d be shocked at how many of our customers come to us after experiencing a ladder accident. Anytime you use a ladder, you should be accompanied by another person who can hold the ladder steady and call for help if a fall occurs.
It is, however, worth pointing out that some regions, especially North Carolina and Florida, will likely see strong changes in prioritizing essential items in the aftermath of the hurricane season compared to the rest of the country. The incidence of natural disasters in specific parts of the country, unfortunately, has dampened the holiday spirit.
The gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas is smaller (by about six fewer days) this year compared to last year, so it will be interesting to see how this may influence household expenditure. Historical evidence, however, shows that this will likely play a negligible role.
Methodology
The research team at This Old House surveyed 3,000 U.S. adults. The survey was run using Pollfish, a third-party market research and survey platform, to gain insights regarding Americans’ decorating plans for the 2024 holiday season. We collected survey data for this report on September 12–16, 2024.
We weighted responses to align with population demographics across age and gender to be representative of all U.S. adults (aged 18+). The margin of error is +/- 2% with 95% confidence.
Questions about our study? Please contact the author here.
Fair Use Policy
We encourage journalists and reporters to share our findings on holiday lights. If you choose to do so, please link back to our original story to give us proper credit for our research.