There. I said it. I don’t like holiday decorations. Bah Humbug! Not only that, I’ll take it a step further. I can’t stand holiday decorations. Would “hate” be too strong a word? I’m probably not going to make very many friends with this post today, but today’s post is about confessions, and this is a timely one.
(I took this photo last year, but it’s not a self-portrait. However, the resemblance is uncanny, no?)
I don’t like holiday decorations in my own house.
You can do what you want in yours.
Yes, your decorations look lovely.
Luckily, my husband doesn’t like decorations either, so for years, we lived in a decoration-less house, and it was awesome. For years, we’d say, “We have kitties! We can’t have all those decorations out!” or “We travel for the holidays, so what’s the point?”
Those were true statements, but they were all just excuses we had for not having a tree and for not being so “festive.” And, we loved every minute of it.
I have a box of ornaments from my childhood, and I’ve experienced the magical glow of a lighted tree…but I just don’t want to decorate. I hate getting everything out. I hate putting it all up. I hate taking it all down and putting it all away.
So, we didn’t.
Then we had a child and decided not to travel anymore for the holidays, inviting all our relatives here, so we had to pretend we actually like decorations.
I’m very good at pretending to like all this, so some people who read this will be shocked. I try to keep my feelings to myself, and my husband is the only one who gets to hear my grumbling and muttering when it’s time to drag out all the decorations. Lucky him.
I was tortured with surrounded by holiday decorations as a child. My mom would decorate every square inch of our house, starting the day after Thanksgiving and they would stay up until January. I’m not kidding.
My mother-in-law also takes great pride in her decorations and her tree.
Sometimes I feel like I’m all alone in my feelings. I like the way our house is decorated now. We’re rather minimalistic as it is, but it’s exactly the way we want it. I don’t want to change it, just because there’s one holiday or another right around the corner.
All this being said, if I have to decorate, I’ll admit that I do have a fondness for snowmen. People have given me various snowmen artifacts and paraphernalia, and they are cute and festive. I begrudgingly dig them out, dust them off and display them. I spend a month trying to keep them clean, straight, and unbroken. Then I dust them off, pack them up and try to fit them back into the space we have allotted for them in the storage closet with all the other decorations. And for what? Because decorations make people happy?
I guess decorations do make me happy…when they’re all packed away for another year.
So, what about you? What do you REALLY think about Holiday Decorations? And, while we’re at it, do you have any other True Holiday Confessions?
Author: JoAnn
Amber Johnson
But what about the children….errrr…CLAIRE? I can’t believe for one minute she’d let you get away with no decorations?!!!
I love Christmas decorations but I admittedly hate the time it takes to set them all out. This year, we’re going more minimalist with just a tree and a few decorations around the house. My hubby is in your camp: he says “Bah Humbug” to setting up lights. 🙂
Connie Weiss
I love decorations. So much that I bought Christmas Decorations for the kids’ bathroom yesterday and our *elves* put them up last night.
I just realized yesterday that I went 13 years without a Christmas Tree in my early adult life…and I thought that was so sad.
JoAnn
Amber, the GREAT thing about Claire’s birthday being on November 30th is that she is STILL on a Hello Kitty high and hasn’t even NOTICED that we haven’t done any holiday decorations yet! WOOO HOOO!
Knowing her, she’ll read my blog post today and want to put up the tree tonight. 😉
Ha.
JoAnn
Connie, I’m sure your decorations are lovely. 😉 I’m glad you’re doing it because it makes YOU happy. Now, imagine if it didn’t make you happy but you had to pretend it did?
Like I said in my comment above, we’ve lucked out so far and Claire hasn’t noticed our decoration-less house. My mother-in-law will, so we’ll either put them up before she gets here or maybe that will be a new tradition she can do WITH Claire! LOL!
Samantha
Decorating for the holidays is not for the faint. You should always do what makes you happy esp. when it comes to design for your home!
Ratna
Well I gotta say I love decorations AFTER Thanksgiving. You know what erks me.. people who get their christmas cards done too early (SLAM) But in all seriousness, to each his/her own. We do it for the kids and the kid in us. It’s fun but ah, the energy wasting. GO GREEN with your holiday lights, folks! and Happy… Whatever!
Pingback: Tweets that mention True Holiday Confessions: I Only Pretend to Like Holiday Decorations | Denver Mile High Mamas -- Topsy.com
JoAnn
Thanks, Samantha!
Now, now, Ratna…I purposely waited until December 1st to mail my Holiday Cards because I love the December 1st postmark. So there. :p
Lori Lavender Luz
RE decorations, we are peas in a pod.
RE Christmas letters, we are so not.
And it’s all OK!
SUSAN
HAHA I love your post. I just love Candace, and some good humor. What I love most about Christmas is watching “A Christmas Story,” or in other words a total mockery of Christmas tradition (including decorations). Why? Because Christmas is so ridiculous! As are most holidays, but when it comes down to it, it’s about being with family (form me anyway)and all the drama is somehow worth it.
Anyway I think you are a great writer and really enjoyed reading ur blog.
Susan