Minimalist Christmas anyone?

Every room in my fairly small bungalow is decorated for Christmas. I have a tree in the living room and in the kitchen (small table top one). I change my art work to Christmas art. The dining table is decorated despite me not having Christmas dinner at my house, the boys' room has decorations up and my bedroom is festooned with twinkly lights. I have small Christmas trees of varying sorts on every room too, candles etc. This year I will buy a real tree in a pot for outside the front door. I don't do minimal at Christmas!

Very nice arrangement. But I bet there's a ton of Christmas stuff in another room!

Seriously though, I like lights, (lots), candles, religious ornaments etc. Anything but tinsel!

I’m not a fan of how Christmas is nowadays, all thrown at you from August onwards.

Used to love writing Christmas cards, but it’s just a chore now.

Not keen on putting the tree up, but DH and I usually spend the first Sunday in December decorating two artificial ones we have had for years, one in the sitting room, one in the conservatory, and am pleased to see them up and looking cheerful.

They come down soon after Boxing Day though.

Christmas dinner is no different to most Sundays, as we often just have a chicken or beef with family. I make a cake and puddings, but often not started until after the event. Everyone enjoys my chocolate log though.

Presents, well it’s mostly just hard cash as no idea what to buy anyone. Not that they need it anyhow.

Pleased when Boxing Day appears.

I do enjoy a Carol service and like to go to church on Christmas Day, which I attend regularly.

If I sound bah humbug, I know I do, but it’s how I feel about it all.

No minimalist here, l love Christmas. The lights, the decorations, candles and the trees. I put mine up the 1st December even though its just myself and the dog now. It really cheers me up on our walks to see how ours have decorated their homes.
I do think that Christmas can be enjoyed without spending huge amounts of money. People tend to get carried away unfortunately.

We have an old cottage and I love making it look festive. I decorate the traditional porch with a wreath, garlands, some real, some fake and lights.
Inside, the sitting room mantle has a fruit and leaves garland ( fake), also the real fire on, especially on Christmas Day. The bannisters have a woodland garland and lights. Other things are dotted about the house.
I love getting all the decorations out and remembering where they came from and Christmases past.

I am definitely bah humbug about Christmas. Don’t decorate now. Don’t do anything at al really .Give the grandchildren presents but not so much my adult children
Give to the Salvation Army because they really do help people who have nothing…🤷‍♀️

The full caboodle here, big real tree in l room, ceiling decs, two baby trees with lights in the kitchen, table will have the red cloth and runner, Christmas glasses, serviettes and crackers.
Mint imperials amongst the bowl of satsumas, tins of sweets and bowls of savouries.
The grandchildren inspect to make sure everything is done to their standards!

Oh Calendargirl I'm not a fan of Christmas these days either. It all seems to start too early which, in my view, loses much of the fun.
Our families are quite close so I'm hoping that I won't be the one doing the Christmas meal this year. I got in a right old tiz last year as I mean well but things don't seem to work out as they should. Fingers and toes crossed!

I’m going to get my tree out tomorrow because we are going away for a couple of weeks soon and won’t be back until just before Christmas. I don’t want to come home to no tree. 🌲 We are going to my daughter’s on Christmas Day - there are 26 of us but some will be going to their in-laws and we will see them on Boxing Day instead. It is often very warm here, different ways of celebrating which often involves swimming pools and a lot of seafood.

I hate xmas and always have, even as a child. And I know this is controversial, but I honestly think that the earlier people put up trees, decorate the house etc, the more it devalues the whole thing. I will put up our tree, but not until the last minute, and more because I know my children and GS would moan if I didn't.

I'm a bit of a bah humbug person too.

We don't have any small children in the family. I absolutely hate the way Christmas is shoved down our throats from the end of the summer.

My daughter and my son don't get on, I think Christmas Day is the only time they're in a room together. They start off with some sort of begrudging truce and forced bonhomie but it usually dwindles as the day goes on!

I did Christmas with all the shopping, cooking, decorating, card writing, wrapping and everything else it entails for too many years and I'm quite happy for it to pass by as just another day with a few extra treats and lots of wine!

Every year my son comes over and puts the Christmas tree up for me (I live alone) and he decorates it. He insists on doing it. Old decorations and old tree I have had for years since the children were tiny. We love it when he takes the decorations out of the box because they hold so many happy memories from when the children were small and their Grandad was here. I don't care what it might look like to others.

J52

We have an old cottage and I love making it look festive. I decorate the traditional porch with a wreath, garlands, some real, some fake and lights.
Inside, the sitting room mantle has a fruit and leaves garland ( fake), also the real fire on, especially on Christmas Day. The bannisters have a woodland garland and lights. Other things are dotted about the house.
I love getting all the decorations out and remembering where they came from and Christmases past.

This sounds absolutely delightful J52..

I'll be going away for Christmas so I'll see whether I get decorations or not..

Shinamae

I am definitely bah humbug about Christmas. Don’t decorate now. Don’t do anything at al really .Give the grandchildren presents but not so much my adult children
Give to the Salvation Army because they really do help people who have nothing…🤷‍♀️

Agree with that.

I don't see the point and it feels very odd that "Christmas" starts earlier and earlier each year it seems - ie I've even noticed Christmas decorations up already this year in someone's front garden. Once one gets to a certain age then you've got (well certainly should have) everything you need or want and you don't want any more "stuff". Add in people don't send nearly as many Christmas cards as they used to (think it's the postage costs?).

