SHELBY — There are two types of people in the world: People who start decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween, and people who refuse to touch an ornament until the day after Thanksgiving.
Whatever your preference, research does show that decorating for Christmas early can make you happier. Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown told UNILAD, “In a world full of stress and anxiety people like to associate to things that make them happy, and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of childhood.”
I decided to put the theory to the test with Christmas decoration experts at the 17th annual Holiday Bazaar, Craft Show and Luncheon at the First Lutheran Church of Shelby. The event was the perfect opportunity to get a jump on holiday gift purchases with available vendors showing jewelry, homemade hats and towels, beauty needs, spices, wood signs and many other items.
Barb Furr, the organizer of the craft show, said the event has been steadily growing since its inception in 2001. At least $500 was raised on Saturday from table fees to go towards the church, and proceeds from the luncheon and admission benefitted the church’s food pantry, which serves 20 to 30 families per week.
Furr is also a vendor for Signature HomeStyles, a direct sales company for holiday decor.
“I love Christmas stuff, show me anything Christmasy and I’m good,” Furr said.
While her family does put up decorations early, Furr said the lights stay off until the day after Thanksgiving.
“We try to put them up when the weather is warm, but it tricked us this year because it never got warm,” she said. “My husband is old fashioned; when Halloween is going on and they have Christmas trees in the store, that’s not his cup of tea.”
Jim and Diane Wheeler employ the same tactic – decorations while it’s warm outside, but no lighting until it’s officially the Christmas season.
“We’re forgetting Thanksgiving, and what Thanksgiving is all about,” Diane Wheeler said.
The Wheelers have sold a variety of different crafts off and on for about 30 years, from hand-painted bird feeders to fleece pillows, but their big sellers are hand-painted wooden Christmas decorations. Diane said her husband Jim collects the wood and paints snowmen characters, or arranges them into a tree shape, then adds different colored lights.
“All the wood is treated lumber with exterior paint and exterior lights,” Diane said. “It gives us something to do, and we like to see people smile when they like what we make.”
Wooden characters were also a feature at Cloie Porter’s booth, with Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch painted onto wood as well as smaller snowmen and penguin features for indoor decorations. Porter also created winter scenes painted on cutting boards and small metal shovels, and wreaths for nearly every occasion.
“I just love old stuff,” Porter said. “It takes a lot of time; probably the biggest thing I do is a lot of trial and error.”
Nearly all the decorations in Porter’s household are homemade. As such, she said she starts decorating for Christmas even before Halloween is over.
“I have like 25 totes full of Christmas decorations,” she said. “It’s my favorite season.”
Still, holding out on decorations until after Thanksgiving proved to be the popular opinion in Shelby on Saturday. Della Newport agreed with Furr and Wheeler in that Thanksgiving shouldn’t be overlooked.
“I think the turkey should have his day, and we need to appreciate what Thanksgiving is,” Newport said.
Newport’s booth was filled with hand-sewn corn bag heaters and coasters, and homemade desserts. Her biggest seller, she said, are microwave bowl holders that protect your hands from the heat of the bowl.
“I’ve been doing craft shows about three or four years, first starting at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Shelby,” she said. “It gets me out and I get to see people, some of them I haven’t seen in years.”
The camaraderie of the craft world was a common theme among Saturday’s vendors. Most of them will gather again for the annual Polar Express event in Shelby on Sunday, Nov. 18. According to Furr, craft vendors will be set up at Connie’s Place at 24 W. Main Street for five weeks throughout the holiday season.
“It’s fun; I always have fun getting to know the vendors,” Furr said. “It keeps me busy from now until Christmas.”
