No one can deny the comfort and joy that Christmas decorations bring. The Christmas tree is filled with warm white light, every room is covered with fluffy blankets of the season, and stockings are hung on the mantles, creating an atmosphere unlike any other time of year. It’s magical—but Halloween decorations are even better.
I know the difference between Halloween and Christmas aesthetics is (literally) black and white, but I stand by my statement. More Halloween decorations pleasure. To be honest, the collection of snowballs and nutcrackers consists of nothing but skeleton arms sticking out of a garden bed, and black cauldrons filled with ornaments and remote-controlled fairy lights that look like bubbling potions. There is no competition here.
You can’t overlook these two holiday colorways, either. The classic Christmas colors are red and green, which is a bit boring (I personally decorate with a silver, gold and white theme for this very reason). Over the years, Halloween has expanded beyond basic black and orange to include fluorescent greens and vibrant purples, which together mimic the look of glow sticks in the dark. What could be more fun than this? It’s like a carnival with ghosts and candy.
Outdoor Halloween decorations are better than Christmas. More and more people are going all out for Halloween and decorating their homes with 1,000 lights. For the most part, the average household seems to put as much effort into their Halloween lights as their Christmas lights — and I’m here for the fun.
Halloween comes with varying degrees of dedication, as it’s decorated for trick-or-treaters who must brave their way across the yard to get to the candy at the front door. Frankly, I’d say the stakes are higher. Either go big or go home.
There are also many ideas for outdoor Halloween displays. Some houses are completely transformed into haunted houses. Others used animatronics, smoke machines and the classic jack-o’-lantern to create spooky scenes in their yards. There is a white house in my neighborhood that is covered in big black spiders every Halloween, and although the concept is simple, it looks magical. You won’t get the same thrill from a yard full of fake snowmen and inflatable Santas during the Christmas season.
In fairness to those who are outraged by my feelings about Christmas decorations, I should disclose that I’m one of those people who loves all things spooky. Halloween is the time of year when I don’t feel the need to tone down my admiration for the spooky. My cloak was covered in fake cobwebs, skulls, potion bottles and weird books, which was considered completely normal. But the reality is, I don’t necessarily have to be attracted to the paranormal until October (you should check out the podcasts I subscribe to). I’m equally excited Wednesday and Beetlejuice April. But Halloween is my Super Bowl.
I still love and appreciate Christmas decorations, and I can respect that someone might prefer the warm fuzzy feelings of the winter holidays to the jump scares of Halloween. But that’s not me. I’d rather stroll around the neighborhood with a hot cider and check out the haunted front yard than drive around with a mint hot cocoa and see the best Christmas light displays. Give me pumpkins instead of pine trees, black cats instead of reindeer, fake tombstones instead of fancy wreaths. Halloween decorations are even better.
Ashley Ziegler is a freelance writer who lives outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, with her two young daughters and husband. She has written on a range of topics throughout her career, but particularly enjoys covering all things pregnancy, parenting, lifestyle, advocacy and maternal health.
