Decorating for Christmas early is good for you, but avoid carols

It may be unseasonably cold outside, but there is a way you can get a smile on your face — put up your Christmas decorations.

With both Halloween and Remembrance Day in our back mirror, you may have to put on a parka or dress in several layers of clothing to do it, but you’ll be happier if you put up a string of lights, hang some garland or blow up that inflatable of Santa in an outhouse.

And that’s not just me saying it — there’s actually a study to prove it.

The Journal of Environmental Psychology has published a study that says putting holiday decorations outside lets the neighbourhood know the people who live inside are “friendly and cohesive.”

And if you’re friendly and cohesive, you’ll be seen as more sociable, so you’ll end up seeing more people and that will make you happy.

According to Steve McKeown, a psychoanalyst and owner of The McKeown Clinic in England, the simple act of putting up decorations can make you happier because putting up decorations connects you with your inner kid and the kid you were when you were experiencing the holiday season.

“In a world of stress and anxiety, people like to associate to things that make them happy, and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of childhood,” McKeown told the British Internet media company 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.”

Meanwhile, doing everything Christmas early doesn’t always make you happy, it can make you ill.

While studies have shown that when retail stores play Christmas music it brings out our inner ho ho ho which leads to us opening up our wallets more for presents, listening to the music too early can be bad for your health.

Music psychologists — yes, there is such a job — say when you hear the music too early you start thinking about all the presents you may have to buy and all the other obligations you have, such as hosting a party or wrapping presents, and that leads to increased stress levels.

Here’s an idea: get a list, slowly do your holiday shopping and get happy putting out the Christmas decorations.

After all, blowing up an inflatable Christmas decoration is more uplifting than blowing through your savings.

— Kevin Rollason

Shelley Cook, Columnist

Santa Paws is coming to town

Santa Paws will be at the Free Press building Sunday at the Pet Pics fundraiser for the Winnipeg Humane Society. (Joe Bryksa / Winnipeg Free Press files)

My colleague Doug Speirs has mentioned me in his column in the past — usually in an embarrassing way — so here’s a chance for me to mention him.

It’s that time of year again when Doug puts on the red-velvet suit, slaps on a long white beard and takes the chance of having a dog or cat pee on his lap.

Doug is serving as Santa Paws for the 12th straight year on Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Pet Pics fundraiser for the Winnipeg Humane Society.

The pics are one for $15 and three for $30. The photos are being taken at the Winnipeg Free Press building, 1355 Mountain Ave., from noon to 4 p.m.

Volunteer at market

It’s the run up to the most festive time of the year and Christkindlmarkt, the oldest continuous German Christmas market in the country, is also coming up — and you can help.

Running from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 inside the Fort Garry Place Mall, it features arts and crafts along with traditional baking and German imports.

But you can help the organizers by volunteering to set up and take down the market, sell items or work in the kitchen preparing meals. Phone 204-989-8300 or email dkknational@gmail.com. READ MORE

Half century since Fab Four’s White album released

Tribune Media TNSThe Beatles White Album anniversary set features demos and alternative takes, and remixed and remastered versions of the original material. (Amazon.com)

If you lived through the 1960s — or were born sometime in the last 100 years — you likely have either listened to or were subjected to music by the Beatles.

For the last few years, people have been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the group’s appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, their first No. 1 single and the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, to name a few milestones.

Now, it is the 50th anniversary of the release of the White Album, which saw each of the individual Beatles making music that gave a glimpse of the direction they would be going in when they became solo artists just two years later. Here is a take at ranking each of the double album’s 30 songs. READ MORE

Blue Bombers win playoff game

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers eked out a win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and now there’s a chance they could be battling for the Grey Cup.

The Bombers won 23-18, and now face the Calgary Stampeders in the West final with the winner of the game playing in the Grey Cup.

It has been awhile since the Blue and Gold have come this far; infact, it was the team’s first post-season win in seven years and the first in three straight appearances in the West semifinal. READ MORE

Last Manitoban who died in First World War remembered

Pte. Robert McCrae was likely the last soldier from Manitoba to die during the First World War.

It may not be the most uplifting article we’ve included in Uplift, but it is one we all should consider reading, remembering and honouring.

Pte. Robert McCrae died while serving in the First World War. In fact, McCrae died just four hours before the war ended and was likely the last soldier from Manitoba to die while the war was still raging.

The war ended 100 years ago and a century later not much is known about McCrae, but this article uses information from Archives Manitoba, the Legislative Library and Library and Archive Canada along with his descendants and a local physician to give an idea about what happened to him during his life and service. READ MORE

CPKeepers present three baby cheetahs at the zoo in Muenster, Germany on Nov. 9. The triplets were born on Oct. 4 and started to explore their enclosure last week. The zoo in Muenster is well known for its successful cheetah breeding program: about 50 of the endangered animals were born in the zoo since the 1970s. (Martin Meissner / The Associated Press)