Put up a few candles and call it a holiday !! make things easy on yourself although it seems you are resisting the idea. You might be starting a new tradition, and if you did your tree today, you would enjoy it only 9 days....

The Christmas season just seems "different' this year. A number of people I know say they are not doing cards, not baking cookies, not putting up a tree or outside decorations. Even the stores mid week seem empty and I was in one the other day that had no Christmas music!

In your case, maybe the girls are just overwhelmed themselves and have come to the age that they are understanding all the time and prep it takes to do all this. So, if you think they are truly serious about skipping it, then go with it. Perhaps take the time instead to do something different, like a Hanukkah tradition or going together to buy a toy for charity or something else that they can think of. You could even take some of those shiny ornaments and decorate the piano, maybe in a glass cylinder or inside a wreath. Add a LED flickering candle and you got yourself some holiday cheer!

Glad you mentioned your hubs being Jewish - I need to get my cards out for my DIL's family - she is Jewish and my son has now converted this last year. They still come over to our place for Christmas Eve and go to visit our family cousins on Christmas Day. My grandson tells others who ask if he has his tree up at home that " I am Jewish but I have a tree at Nana's".

Excellent suggestions above -- fill a wood bowl with pinecones (add a few bits of seasonal greenery if needed) Place in center of dining table ....

Add battery-powered candles around the place ....

Add a wreath (lighted or not) to the door .....

Done! :)

>fill a wood bowl with pinecones (add a few bits of seasonal greenery if needed) Place in center of dining table ....

or a silver or glass bowl filled with ornaments--much simpler than a tree and chance to appreciate them without all the putting up and taking down

Many years ago, I figured out that the tree was the least fun thing in my Christmas decorating. So I stopped putting up a tree. Your house can still look festive without a tree. A pretty mantel decoration is enough for me.

I agree! How mature of your daughters to realize that they don't need the experience of a tree twice.
So, go with it for this year and see how it feels for everyone.
Other decorations can certainly make your house festive.
We always do a tree and decorate outside with wreaths etc.
But, this year I only put a few things around. I am just not in the mood to go around collecting the decorations from all over the house. No one misses them.
We still sent cards, but we too are realizing that many people aren't. We have cut back on the list. If people aren't interested in keeping up with a card exchange, so be it.

Last year I didn't put up the tree - and it felt GOOD so am continuing the "tradition". Always decorate the mantel with my little collection of Old World St. Nicks and hang a swag decorated with some of my favorite things. This year I strung lights through the swag and am quite pleased with the look. Poinsettias on the hearth, some amaryllis bulbs (thank you Walmart for those foolproof amaryllis kits!) on a table that will be blooming in the not so distant future.

Like mboston, I notice, too, that things seem a little different this year. The usual holiday hoopla seems to be missing. The economy? People are exhausted? Tired of the same old same old being offered in stores and attempting new traditions?

I would like to stop sending cards; don't send more than a couple of dozen, but it takes me forever to get started.

How about doing the Charlie Brown Christmas tree? You can ask your local tree seller for a snippet of one, and they are all over the Internet, too.

Remember what Linus says to Charlie Brown in the annual TV special? "... Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men."
"...That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
(I cribbed that from Wiki...)

(I don't celebrate Christmas, but I do love this TV special every year and the messages it sends! And the music -- can't help but keep bopping your head to it!)

I put up 2 trees this year (a Norfolk pine and a LED tree).
It doesn't mean it is twice the Christmas, or the years I didn't have a tree were any less Christmas.
I think Pammyfay's quote from Linus is what it's all about :)

Skipping it this year will help you see if it's a tradition that you really need to keep. Maybe your family will miss it and want to return to it, or maybe you'll find you don't miss it and it's not worth the trouble.

I skip the tree and use a few other decorations. I didn't enjoy the process so I stopped doing it.

Even when I was single and traveled over the holidays to visit family, i still had my own artificial tree that I put up in my apartment or home.

I am also in education, and we got our tree Thanksgiving weekend, and it sat undecorated for a week until I had time to put up the decorations. We stay home, so we do enjoy the tree.

I think I would be sad with no tree. Maybe just get a small tree (real or artificial) and decorate it.

Back to grading!

We don't have one this year because the cat knocked the tree over last year. We put out other decorations and a couple glass bowls filled with tree ornaments. Seems to work for us right now.

Perhaps the girls might like to make a tree out of unconventional materials like books or lights strung on the wall. There are tons of ideas if you search.

