When do you start decorating for Christmas? Is it an integral part of your celebrations - or something you don't really bother with?
When I was a child we usually put up the Christmas tree and decorations on the weekend before Christmas. To this day, doing it any earlier seems a bit premature to me. Rather like my position on life's little luxuries it seems to me that it's the infrequency of these things that makes them special. I believe that if I put my Christmas decorations up in November, by December they would have become 'part of the furniture' and I'd no longer really notice and appreciate them. I'd rather have them there for a short period during which they catch my eye with their novelty and I really enjoy them.
This year there seems to have been a general trend towards decorating even earlier than usual. It is totally understandable that in the darkest months of what has been a difficult and often traumatic year for people that they feel the need to bring light and cheerfulness in, as soon as possible. This year Christmas decorations are - even more so than usual - a necessary antidote to gloominess, a welcome reminder of good times and happy memories.
Over the last few years, my Christmas decorations have been at best sparse, due to a combination of little spare time to devote to them and the presence of young, hyperactive cats who would see a Christmas tree as an exciting climbing opportunity! This year I may finally be able to get a little more creative with Christmas decorating as the cats are old enough to (mostly) act sensibly around a Christmas tree. And of course in Wales as of this evening we are back in lockdown, so I have time on my hands. I'm planning to mostly decorate with evergreens from the garden, with just a few baubles and a minimal amount of sparkle. But I'm thinking there should be plenty of lights - fairy lights, lanterns, candles, votives. Like the rest of the world, this year I feel the need for an antidote to gloom.
Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 49
Deck the Halls...
If you haven't yet put up decorations, think about doing so now. They don't have to be 'Christmas' decorations - they could be decorations in celebration of midwinter, Yule, or whatever you feel like celebrating at this time!
The possibilities are many - home-made or shop-bought? Sparkly or natural? Lavish or minimalist? Themed to a colour scheme or a wild rainbow-mix? Sleek and sophisticated or an eclectic assortment that has been gathered over the years?
The important thing is that it is beautiful and meaningful to you. Celebrate the Winter with a joyful display that will brighten your home and make you happy.
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