Holiday decorating traditions.

[OhMissScarlett]

So, everyone is always bugging me because I am very particular about how I decorate my Christmas tree. I have to have all white lights, gold beads, red and gold ornaments and gold ribbon from top to bottom. What are your die-hard winter holiday decorating traditions?

 

[sr71plt]

Finding someone else to string the popcorn chains.

 

[Tricialen]

Clear lights...red ribbons ....gold and silver orniments ...and snowmen..snowmen everywhere...

 

[Miss_Misaki]

I'm a big fan of blue, so my trees always have as many blue and silver ornaments as they can hold. I stick to white/blue lights too.

I have a set of ornaments that I've had all of my life; every year, my mom would either buy me one, or she'd take me shopping and we'd pick one out together. I have one for every year of my life, and I put those on the tree every year too. It's a ridiculously variegated bunch, and it doesn't really match the rest of the tree decorations much at all, but for some reason, it makes me like the tree a lot more.

 

[fieryjen]

My sister and me used to alternate every year which one of us would get to pick the Christmas tree decorations. In the recent years we've both not been home regularly for Christmas, but this year we will be and we've already been fighting viciously about who gets to pick.

It's always two colors of ornaments, which a coordinated tip. We have ornaments in gold, silver, green, blue, red and purple and w get to pick from those. The tree doesn't go up until the 23rd or so though.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Multicolored lights on the tree. Used to use mini ones on the "inside" of the tree, and "big" lights (ya know, the huge ones that get incredibly hot?) on the "outside" of the tree. Along with "bubble lights." And tinsel. Lots of tinsel. Hung. One. Strand. At. A. Time.

I've given up my OCD ways since having kids. No more tinsel. Still like multicolored lights, but NO BLINKING ONES. Lots of kid-made and sentimental ornaments. No more big lights. Fire hazard.

 

[TE999]

I have a number of glass ornaments (made in pre-WW II Germany) that belonged my parents. They always are carefully hung.

I also have a lot of ornaments shaped like fire engines, trains, trucks, cars and planes. Many of them glass and rather old. They always go on the tree.

All white lights and strings of lights shaped like cardinals complete the decorations.

 

[DeeZire]

I have a plaster dalmation dog statue I picked up from a roadside vendor years ago. The dog is life-sized, in an alert sitting position. I bolt him to my roof, with white plywood reindeer antlers strapped to his head and a large red light on his nose. He is lit with floodlights from each side.

If I'm late putting my reindog up, the neighbors ask me if everything's okay. My reindog has become an important tradition on my street. I believe he is close to ten years old now. His paint is chipping. His eyes no longer shine. It's really kind of sad. Fortunately, from the street he looks just fine. I guess the neighbors are better off not knowing that my reindog's days are numbered. Come to think of it, so are mine.

My reindog has watched the lady across the street lose her husband to cancer and remarry years later. He has watched drunk assholes cruising by in cars lobbing full beer cans at my roof, perhaps trying to knock his antlers off? My reindog is very brave - stoic, even. I draw strength from his courage. He is my (plaster of paris) rock.

I'm pulling him out of the shed and planting him on my roof tomorrow. I know if he wasn't made of plaster, his tail would be wagging. I think this year, for his benefit, I'll also put food and water bowls up there. Maybe even give him a bone, or an expensive chew toy from Pets Mart. After all these years of his complete and utter loyalty, I think he deserves at least that much.

 

[matriarch]

In a past life, the tree was always decorated by my kids, on Christmas Eve, with anything and everything in the decoration box....cheap glass baubles, wooden minitaure toys, faux Victorian decorations, hand made felt ones (made by the boys, stars and christmas trees, with glitter stuck on them) multi coloured lights (it was all we could afford then, and they kind of stuck), plus white icicle lights (bought later), and as much tinsel as the tree could hold without faling over.

There would also be holly and ivy decorating all the mantles in the house, as well as clove-stuck tangerines tied with silver ribbon, hanging from mantles, as well as making up part of a table decoration for the christmas dinner table. I used to go to a christmas wreath workshop each year, held at the local botannical garden, and for a paultry sum, I would get a table to work at, as much greenery, berries, rbbons etc. that I could wish for, as well as the wreath base, floristry wire, a glass of wine and mince pies. The results were always a breath of fresh air, and the evening was a whole lot of fun. I may have to work on that this year. The wife has dextrous fingers devil: ), maybe I could persuade her to make one.

In my new life, the house is far too small for a large tree, so we have a very tiny, multi-coloured table top tree that Min brought with her from the states, plus a box full of miniature, wooden, traditional toy decorations.

The tradition I do carry on is to decorate the stairs and the tops of book cases (we have no fireplace, hence no mantle, so the book cases are the stand in), with sways of ivy, holly and ribbons, usually red and silver.

After that it's what ever we feel like throwing together.

 

[matriarch]

Pictures. We want pictures.

Everyone is describing their decorations, I think this thread would be very well augmented with some actual photographs of our decorations.

When I can get off my arse, I'll post a picture of how the tree used to look in the old house, and later today, when we get Min's mini tree out, a picture of that.

This could turn into a really fun, colourful, thread.