That said, we never put up a tree because we spend the entire holiday with my parents and all the presents are under their tree. I do hang garland and wreaths and add decorative items to every room with lots of battery-operated candles for a warm glow.

Thanksgiving came late this year, as it will in 2015. Depending on the calendar, it can fall a full week earlier in certain years. I think that's why a lot of people just aren't into the holidays this time round. It's hard to swallow your last piece of pumpkin pie when Target and Macy's are already shoving Christmas down your throat. Plus, the weather in the Northeast hasn't exactly been a pleasant winter wonderland.

Reading this thread makes me feel better. We put up our decorations yesterday. I would've rather done an hour on the stair climber.

We are putting the tree up Christmas Eve, hopefully in our new house (if we get the CO) It has been just too much with the house build and we've never put it up before Dec 10 anyway - DD BD...
It's an skinny artificial with lights. So I might get a new ornament for each of us to put up and call it done. I am kind of looking forward to this as we wont be able to move in until Jan or Feb at the earliest. But we could spend the day with no electronics hooked up with just a simple meal and a few presents.
We also were "found" by two tommy kittens last Fourth of July week end. Tree at home in the tiny farmhouse with two kitties just won't be festive. More like CATastrophic.
Our situation aside it does seem that there is less enthusiasm for the holiday this year. Or maybe just all of the hoopla associated with the holiday. Guess we have to remember the real Reason for Christmas.

No tree for us. I did decorate the mantel, and dh put lights on the porch columns (mostly for the little grandkids pleasure). Wreath on the door, centerpiece on dining room table. It is enough for us. I always dread the taking down and putting away part.

We still don't have a tree either. But we never do until the last minute. The house is decorated, I've hosted our family Christmas dinner which we always have at the beginning of December, we've hosted 2 dinner parties with friends and all without a tree. I don't worry about it.

The tree will come when DH decides he wants to go and get it. If it doesn't arrive by Christmas Eve I will assume we aren't having one but that hasn't happened in 31 years of marriage.

We were married at the end of November in 1983 and then took a 2 week honeymoon and so arrived home about a week before Christmas. We had so much to do to get ready and almost didn't bother with a tree. But we decided Christmas Eve afternoon that our first Christmas as husband and wife we absolutely had to have a tree. We walked to the nearest tree lot and they had 3 trees left. We bought the sorriest looking one that was still there as we knew no one else would buy him. He was decorated to within an inch of his life and had, I believe, a happy Christmas home.

That sounds great! As others have said, there are many other ways to decorate and celebrate. And certainly the holidays generate plenty of stress so taking something off the plate is a good thing.

With kittens and my broken ankle, I'm thinking well just wrap lights around the ivy topiaries and top them with bows. I have other decorations to put around like wreaths and things, and that will be plenty.

We also don't decorate until later. When I was growing up, the time before Xmas was always more somber. We would decorate only a day or 2 before Xmas and enjoy it through into early Jan.

So yeah, no tree, sounds good.

I just decorated the outside of my house yesterday (fresh garland with white lights and red bows). We got our tree last Monday night but only because my MIL and SIL and her kids are visiting from out of town this weekend and I knew we wouldn't have time to get a tree this weekend. We never put ours up early so would've done it this weekend if not for the guests. Dh put the tree in the stand Monday night and it has been there ever since, undecorated. It takes me three hours just to get the lights on but I had no time this weekend. In little chunks of time the past few days, I've gotten my indoor decorations put out. I will get to the tree this week.

Like Marcolo said, there isn't as much time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. I really don't like "rushing" into Christmas and like to keep the two holidays completely separate. Since we keep our tree and decorations up through Epiphany, I normally wait until about the 2nd week of December to put up my indoor decorations as I eventually get tired of the visual clutter.

I personally wouldn't feel it was truly Christmas without a tree b/c it's a big part of our family tradition. My kids each have ornaments of their own and love putting them on the tree. If I had reason not to have a regular tree, I'd still get a mini one and just decorate with red and gold balls and lights. If we traveled for the holidays (we normally don't), I probably wouldn't bother with a big tree. It is a huge hassle, my dreaded "chore" but I do appreciate the end result and know it is a big part of my family tradition.

If your kids don't care and you don't either, then do what is comfortable for you.

