A woman trims a Christmas tree
(Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)The dreaded time for tossing or packing up the Christmas tree is here. I don’t know which is more of a task, putting up the tree or taking it down.
Setting it up and trimming is exciting because it signifies the beginning of the holiday season. Unpacking and decorating is work, but you get to enjoy it. Putting everything away seems to be easier, but it signifies the end of the holiday.
Now, it’s time to take on that depressing chore of having to de-Christmas in our homes. This includes tossing the Christmas tree or packing it up.
However, it could be less stressful to consider keeping your tree up for as long as possible. My cousin and one of my friends follow a new tradition of never taking down their trees. Of course, you don’t want to try this with a real tree. For obvious reasons, like fire and messiness, it must be an artificial tree.
Ways to Decorate Your Christmas Tree Throughout the Year
Over the course of the year, some people choose to decorate it and redecorate it with different ornaments for each holiday. The Christmas tree morphs into a Valentine tree, and then St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and so on. This helps to keep the house festive all the time. You can also decorate it for a family member’s birthday or anniversary celebration.
There is a good reason for keeping the spirit going much longer than traditionally expected. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, many people are following this trend, including home decorators. They are resisting the way things have always been done and choosing not to take down their trees.
They say there’s a positive emotional impact and a year-long feeling of joy. It also changes the look of the room, so you’re rotating the decor without having to constantly buy new furnishings.
Expert decorator Cynthia Chamble says, "There's always something to celebrate," and spends time and money keeping her tree looking festive through every holiday and season. It can include themes for summer or have historical figures to commemorate Black History Month.
Some people use it to remember and memorialize late family members around their birthday or the anniversary of their death. I’m not sure I’d be going that route, but I can’t judge someone who does something that makes them happy.
Honestly, we tried it last year, but it didn’t work for us. We truly wanted to keep it up, but because of our busy schedules, we didn’t get past Valentine’s Day. We’re going to give it a shot again this year and see if we can at least make it to St. Patty’s Day
