Putting Up Christmas Decorations at Home

8:55 AM

With the tasks of everyday  life getting more and more difficult to manage through time, some people would rather let the Christmas season pass without much fanfare. Even the simple act of putting up decorations at home cannot seem to fit in the tight schedule of activities. Why should we still aim to put up these Christmas decorations year in and year out when there seems to be so much work and expense involved in it?


For the Spirit

It is a fact that being in an environment that is festive and happy somehow influences our way of thinking and feeling. In a very big way, Christmas decorations placed in our home and the places we go to help us get into the feel of the season. Not having any Christmas symbol in our homes is like being in a state of denial.

It is not the grandiosity nor the number of decorations that is important. A single piece can signify oneness with humankind in celebrating the event. In countries where the western way of Christmas is observed, Christmas decorations are part and parcel of the Christmas spirit.

To Continue a Tradition

Many parents of today have their own unforgettable memories of childhood Christmases. These memories usually evolve around family traditions and established practices. For most families, there is the unwritten agreement of passing on these traditions and practices from one generation to the next. Putting out Christmas decorations from their storage boxes and placing them in their respective places is like a ritual filled with simple opportunities for bonding and togetherness.

Rituals such as this are what family memories are made of. In working together to decorate a home for Christmas, the sense of belonging is developed. It is not surprising at all when some adults would try to imitate their childhood homes in decorating because of the "feel good" effect it produces in people.

To Celebrate

For people who believe that Christmas is the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, putting up decorations comes with taking part in the celebration. Celebrations generally have physical preparations like decorating. The Church however always emphasize the spiritual side of the celebration as well, thus the focus on internal preparation.

Christmas is a celebration that is steeped with traditions and symbolism that may vary from place to place. It can be as unified as observed by a country or as unique as preferred by individuals and families. No celebration can ever be as physically complete without Christmas decorations. The festive atmosphere builds up the anticipation for the actual feast.

My Say

For the past several years, we have found ourselves putting up Christmas decorations at the last minute. There never seems to be enough time. This year, we resolved to go back to the way we used to do it - starting on the first day of the month of December, not earlier nor later.

My husband and I got to thinking that we just need to have the emotional lift that being spruced up for Christmas brings, even when times are not extraordinarily good. Besides, it also creates excitement in our young children, something which we think they are entitled to. We had our time, now it's their time. At the rate that we're going when we are doing general cleaning and decorating one area at a time with no outside help, I am hoping that we'll still have more than enough time to attend to other important concerns for Christmas.

That said, I think that we are responsible for our happiness and we can choose to be happy if we want to. We should not be holding out our breathe for the "best" time to be happy. The best time to start is now and not on any imagined future state of wealth and fulfillment. 

The Christmas decorations we put up this Christmas may not necessarily be the most expensive nor the most picture-perfect but perfect none the less in the place  we call our homes.

Image Source: flickr.com/soham_pablo

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