For children I guess it's still exciting - but, as everything gets more and more commercialised, it just seems more like firms are making up every excuse going to get more money out of us all for tat - so they "big it up" at every possible excuse.

I love Christmas, but truly believe it should start and end in December!

Yes, will be decorating xx

I’m a sentimental old fool leading up to Christmas. My grandchildren love to help me set up the tree and nativity crib. I have some homemade tree decorations from when their parents were children. They enjoy remembering from last year whose Mum or Dad made which decoration and now adding their own homemade efforts to the tree. I also have a set of little crib figures passed on from my Mum who displayed them every year for my children. Now my grandchildren love them.

I also have a paper crib from my own childhood in the 50s and I love the memories evoked by it. It takes pride of place amidst my Christmas decorations and I can remember aged 3 or 4 gazing into it. Yep, I’m a sentimental old fool 😆

I love Christmas, but it does not start for me at all until December the 1st.
I have two breakfasts arranged with friends, and a afternoon tea. I love my real tree, my candles, and the Dec's.
One year, my son was away, and my daughter was travelling, I spent Christmas on my own, loved it, sitting among the tree and the lights. Two of my friends were horrified I was on my own, and asked why I did not join them. I said that was lovely of them but I enjoyed that Christmas.
My partner and I have Christmas day together, pur choice I see my daughter and Grandson boxing day, and my son and Grsndson usually before Christmas. We have lovely food and plenty of drink, and best of all my partner cooks.

We have a traditional (real) tree in the living room when we’re celebrating Christmas here in the UK (some are spent in New Zealand.) There’s a small artificial tree on the piano in the dining room. We have some other decorations too, a gold plate with candles and pot pouring (Christmas themed) and a similar red plate with red candles etc. Outside my husband strings lights around the house and we have a small tree (real) with lights. It’s lovely and looks cosy. Oh and my nativity figures are displayed.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-951947-img-2250.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-577560-img-2248.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-39851-img-2247.jpeg

The house and garage with lights in a previous year.

No minimalism here, but I don’t go overboard either. Real tree in the sitting room, a smaller real one outside the front door, tree decorations all collected over decades. A greenery arrangement in a copper bowl in the hall - dh never notices it! - and cards blu-tacked to various vertical painted surfaces.

The only other decorations are two strings of Victorian-scrap- type robins, bought ages ago from Past Times, and a not-too-fake-looking green garland draped over the banisters.

This is the kind of decorations they have nearby at Christmas. Kids love driving round and looking at them.

Ha! a tree literally creaking under the weight of its baubles, very tastefully wrapped presents though, nothing like mine, as Shirley Conran was prone to say "life's too short to stuff a tomato" I feel the same about perfectly wrapped presents, but they do look nice.

Last year I bought a Silver Birch type Christmas tree with lights, from John Lewis thinking I'll get a proper one next year again, but it did the job nicely and having just broken my arm at the time, I didn't have to stand on anything to decorate it, I had a horrible vision of falling head first into the pines, suffering from a bit of post accident trauma I think, I was seeing hazards everywhere back then. Anyway, I'm going with it again this year. Having said that I do like Christmas lights, I think I was a moth in a previous life, so have various ones around the house, including a string I weave into a Christmas Sophie Allport garland over the living room mantle, and stars, I love stars!. The red tablecloth comes out in the dining room with the gold place mats and I bought some nice festive napkins also from Sophie Allport.

I like carols and all the features of how Christmas used to be, catholic nostalgia, it was very much a religious feast in our house when I was a child. I hate what it's become, just a big commercial spend fest and yes starts way too early back in the summer A miserable time for many people though and it's so "in yer face" here, I think the European ideal of Christmas is preferable, far more pared down. Talking of pared down, we will be sending far fewer Christmas cards this year, such a chore writing them too. I predict this tradition is going to die out completely soon, the younger generation don't really bother and what with the ever increasing cost of postage, and the eChristmas card, well it's doomed!

I will start to decorate the house on 30/11 - 1/12, lights outside and I have got a new wreath for the door.

Candle bridge on kitchen window sill, a single hanging star light in all other road facing windows.

Imitation trees in dining room, kitchen and children’s room/playroom. Candles on occasional tables, garlands on fire surround and bannister’s, I have a collection of China Christmas ornaments which are dotted around the house, two rather large wicker reindeer in downstairs hall, three large Scandi gnomes on half landing with led candles.

We have a real tree in the sitting room that will come in about 15/12.

Oh and Christmas bedding on all the beds, Christmas’s throws and cushions on the sofa.

As you can probably tell I love Christmas, it holds many beautiful memories of family gatherings and traditions which I continue.

We have 19 (maybe 19) here Boxing Day 🎄🎄🎄

pascal30

J52

We have an old cottage and I love making it look festive. I decorate the traditional porch with a wreath, garlands, some real, some fake and lights.
Inside, the sitting room mantle has a fruit and leaves garland ( fake), also the real fire on, especially on Christmas Day. The bannisters have a woodland garland and lights. Other things are dotted about the house.
I love getting all the decorations out and remembering where they came from and Christmases past.

This sounds absolutely delightful J52..

I'll be going away for Christmas so I'll see whether I get decorations or not..

Thank you. I didn’t always have a good Christmas as a child, so now I like to make my home festive.🎄