 

[Edward Teach]

I leave the candles in the windows year round because I'm too lazy to take them down--I just don't turn them on until after Thanksgiving. My son made an angel when he was in kindergarten about 40 years ago that still has to top the tree and eight year old Caroline has to have the largest stocking hung from the mantle just because she wants it that way. It's her world and she graciously let's the rest of us live in it.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

I have a plaster dalmation dog statue I picked up from a roadside vendor years ago. The dog is life-sized, in an alert sitting position. I bolt him to my roof, with white plywood reindeer antlers strapped to his head and a large red light on his nose. He is lit with floodlights from each side.

If I'm late putting my reindog up, the neighbors ask me if everything's okay. My reindog has become an important tradition on my street. I believe he is close to ten years old now. His paint is chipping. His eyes no longer shine. It's really kind of sad. Fortunately, from the street he looks just fine. I guess the neighbors are better off not knowing that my reindog's days are numbered. Come to think of it, so are mine.

My reindog has watched the lady across the street lose her husband to cancer and remarry years later. He has watched drunk assholes cruising by in cars lobbing full beer cans at my roof, perhaps trying to knock his antlers off? My reindog is very brave - stoic, even. I draw strength from his courage. He is my (plaster of paris) rock.

I'm pulling him out of the shed and planting him on my roof tomorrow. I know if he wasn't made of plaster, his tail would be wagging. I think this year, for his benefit, I'll also put food and water bowls up there. Maybe even give him a bone, or an expensive chew toy from Pets Mart. After all these years of his complete and utter loyalty, I think he deserves at least that much.

Awww. Reindog

I have a plaster collie that I'm very attached to. Now I think I have to put some antlers on her!

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Everyone is describing their decorations, I think this thread would be very well augmented with some actual photographs of our decorations.

When I can get off my arse, I'll post a picture of how the tree used to look in the old house, and later today, when we get Min's mini tree out, a picture of that.

This could turn into a really fun, colourful, thread.

Good idea. We're going to get the tree next weekend and I'll post some pics when I get done decorating.

 

[DesertPirate]

I despise the little twinkle lights. I use C-7s on the tree and C-9s outside. Real lights just look better.

 

[3113]

Good idea. We're going to get the tree next weekend and I'll post some pics when I get done decorating.

Better yet...an AH Holiday Open House Thread for such pics? I'll get right on it!

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Better yet...an AH Holiday Open House Thread for such pics? I'll get right on it!

Cool beans. I guess I should learn how to use my photobucket account.

 

[oggbashan]

My wife's birthday is mid-December.

We never put Christmas decorations up until the day AFTER her birthday.

In a side window we have a twenty-year old French Nativity Scene with Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus in the stable with the Ox and the Ass. The Three Wise Men are only two so they are assisted by a French Mayor complete with Tricolor cummerbund and followed by a French peasant woman carrying firewood. She leads the camel.

There is also another backlit ceramic nativity scene.

Both nativities used to be displayed in a side window of my bookshop. They are essential for the local children. They know they have to wait until after my wife's birthday but if I'm a day late they complain.

Elsewhere we have a large star in the front window, candle arches in two or three upstairs windows, a twinkling rope strung along the balcony, and other lights elsewhere.

I'm very busy the day after my wife's birthday. I usually have a hangover so some lights might need adjusting when I can see them properly.

Og

 

[jeninflorida]

its your tree, should be how you like it!

So, everyone is always bugging me because I am very particular about how I decorate my Christmas tree. I have to have all white lights, gold beads, red and gold ornaments and gold ribbon from top to bottom. What are your die-hard winter holiday decorating traditions?

 

[Weird Harold]

step one: open box and remove fiberoptic table-top tree.

Step two: place table-top fiber-optic tree on pedastal.

Step three, plug in DC power supply and connect to table-top fiber optic tree/

Step four:Turn on tree to check its single flashlight sized bulb and fiber optic branches for breakage.

done.

 

[oggbashan]

step one: open box and remove fiberoptic table-top tree.

Step two: place table-top fiber-optic tree on pedastal.

Step three, plug in DC power supply and connect to table-top fiber optic tree/

Step four:Turn on tree to check its single flashlight sized bulb and fiber optic branches for breakage.

done.

I have a taller table top tree...

Step five: Watch as tree droops to one side.

Step six: Catch tree as it falls out of socket.

Step seven: Replace tree in socket. Add BluTack.

Step eight: Repeat of steps five and six.

Step nine: Repeat step seven. Replace BluTack with Duct Tape.

Step ten: Watch cats chase twinkling lights until tree and stand crash to floor.

Step eleven: Repeat step nine. Add more Duct Tape.

Step twelve: Watch repeat of step ten. Repeat step eleven. Repeat step twelve for all days of Christmas.

Step thirteen: Dismantle tree. Replace in packaging and return to loft.

Step fourteen: Promise never to do it again.

Step fifteen: By next Christmas have forgetten step fourteen and start back at step one.

Og

 

[OhMissScarlett]

its your tree, should be how you like it!

Word. Hubby always wants to channel his inner Clark Griswald and someone must keep him in check.