I promise I am not trying to generate controversy, but inquiring minds want to know: Do you love holidays ? Do you like to decorate? (I know the answer for some people who wander by here when I put my blather on the internet…)
Because I really don’t. I don’t know when this shift happened. Was it when I was working shifts at the hospital and was working most holidays? Was it after I moved out here and was living alone and didn’t need to do anything – like decorate – for others?
But I am not into holidays, any of them.
I know. I’m a horrible Grinch.
I don’t decorate. I don’t collect anything holiday-ish. I do have a very nice candle that my mom got me – one that smells of cinnamon and spice and is better than anything I have found elsewhere. I get that out after Thanksgiving. But the rest of my apartment stays as-is.
The more I think about it, this tendency seems to be due to my desire to fade into the background. I am a happy wallflower. I don’t like to speak up too much in meetings, unless something is going completely off the rails. And of course I lead my class discussions. But those are (exhausting) performances for me. So, I withdraw in my personal life. I haven’t placed a personal stamp on my apartment in the years I’ve lived here, in contrast to other people who make every space their own.
What about you? Do you decorate for holidays? Do you love the chance to celebrate a special day?
Anne, I think you do you, and if you are happy not decorating, etc., then that is perfect for you. Personally I do go all out for the holidays, I love them. I start November 1 and go all the way until January 1. I love celebrating everything: holidays, birthdays, Halloween, everything. But there’s no reason we all have to be the same!
So here’s the thing: I don’t decorate, but I LOVE when other people do. I love seeing your Tiny Secret Festive Season posts. I love that you are all-in on holidays and birthdays. It just does not work for me. But I definitely smile – and smile big – when I see the joy for the seasons and the celebrations that others have.
I enjoy the holidays and even though it’s usually just the two of us (Jon and me), I do decorate a bit and I really enjoy string lights and our small Christmas tree.
If this doesn’t bring you joy, I don’t see the need for you to decorate the apartment. If you only don’t do because of some weird misconception that you don’t deserve the happiness/joy/whathaveyou that comes from it , then I’d like you to think about what – if anything – about the holidays does insert a little joy in your every day (like the candle) and do that!
Generally, I am all about “YOU DO YOU” 🙂
San, as I said to Nicole, I do love it when others embrace the holidays. And, I enjoy things like the Secret SANta Swap (and I already signed up, go me!). I have thought about string lights, now that you mention them, because it can be so dark throughout the winter, and that might just bring me joy. The challenge for this vertically challenged human is getting them up without injury to myself or my blinds. 😉
And, good point about focusing on the things that I enjoy – not on what others like. Thanks, wise friend.
If left to my own devices – NO!!!! In the entire time that I was single I did nothing to decorate for the holidays and if we’re being honest, not much to celebrate the holidays.
Once the hubs came along holidays got more fun and now I associate them with family parties and I love seeing my stepsons’ reaction to Christmas. But I still don’t have the decorating gene. 99.9% of our holiday decorations are c/o the hubs. My contributions have been skeleton candles for Halloween and a paper pop-up turkey.
Oh. that is so interesting. I can imagine that having a family would shift one’s perspective – and since I never had kids, well, I didn’t get pulled in by their enthusiasm. I am also missing the decorating gene – I think this is why I have nothing on my walls. I know that it won’t look quite like I want it to, so I just avoid it. 🙂
I know from reading your posts that you have large and fun family gatherings, which is awesome. My mother is hosting ~40 for her last go at hosting Thanksgiving and I am beyond grateful that I can’t travel that week. (They are lovely people, but oh, there are a lot of them, and they are LOUD!)
I love the holidays and do decorate. We do a tree for Christmas and hang up our cards in a doorway, as well as some lights outside on our porch. We don’t go all out, though – there are no holiday towels, throw pillows, or candles around here. Even before I got married, I had a tiny tree that I decorated just for me. It’s not a performance, but I like the cozy ambience of the light in the darkest part of winter. I also love to give gifts, so Christmas is really my jam.
I have seen your pictures of your cards and think that’s a lovely, lovely idea. (What do you do with the glitter ones? Do they go up with the others, or do you sequester them?) And you’re right on the ambiance. If I were taller, I would think about putting up string lights and just leaving them up all winter. It gets so dark here.
The glitter ones go up! We will be finding glitter in our rug and in Hannah’s fur for months afterwards.
