Holiday Decorating. Why do we do it?

Julie928 · ‎04-08-2013

This may seem like a stupid question, but I have to ask as I'm sure we all have different reasons. Right now (and for the past week) I have been in full-blown autumn decorating mode. My biggest and most time-consuming project is our fairy mantel. The nine foot mantel in our den is transformed each season with miniature Cicely Barker fairies, a house in the center, and miscellaneous accessories. The garland in the background is draped with white Christmas lights and (currently) Bethlehem Lights fairy lights in amber ~ fast twinkle! It took me almost four days start to finish but wow, do I love the finished project. (Still working on the attaching photos issue ~ will post pics when I get this resolved). Then there's the bay window, the coffee tables (2 of them), the dining room table, and replacing summer wreaths and garlands with autumn ones. Whew! I do ask myself (and insert a few colorful words from time to time) why do I do all of this? I guess it's because, for me, I love to surround myself with what I find beautiful. When you walk into my home I instantly want you to know I love and respect nature, and sometimes in this crazy world I want to believe fairies really do exist. Then there's all of you. Even though we have never met I love conversing with each and every one of you. I love hearing what you've bought and seeing photos of how you use it. It's great fun, for me anyway. So tell me ~ why do YOU decorate?

CareBears · ‎08-30-2015

@Julie928 For me, I am my Mother's Daughter she decorated so beautifully for all the holidays' and in her honor I do the same, and at the end of the day when I look at the finished project, it makes me feel warm & fuzzy and this might sound strange but I feel more of a connection with my Mom, like she is looking down on me from heaven and letting me know she approves!

nana59 · ‎05-12-2012

I stopped decorating a few years ago....my arthritis makes it just too much work..the only thing I do when the seasons change is melt different tarts!

ValuSkr · ‎03-15-2014

I think it's nice to have a change of scenery once in while. So seasonal decor works.

LIG1 · ‎07-22-2011

@CareBears wrote:
@Julie928 For me, I am my Mother's Daughter she decorated so beautifully for all the holidays' and in her honor I do the same, and at the end of the day when I look at the finished project, it makes me feel warm & fzuzzy and this might sound strange but I feel more of a connection with my Mom, like she is looking down on me from heaven and letting me know she approves!

@CareBears~ Lovely ❤ ....your post touched my heart.

CareBears · ‎08-30-2015

@LIG1 When she first died I did not want to celebrate Christmas without her, and someone definitely yelled in my ear and told me to Stop IT, that Christmas is a time to show love and to come together, and YES to remember past holidays to carry on the traditions, and I listened, and followed the advice I so needed at the time. I set a flameless candle on the window in the kitchen (so Mom can see it from heaven) at midnight on Christmas EVE, and tell her Merry Christmas Mom, I love you and miss you, and I know she wakes up on Christmas morning to the sound of the most beautiful choir that is made up of angels, she being one of them

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

Wow, so earty. Autumin is over a month away but it must be beautiful. I think we decorate our homes and offices and even our desks for ourselves. The reasons a different for every person but it seems to be more of a women's thing. Our decorations are an expression of ourselves, we surround ourselves with the things that give us pleasure. I never did a lot of decorating, except for Christmas. But in the past few years (I'm 57), I've begun decorating my home for each season. Not nearly as elaborate as OP's decorations. But I do place seasonal accents, in a theme, in my livingroom and dining room. The theme this summer was "pink floral". That will be up until mid September and I'll do my fall decorating and that will be up until the day after Thanksgiving. Then Christmas!!!

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

@Julie928-

I loved reading your post. It reminded me of how I used to decorate when I had a house and children still in it.

Now, I do it because, like you, it makes me happy and it is so pretty to look at.

I usually go to my children's houses now but I still like to turn my place into a magical place.

And one of my daughters uses many of the decorations we used to use and I love seeing her enjoy them as much as we always did.

And really who said fairys don't exist?!

Image result for pictures of fairies

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

lOVETOSHOP · ‎10-26-2010

When we bought a larger house, I went crazy the first few years we lived here and needed a lot more seasonal decor.

Now that we've lived here almost 16 years (and I'm getting older, of course!) I'm finding myself asking "why do I do all of this seasonal decorating"? My kids have moved out and it's just me and my husband. Every year I say I'm going to do less and less decorating, as all of our stored decor is downstairs in a room off the basement and it's a lot of going up and down stairs. But then I always end up breaking down and doing it since I have it all and it seems like a waste not to use it.

I love it once it's all in place but I do wonder how much longer I'll keep it up!