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This Christmas is going to be just DH and I.
I don't feel like putting a tree up.
It is a lot of work for one person.
No fun without the DD and DGS.
Am I a Scrooge?

I think you should do what makes you happy and not worry about what tradition dictates. There are no Christmas police that say you have to have a tree. Think about what Christmas means to you and celebrate that. This year I have let go of the big tree. I got a small table top tree that is quick and easy for me to set up. Still get a little bit of the bling but without all of the work.

I don't have my tree up either. But I did get out my Christmas quilts, mugrugs, and wallhangings. My son, grandson, and granddaughter are all deployed and won't be home so it's not my usual holiday either. I will get out my trees because my DIL asked to come visit with the other grandson. She wants a "normal" holiday and she deserves it.

Perhaps you should get a small tree and it'll make you feel less like Scrooge. Then next year the regular tree will be more of a celebration.

The first year my kids were on the other side of the world I chose to get make another family happy. It was fun to chose toys and food to help someone who really needed help. Got me out of my funk.

I'm not decorting this year. My DIL always does a great job at her house so we'll enjoy what she does. I'm not a scrooge but I just have too much stuff going on, will put my efforts towards a few families that have next to nothing. Like some military families that are really struggling.

NO! You are not a Scrooge!

I haven't put up a tree in close to 20 years. I don't have kids, work 3-11 shift 5-6 days/week & don't entertain, so why take one of my rare days off to find & decorate a tree that no one will see? Then 3 weeks later, take another of my rare days off to un-decorate it? No Thanks!

I do hang a few Christmas mini quilts, put a wreath on the door, listen to some Christmas music from time to time, and thoroughly enjoy others decorating efforts...but that's what works for me.

Do what works for you & DH. Just like there are no quilt police, there are no Christmas police either

No, you are not a Scrooge. You are not keeping or taking anything from anyone. If it is more stress for you then it isn't worth it. Do the things that you enjoy, remember why we even have a Christmas and do what you can to add to others to make life better for you both.

Nahhh, not at all.

It's been a lotta years since I've 'decorated' for Christmas. I do give a touch of the season to my house with afghans, table toppers, kitchen towels and potholders, some simple knicknacks, my Charlie Brown Xmas tree and, of course, Christmas music. Easy up, and easy put away. It all fits into one large plastic tub.

If the grands and great grands were nearby it would probably be different but they're not.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: paus4quilts,

I don't decorate much because of the cats. I can only have things in places where they absolutely can't reach. Come January, when every one else is dealing with droopy trees & dropping needles & ornament boxes all over the place, my house looks normal again in 5 minutes. I really don't want to spend Christmas getting tinsel removed from my cats!

As I told my elderly neighbor the other day when she was debating having a tree, Christmas will come whether or not you've decorated. It's more than trimmings & trappings.

Only if you choose to believe you are...I shocked one of my clients yesterday. They make hand blown glass ornaments and as I was leaving their shop she wanted to give me some of their precious beautiful expensive ornaments...I said "No Thanks I don't even put a tree up so they would be wasted on me..make someone else happy.She could not believe it and said so,she is so used to people asking for freebies... ....They would be wasted on me... it is shameful how much Christmas I have downstairs that never makes it up. I love Christmas...just don't like the work..I'd rather quilt,don't know when I learned to just enjoy the best of the season but it sure works for me. Now...that said you should see how many Christmas cookies I bought yesterday at my favorite Cookie Sale at this little small church...oh my that is Christmas....

All we put up is an ornament tree holder with my collection of hand painted ornaments from Pier 1. Actually we keep it up year round, because we can always use 12 angels watching over us.

Some years we put up a tree and other years we don't. Depends on our mood and whether we want to do the work. You know, up into the attic and haul everything down - put the tree up and then haul the boxes back up to the attic. Do the same thing a few weeks later.

I think this year we may just put the nativity scene out. I've already got a beautiful poinsettia and I'll spruce up a grapevine tree that I have on a side table. Ought to be just fine.

So, do whatever works for you and DH.

No, you are not a Scrooge...just do what ever is best for you. Christmas is about the "feeling" in your heart and your faith and nothing about the lights, decorations, cookies, gifts and lights. Maybe it is timely to start a "new" tradition and I'll send my wishes for a very Merry Christmas.

Nope. Sometimes I decorate a little. Sometimes I decorate a lot (for me anyway). This year will be a little.

As mentioned above...the spirit of Christmas has nothing to do with the lights and external trappings.

