Abbey's Road: A Yuletide tradition of decoration dilemmas
Ah, that sacred ritual of Christmas decorating.
In the olden days, my brother and I would gather around the old steamer trunk at the foot of my parents’ bed and wait in anticipation as Mom opened the latch. I can smell it even now — a little pine, some cinnamon, eucalyptus and a dusting of antiquity. We delighted in resurrecting the relics of bygone days: Those paper plate angels scribbled with crayon hieroglyphics; cinnamon cookie cutter ornaments (“Oh no, the gingerbread man lost a leg! Someone get the hot glue gun!”), the red and green window clings that I’m sure contained BPA.
One by one, Mom would hand us a treasure and give us directions about where to put it: The rocking horse music box on top of the bookcase, the German Christmas pyramid next to it, the little ceramic light-up village complete with cotton batting “snow” and a mirror for a pond, tucked into a safe nook under the secretary desk.
By the time we were finished, the house felt festive with all our little touches, and even if we didn’t yet have a Christmas tree (back in the day, people sometimes waited until — gasp! — mid-December) we could feel the spirit of the season descend upon our cozy little home.
Fast forward three decades. I now have a family and home of my own. It’s the first week of December and according to Facebook, most of my friends have already decked their halls and trimmed their trees.
So why do I feel like such a slacker?
Maybe my heart is two sizes too small. Maybe I’m intimidated by all the picture-perfect Instagram reels that remind me of my own humble decor stash. Maybe, underneath it all, is the subconscious reminder that anything I get out, I have to put away in a month, and is it really worth the hassle?
Whatever the reason, I’ve been dragging my feet en route to the Christmas decor scene, and I’ve decided to rationalize that lack of motivation by psychoanalyzing myself and others in order to get to the root of the problem.
Let’s begin by breaking down the types of Christmas decorators:
Extra: Puts 20 inflatable lawn ornaments in the front yard the day after Thanksgiving. Decorated Christmas tree the day after Halloween. Spent the whole year shopping for presents but most likely will buy more. House resembles Clark Griswold’s. Wears Santa hat to work. Owns one Christmas sweater for each day of the month.
Pinterest: Color coordinates mantle decor in all the latest shades per Better Homes & Gardens. White lights, curated ornament collection, handmade tree skirt from Etsy. Sends out Christmas cards featuring photogenic family members at least three weeks before Christmas. Owns a label maker for totes containing off-season decor.
A for Effort: Just get some stuff out and put it in places. Yup that’s good.
Kids: Window clings. Pine cone reindeer. Colored lights. Ornaments with gap-toothed school pictures and lots of glitter. Must find a new place for the play kitchen in order to make room for the Christmas tree.
Minimalist: Tree trimmed with a strand of white lights and some twine. Green wreath on front door. Brown kraft paper, white ribbon (organic).
...and last but not least...
Busy: Wait, it’s December?!?
You guys! I did it! Having nailed down my Christmas decor style (busy with a side of kids and a pinch of A for Effort), I can breathe a little easier knowing that I have more than three weeks until the big day, and if I can drag myself to the basement once each day to resurrect (insert prized decor item here), we’ll be festive by Christmas Eve.
Better yet, I can have my kids do it.
Which, I think, was my mom’s game all along.
Abbey Roy is a mom of three girls who make every day an adventure. She writes to maintain her sanity. You can probably reach her at amroy@nncogannett.com, but responses are structured around bedtimes and weekends.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Abbey's Road: A Yuletide tradition of decoration dilemmas
