Family told to take down Christmas decorations because it is too soon

A family getting into the holiday spirit early had their celebrations dampened when they were told by their homeowners' association to take down their Christmas decorations until closer to 25 December.

Claudia and Nick Simonis, from San Antonio, Texas, put up their decorations, which included an inflatable snowman, reindeer, and Santa in a helicopter, on 1 November.

But just three days later, the couple received a letter from the Diamond Association Management & Consulting homeowners' association informing them that it was too soon to put up the decorations and requesting that they “please remove the snowman until closer to the holiday season,” according to WOAI.

According to Claudia, the letter failed to inform the couple what date would be appropriate to put up the snowman - the only decoration referenced in the notice. The letter did, however, state that homeowners must remove decorations within 10 days of a holiday ending.

“I just found it crazy,” Claudia told the outlet. “Especially that they didn’t give us a time. Like, when is the right time to put it?”

The couple was especially upset by the demand because Claudia is currently eight months pregnant, and doesn’t think she will be able to put up the decorations in a few weeks.

“I feel kind of heavy, so the earlier we can put out the decorations, the better,” she said, explaining that in “two more weeks, I’m not going to be able to build all this.”

Despite the letter, the couple has refused to comply with the homeowners' association’s demands.

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“We’re not going to do it,” Nick told the outlet. “It’s the Christmas spirit. We’re not going to be forced by the HOA to take it down.”

The dispute has reportedly prompted the couple’s neighbours to put up their own decorations in solidarity, with one neighbour explaining that he’s already put a Merry Christmas ornament and some penguins in his yard.

“These are the holidays,” he explained. “This is what we do. We take care of our neighbours. That’s what a neighbourhood is about.”

On social media, people also sided with the family on the basis that they should be able to get into the Christmas spirit.

"Too early but so what?" one person wrote. "Leave them alone. Some grinch probably complained."

Another said: "Leave them alone. Early and excited is okay!"

Previously, research has found that people who put up Christmas decorations early are happier, in part because they are reminded of childhood.

“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 the childhood,” Steve McKeown, psychoanalyst, founder of MindFixers and owner of The McKeown Clinic, told Unilad. “Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extends the excitement!”

The Independent has contacted the homeowners' association for comment.