For many Americans, the unwritten rule is to wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating for the December holidays. Once the last leftovers have been eaten, out come the Christmas trees, wreaths, menorahs, lights and various cheerful tchotchkes. But in 2020, people seem to be breaking with tradition and putting up their decorations early — and that could be a good thing, mental health experts say.

Scroll through social media and you’ll find friends, influencers and celebrities already sharing photos of their festive living room setups or lawn displays, the rules about when it’s “appropriate” to decorate be damned.

One Ohio woman, who for the first time ever put up decorations the day after Halloween, told Cleveland.com, “There has been so much doom and gloom and so much stress and misinformation and absolute torture in 2020 that I said, ‘My lights are going up, and they’re going on,’ because I need that. We all need that. I wanted to make myself happy and to maybe bring a bit of cheer and pretty lights to somebody else.”

It makes sense that more people are trying to get into the holiday spirit earlier this year, said New York City psychologist Melissa…