We've decided against a tree a few times here and there, new puppy (3 times), recovering from surgery (twice), and this year, just feel like there's not enough time in my life. The holidays are supposed to be enjoyable, so do what you can, and let the rest go this year. Maybe next year you will not be so busy. Besides, you need to see how that piano is going to fit in.

Wow. I have to say that this was not the response I was expecting at all. I always read here about everyone putting up their trees in November and decorating the house from top to bottom (this is the home decor forum after all). I just thought people would be horrified and instruct me to run out this minute and buy a tree.

So weird that others are having similar experiences this year. I think we will decorate a bit but probably not a tree (or maybe a Charlie Brown tree).

The idea of making a tree out of books or something is intriguing. I really wish I had time to follow thru on that.

A few of my 15 year old DD's friends have come down with the flu, so we took an hour and drove around dropping off hot chocolate and donuts for them. That actually got us in the spirit and felt like a better use of our time and money than getting a tree.

Good luck with the grading gsciencechick! I just put my reports to bed. I shall sleep well tonight.

nahh you are not alone daisy. I havn't put up a tree for 3 years now. We just make sure everyone is comfortable and that we are together having a good time. We usually just make a little tree made out of recycled stuff and put it on the table and maybe some candles.

I really don't think having a tree and filling the house with decorations is that important. I prefer not to waste so much time taking them off after the season is over.

I haven't had a tree in years and I don't miss it especially all the work putting it up and taking it down. I decided it wasn't enjoyable so why do it. I put up other decorations and lights - about two hours worth. This year I got one of those spruce top pots and put it on the table in my screen porch. Added a short strand of lights from the old tree decor and voila!! I have a little Christmas tree. No muss, no fuss.

I'm not doing my traditional live tree this year either and I'm still a little stunned. I might pick one up today. All the other decorations are up, including my small (6' and narrow) artificial tree in the living room.

But I've always had a large live tree in the family room and perhaps that's part of the reason why I'm not comfortable with the lack of one. And of course this tree has the wild assortment of 'family' ornaments - from the Jewish star at the top that my eldest son made out of popsicle sticks and sparkle glue when he was 6 years old to honor a dear friend who is Jewish to the tiny antique teapot ornaments that were my Mother's favorites.

I think perhaps I'm in transition. It bothers me that I always have to ask someone to help me bring a tree home. Even if I have my local nursery deliver one I still need a helping hand to get it in the tree stand. Perhaps the solution is to buy another artificial tree for the family room. We'll see how it goes this year, after all it's not a permanent decision.

I think part of my reluctance to giving up the live tree is that it physically signals the changing nature of our holiday celebrations and also the change in our lives. The kids are all out of the house and have their own places. I'm somewhat stymied with gift giving - they have all the basics and while renting small apartments in the city that they consider temporary they have refrained from buying good furnishings that they may not be able to use in their next home. So that limits gift giving too.

We always give them money but I'm still hunting for a special gift for each of them that I know they'll appreciate. And I know that's contributing to my lack of 'Christmas' spirit.

This post was edited by maire_cate on Mon, Dec 15, 14 at 14:28

Of course, it's a lot less time for us to do a tree now than it used to be. I have one that I've wired all the ornaments, garlands and lights to. So when we do put it up, it's take the plastic bag off and then add the delicate and special ornaments, the star at the top, plug it in, and we're done.

This year and last, Thanksgiving was "late" so there's not as much time between it and Christmas as there usually is. When we have years like that I get the house decorated the week before Thanksgiving. We also leave our decorations up through Epiphany, as that's when we had the children's Christmas party for their church and school friends. These days we just do a cake and have one present from the Befana if any of them are still here on Epiphany.

We don't really "do" Thanksgiving. I don't care for the decor, dislike the whole Pilgrim ethos and am not into fall colors. We don't have a tv and don't watch football (I've actually never even seen a game, lol) so for our family Thanksgiving is just the start of Christmas. Obviously your situation is different and your girls will have their tree at their grandmother's house, but one caveat--- the year after we were on the tour of homes I decided not to put up a tree. Everyone SAID they were fine with it, until the 23rd...you would have thought I had unilaterally decided to cancel Christmas the world over. We literally threw up a small tree with decorations bought just for it (and donated the decorated tree to a thrift shop after Christmas). So just a word of caution about kids young and old, they may miss the tree more than they realize!

It is very possible they may miss the tree. But it's also possible they won't. I know all of you romantics adore the whole shebang and all the memories associated with every ornament but some of us just don't care about it.

