My Christmas Tree Is Still Up and It’s Staying Up
What’s wrong with a little year-round happiness?
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For the first time in 20 years we had an artificial tree for Christmas. And not one of the fancy ones that cost several hundred dollars and could pass for a real Noble Fir from not too far away, but the kind that you get for 50% off at Rite Aid a couple of weeks before Christmas. The kind that don’t sell out even when they’re half off.
I live in the land of fir trees. A land full of nearly every evergreen ever known. In the middle of a large city, freshly cut trees during the holidays run the gamut from affordable to outrageous, but drive about 45 minutes on a lovely little outing and you can cut your own for cheap. Real cheap.
So why the fake tree? Some of that is because I’m in the midst of evaluating what I think about the whole tradition, but mostly because I don’t want to take it down. Like, maybe ever.
Why should I?
Who makes the interior decorating rules, anyway? I could change up the decorations on the tree for the seasons. Christmas is over? Sure, but sure as rain in Seattle it’ll come around again. I’m saving time now, and future me will thank me for not having to untangle the lights. I’m thoughtful that way.
Reasons for leaving the Christmas tree up all year
1. It’s pretty
2. It makes us happy
3. It’s versatile — we could drape it in red, white and blue, and hang ghosts and bats on it
4. We have other kinds of plants and trees indoors, why not this?
5. It makes us happy
I didn’t repeat numbers 2 and 5 by accident.
Look, I love browsing Apartment Therapy and Architectural Digest and the home section of Anthropologie. I eagerly await the new Pantone color of the year, and gush over vintage chairs. A velvet pillow makes me swoon. But I don’t like being told what to do, so style dictates turn me off. I mean, who decides? Why do we have to listen to them?
There are a thousand ways to decorate a Christmas tree to look good in all sorts of spaces, from mid-century modern country farmhouse to maximalist jungle traditional boho chic. Or leave it as is.
If you feel judged based on your home decor, find a way to get over it, because our living spaces should make us happy regardless of what other people think. Full stop. So my tree is staying up.
Also, my tree is super cheap because the cats have already knocked it over three times, and if I get mad about it they might vomit under my bed again. I don’t have time for that.
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