One brisk morning, I happened to meander my way to a friend’s apartment. Stumbling and shivering, I walked into her place and noticed something overtly off-putting in the room: red and green everywhere.

It was only Nov. 5, and just days after taking down her Halloween decor, she had already filled every inch of the apartment with Christmas items and had “Jingle Bell Rock” blasting on her little Bluetooth speaker.

There were 3-foot-wide wreaths on every interior and exterior door, little nutcrackers on each table, a 3-foot-tall Santa standing in a corner, Christmas lights lining the walls, and — of course — a giant coniferous tree reaching from the floor to the ceiling.

Her decorations were elaborate, to say the least. She fantastically and ardently created a winter wonderland so that her small apartment felt like none other than the magical North Pole. I have no critique for how well she decorated; however, I did wonder why she had to do it so incredibly early.

Although I truly am a fan of the holidays, I believe they should be enjoyed like every good thing: in moderation. The magic of the holiday season is in the truth of it being a season. The limited duration of holidays is one of the most valuable aspects of them.

I know those winter winds blow long and cold and putting up a bit of mistletoe greatly reduces the burden of winter, but if we continue our plunge into the holiday cheer, sooner or later we will be putting up decorations in September.

By elongating the time of celebration, we risk making the holidays lose their special place in our hearts. Once something becomes so commonplace, it is no longer appreciated. My daily cup of coffee is good, but since I have it so often, I have gotten so accustomed to its benefits that I hardly even notice them anymore. If I were to save my coffee for more special occasions, I would certainly enjoy it to a greater degree. It is the same with the holidays: When they are in short seasons, then they are fully appreciated for their finitude.

If you’re thinking of putting up tinsel and ornaments the day after Halloween, reconsider. When the holidays actually come, the magic will be lost. In the meantime, bask in all Thanksgiving has to offer — like the copious amounts of food and pumpkin-scented-everything.

Please heed my warning: just wait until Black Friday. Your holiday cheer will have greater zeal than ever. All of your anticipation will build up to give you the joy like someone who has been on a diet and finally gets to eat what they want again. So please, for your own sake, enjoy the holidays between Black Friday and New Year’s Day. Five weeks is plenty of time to enjoy all the holiday season has to offer you.

Harrison is a junior in ACES.

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