I grew up in a house with a decorated tree, stockings hung with care, various food and activity traditions, the whole enchilada (except enchiladas, we weren't in New Mexico). And now as an adult responsible for my own decor, I just don't need a tree.

Signed,
E. Scrooge

Lol, Miss Scrooge, you are lucky to be able to dispense guilt free with one of the more onerous tasks of the season. I think there must be Druid in my background, though, because I am still fascinated by the tree and sit by it every night if only for a few moments.

My hands down, no contest favorite xmas decoration is my next door neighbor's outside tree. I love, love, love how he covers it in colorful lights. If it's not too cold, I stand out there admiring it for a few minutes every night. No ornaments, no fuss (on my part!), just joyous color zigzagging it's way through the branches. Funny, I was just thinking I don't even know what kind of tree it is, something that flowers in the spring, but I only ever notice it for 2-3 weeks in December.

We haven't put up a tree in years. A few years after we stopped I asked DS if he wanted a tree. He said yes so I said ok you'll have to help. He changed his mind.

So now we decorate on the outside but not indoors. Saves a lot of work and re-arranging, no putting up or taking down. We can see the outside lights from inside.

We always go to a relative's for Christmas dinner, and it makes their tree and decorations even more magical to me.

It sounds like you might be missing a tree. I guess I am one of the "romantics", but I love having trees and decorations. For me/us (yes my husband gets into it and helps!), it's fun! We usually host at least my family for Christmas and I can't imagine a Christmas celebration without the decorations. We have gone smaller on our trees and do 3. Two are large tabletop trees and the other is a smaller tree. We both enjoy turning out the lights, lighting the trees, the mantel and the window candles and just enjoying that each night. I hope I always feel that way, but who knows what the future will bring. Not saying you SHOULD decorate, everyone should do what is best for them. I just don't want to end up like my scroogy MIL who told my son she's not decorating - "no one sees it". "WE" see (and enjoy!) it!!

Well, now that the piano issue is mostly settled, we have decided we will get a small tree. Tomorrow is our night off with no lessons or activities, so we'll likely see what we can find that's not too big.

I do remember travelling to another country in my 20s and at Christmas, there were no decorations or anything until maybe 2 or 3 days before the 25th. Then suddenly stores, homes and everything were lit and decorated. It really made it seem much more special. Ever since, I've made it a point not to rush the season.

We had to go all-fake because my house gets drier than an AA wedding. One year we had fresh garlands and a live tree because family was coming. The garlands had to be replaced because they shriveled up and died. My house looked like the set of Fangtasia on True Blood. The tree kept dropping needles and I spent the whole holiday expecting to be incinerated in my sleep. So now I try to get all festive and nostalgic gazing at a six-foot pillar of extruded petroleum byproducts. Somehow it's not the same.

I think you should buy an artificial tree, they are all on sale now, and then for years, it will be easy. And so easy to put out each year and enjoy.
I like to think of Christmas as not one day or evening, but a season and I find enjoyment in all of it. So, while you have the real tree experience coming, it doesn't mean you should wait until then for trees.
I have one large tree and 4, 4' trees and can put up another big tree if I feel up to it. To me, Christmas decorating is essentially wreaths and trees. The small ones take ten minutes to get out and plug in. I keep them simply decorated but attractive.

Hey, I love my pillar of extruded petroleum byproducts o

Places that sell real trees will often give you the trimmings free, those extra branches cut off from the bottom, if you ask. Or they don't charge much. It is nice to have the fresh tree smell brought in right before family gatherings. I put big tubs of them out and decorate the table with fresh greenery. The real tree smell doesn't last long anyway.

I love Christmas and I was so excited the week before Thanksgiving to get the tree up and decorated. My first DMIL is not well and we had our hands full getting her to our home for Thanksgiving Day. My oldest DD suggested that we do Christmas at her house because she is 5 minutes from the nursing home where YiaYia resides and her home is easier to get YiaYia into. That just took the wind out of my sails.

Having my DMIL with us is more important than celebrating Christmas at my house but it just won't be the same. My youngest DD is already mourning not having Mom cook the meal. I will make cookies, brownies (DGS's request) and some side dishes but DD will do the rest. My yearning for a beautiful tree flew right out the window since Christmas won't be at home.

We bought a new tree a few years ago and it is getting too heavy for DH to lug up and down the stairs so I am thinking that next year I will be buying a 4 1/2' tree because it will be easier to handle.

"drier than an AA wedding" LOL