LOLOL. (Makes note: Do not visit NGS & Dr. BB during holiday season… potential glitter exposure.)
I definitely decorate the house, but I find it somewhat exhausting. I dislike haulting the bins out of the basement and finding a place for everything and finding a place to shove the non-Christmas related items that need to be moved to make room. That being said, I do like the holidays. I like the decorations once they are in place. But, I really dislike undoing all of it.
Christmas is a special time in our family and I do love celebrating it, There is so much to do and I buy all the gifts myself, so that makes this time of year exhausting. I do the cards and track down the addresses too. I do wish that there was a little less busy work at Christmas and a little more relaxing. I’d rather do something with the kids this year vs purchase clothes for them. I need to figure that out. We also buy for our 8 godchildren and that gets harder and harder since toys is no longer an option for most of them.
Oh, wow, Ernie. Wow. That is a lot, for sure. You are surrounded by kids, too – small and big – so I imagine that plays a role. Finding space is such a challenge, isn’t it? I am in decluttering mode – old books, old clothes, old things that just don’t work for me. It helps but it seems like something always kind of fills in the newly-opened spots, if that makes sense.
And holy cannoli – 8 godchildren on top of your kids? That’s… a lot of gifting. I love the idea of experiences/fun days with the kids, though – and I bet they would enjoy it, too. (Would you let them choose what to do?) I’ll be really interested in following you during the holidays – I think I started reading your blog in the spring/early summer, so missed that last year.
This is not controversial! It’s completely normal to not like holidays and nothing is wrong with people who feel either way!
I love the season but don’t want to do any work in my own space on it. LOL.
OK, I’m glad I am not the only one. I feel grinchy but then again… I also just don’t want it around. At least not if it’s taking up space (and potentially scattering glitter, the bane of my holiday card opening…). Here’s to enjoying others’ decorations. 😉
I’ve only recently discovered your blog as a result of NaBloPoMo. (I found you on Ernie’s blog!) I used to decorate a lot for the holidays, but after the pandemic, I started doing less. It wasn’t a conscious decision; I simply noticed that I didn’t enjoy a lot of what I was doing before. I began to notice what really meant a lot to me and began to only do that. Maybe you just haven’t found anything that really speaks to you in terms of decoration? To me, it’s pretty amazing that you have one candle that you prefer over all others. I’m sure your house smells wonderful when it’s lit. 🖤
Welcome! I’ll have to check out your blog, Kari! (I’m not technically doing NaBloPoMo but I seem to have fallen into this new, slightly odd habit of posting more days than not… a big change, for sure!)
And you make a fantastic point – I have a very traditional view of what “holiday decorations” are, thanks to my upbringing and my parents’ very traditional approaches to said decorations. I may just need to figure out what works for ME and go with that. (And yes, that candle is definitely My Favorite!)
I LOVE Christmas. I don’t go over the top in terms of decorating, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that holiday season and enjoy the music and decorations and food. Some of that stems from having kids, I suspect, but mostly it’s because Christmas was a big deal in our house growing up.
All the other holidays? I could basically skip them all (except Easter, which I appreciate for it’s faith-based significance and nothing else; I don’t decorate or buy gifts for basically any other holiday other than a few small items for Valentine’s Day and Easter).
So I’m a mix of both worlds.
I agree with Nicole, though. You do you!!
You DO love Christmas – and I love it when others embrace it wholeheartedly. I love when lights are up, and I can see trees through the windows, and I even love holiday music (mostly classical and/or piano, but it’s still holiday music!). Children, and seeing the holiday through their eyes, make a huge difference.
Totally, totally with you on the other holidays. I occasionally got flowers on Valentine’s day, or once, I think on Nurse’s day? And yes, they were lovely but then I had to deal with them. I know, completely ungrateful. 😉
I will absolutely be here to ooh and ahh over any pictures shared online of your Christmas or Nicole’s Tiny Secret Festive Season.
I mean, you know my answer for this one!
I don’t think you’re a Grinch, though. A Grinch would be someone who hates decorating AND other people’s decorations. You live vicariously through those of us who decorate! And I think it’s just fine to have a non-decorated space during Christmas.
I love seeing your decorations – please keep sharing pics of them! I may venture to do something this year – something simple, like putting up some string lights (if, um, I can get them high enough… challenges for those of us who are vertically challenged…).