Christmas Decorating - Yes or No?

Yes we will put up the tree this year and plenty of candles spread around.
I bought an artificial slimline tree and am really pleased with it, we no longer get snagged as we walk past.
Marmight, bought ours online from Wayfair.

Understated but decorated. I won't be around Christmas Day, but will gave family visiting from the 22nd December and on Boxing Day. Decorated window, lights and a wreath along with Christmas cards will be enough and love the idea of small christmas trees.

Decorations if there are children to share your xmas otherwise for me its a floral display with candles from my local florist as a centre piece on my dining table and a couple of bunches of early Cornish daffodils on my oak dresser. I usually get a gift of a Poinsettia from my friend.

Oh yes. The energy I do have is too precious to use up on making the place untidy deliberately!! I'll be off to church and carolling so that'll be Christmassy. And I can see pretty lights just by going shopping.

Can't wait for it to be all over, if I'm honest. Loved it when the children were little although it was hard as I was on my own and money was tight. I remember one particular Christmas time when I thought I'd take a trip to a well known store on the train with said children and see if I could pick up some last minute goodies as the big day was looming. On arriving it looked like a plague of locusts had descended and the shelves had hardly anything left. In my despair I bought a bottle of sparkling wine and returned home, only to accidentally drop the bag carrying the bottle on the metal railway bridge and even that small pleasure was taken from me.

That experience aside, my children (now 43 & 46) still look back and see only the happy times we had when it was just the three of us against the world dancing around the kitchen and making the best of things. We will probably put a Christmas tree up as the grandchildren will be dropping in and I don't want to spoil their fun. Much too commercialised now with people feeling the pressure to match impossible expectations reflected in the media. Sorry to be so cynical.

We've no family nearby, apart from our grown up son. He will probably come for Christmas dinner. But even if he wasn't nearby I'd still put up some decorations and small tree. I love Christmas. Even if there are just the two of you, you can still make it special. I think a bit of festive decor lifts the spirits.

Yes! The tree will be going up either this or next weekend and net window lights and other lights and decorations in the dining room.
I love the tree lights being switched on as soon as it starts going dark and the lights twinkling in the windows.
Makes the house feel cheerful and cozy.
Hate taking them down to be fair.

Actually just thought- we have 3 newish cats this year ( got them in August)!
I rather doubt the trees will last long- they are VERY playful & they are all climbers. Oh-sod it- it will just add to the fun!

I love putting the trees up! I'm sure I would do it if I was alone too.
I don't do it early though - about 4-5 days before 25th but they stay up until 12th Night. I keep the indoor decorations 'tasteful'.
DH however festoons the front of the house with lights- probably too many TBH but he likes them & so do local children & our GC. I make a wreath for front door from things we have in the garden- luckily we have holly & a lot of evergreens.

Sorry about your husband passing last year madmum38, wishing you and your daughters a love filled time.
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We will put decorations up very close to Christmas and they will be down a few days after because the tree can only really go in front of the window and after a few days everyone is fed up with it!!

Its just me and the husband and yes we will decorate - only the living room though as usual. Decorations will be going up in the first few days of December and are whipped down on 2nd Jan. We have a 3ft fibre optic tree that sits on the windowsill - despite our living room being a fairly decent size there is no obvious place to put a large tree where it won't be in the way. I love Christmas, my husband and I buy each other lots of little presents to open on Christmas Day and enjoy our peace and quiet home alone.

For the first time in years, DH & I will be on our own for Christmas. We'll buy a small potted tree (to go outside afterwards) & I look forward to using the the decorations, which haven't seen the light of day for a while. Our food will be simple (a good quality "ready" Christmas meal, plus buffet food) and we'll simply hunker down. DH is in hog-heaven at the thought of all this, and is already planning our Christmas TV viewing - fortunately we have very similar taste. There will be a Christmas day Skype with family 5000 miles away - and perhaps I can start planning for seeing them next year...

Been having this kind of conversation with my daughters, with losing my husband last Boxing Day none of us know how we are going to be feeling,at the moment we are all reliving last year so what we decided was not to decorate but have something small for my husband and I always buy my lost babies a special decoration or bauble so will still do that

I am a widow but my home is festooned!! It makes the place look so cheery and welcoming.

We’ll be away at Christmas, but have a pop up tree, complete with lights and decorations, which will go up until the grandchildren have visited.

Bijou and Hm, me too.

I live in a Granny annexe and just put my “designer twig” up and a few fairy lights. DD who lives next door (adjoined) with her family, she does all the lavish decorations so I am lucky to get the best of both worlds.

I no longer bother with decorations etc. because I will be alone over Christmas. The family will all gather at my sons house the other side of the country and I will have FaceTime with them.
I am pleased when Christmasis over and things get back to normal.

On my own last year and put up the tree, this year nothing is going up, nothing would survive my 6 month old kitten's ministrations!!!!

I don't like Christmas, but looking back the year when I didn't put the cards up or dress a little tree was the time I was very low.

I never buy a tree, nowhere to put it anyway. I never put up decorations only hang cards. I cook Christmas dinner as my daughter will come here for that. If she didn't come I would be on my own.

Find this very interesting as a similar thread was on regarding this. When I put out the simple question 'does anyone not have a tree at all?' Not one positive response.

We have two Christmas trees (artificial), a one of those pre lit bare looking trees for the porch, and garlands. I will always put up my decorations, as my Dad did when he was on his own.

When we lived in Ireland we didn’t have anyone coming to to house and we would travel over to the UK for Christmas Day - I never bothered putting decs up

But after my dad died and he was on his own he still put up a tree every year

just abelectric candle decoration in the window, a very small ready decorated tree from Waitrose and a few other candles. A homemade wreath on the door and that is it. I love getting Christmas cards but hate having them al around the sitting room.