I have Santas up all year long (he has to work somewhere), It used to be super easy to dacorqte every year becasue all I would have to do would be to decorate the tree (which I LOVE). But now I can't put up a tree because of the cats. Come to think of it, I don't think I'd better put out the creche, either, because Biscut ight drop Baby J e sus in the toliet!!!!

Mkes me think of this picture I got off the net years ago...

No, you are not a Scrooge. You are thinking of your own needs, and that so seldom happens any more, so do what makes you happy.

I love to decorate and bake. That's what I do. We don't buy gifts for anyone (this is a rare year; I'm actually making quilts for 3 people). We have each other. Last year we watched all of the Thin Man movies in our jammies all day. I got up to check on the dinner every once in a while, and then we ate when we were hungry. I spent the day in my recliner with some applique, some moves I love, and my sweetie. It was perfect (for us).

So, do what makes you happy. After all, it's supposed to be a "merry" holiday. It's not merry if you're stressed out.

No scrooge, just joining the childless at home Christmas group. Have a couple of little pre decorated trees that I use. The one in the kitchen is about 18 inches tall that I got after christmas at a thrift store for probably $1 or so. have a 3 foot tree that I take to my office at work and then bring it home and that is our tree normally... Chris

looking for something else, I came across the tree! The bow on the top matches the ribbon on my wrapped door at work. Changes every year. this year it is blue.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cksvett,

Interesting how many of us have come to the same conclusions.
Several yrs. ago, I got a 6 ft. fiber optic tree at a yard sale for $1 on a 90 degree day. Takes us 5 minutes to set it up. Since it looks undecorated in the daylight, I stick some fake but pretty poinsettia supposed-to-be napkins rings in it's branches and clip a larger one on the top. I thinks it's pretty and I'll probably never put up my other tree, again.

Other decorations besides the nativity set are more winter than specifically Christmas so once they're put up, they stay until sometime in Feb. And...I've been paring down the amount of things I set around the past several yrs.

So, for what it's worth, make yourself happy and your DH will be happy. Isn't that the old saying?

Indy Anny

I don't decorate at all. We usually have our family celebration on Christmas Eve at DS and DILs. Most years we leave Christmas Day to head south to FL.

Thanks Ladies! I feel a lot better.
Merry Christmas to all of you Lovely Ladies.

Heaven's NO!! Decorations change every year.

I agree most heartedly with all of the above
feelings. Living here in a Supportive Living environement it does my heart good to decorate in a small way, Thanks to my DD keeping most of my "things", brings them over 30 miles every holiday. For a couple of years after my DH passed I tried to keep the spirit up, but with no one around to enjoy it all I thought I would give up. However this year I decided to have a tree,only 4 ft. but with lights already on it,
White (artificial). Now people see it and rave how pretty. What a pleasure to hear "Now that puts me in the spirit". So it's worth it.
But NO! you are not a scrooge. You are doing what you and your family like, Enjoying the Season for what it is. That's the spirit!!!
Have a very Merry Christmas.
nuquiltr

Last year I pared down the amount of decorations I put out. Then after the holidays, I dragged the boxes out into the middle of the basement floor and promised myself I'd go through them and get rid of a lot of it. The boxes are still there. I just got home from a protracted family visit and I just don't feel like decorating much. I do love my tree but it's a lot of work. I think if I get the tree up and some lights on my bay windowsill, I'll be satisfied. Then on to cookie baking.

I've been dreading the holidays this year but I know that if I don't make an effort, I will end up feeling deprived/depressed. That's what happened the first holiday after my marriage broke up. So tree it is! I do intend to donate most of the decorations that I don't use as I am going to downsize this next year. I also intend to volunteer over the holidays.
Everyone has to celebrate their own way. You are not a Scrooge!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Quiltinana2,

Interesting to read all of this. Decorating our homes does change as time goes by. Everybody has their own way.

Found this picture of part of a nativity...as you can tell, everybody has a different take on how they want to decorate! LOL!

There will be no X-Mas tree or festivities. A year ago, my son became very ill with a bone infection. He had been fighting this disease for over a year. His girlfriend, along with her three children were in our lives for 7 years. Their relationship did no survive the illness. She left and took her children with her. For the last 7 years, the kids put up the tree, decorated it, and we made cookies on Thanksgiving weekend. We were grandparents for 7 years and loved it. This too will pass.

I've made donations to organizations that needed money, Salvation Army, etc. We've always donated to those less fortunate, but this year, my heart is not in the giving.

Like everything else, time makes the hurt, hurt less.

hugs