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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think decorating your home for different seasons is silly

221 replies

harrisaar · 26/09/2023 19:53

I LOVE autumn, and Christmas. So much. I understand decorating for Halloween maybe a couple of weeks before it if you’ve got kids and they’re excited to Trick or treat or they’re having parties etc. And Christmas decorations through December, fair enough

What I’ve been noticing is most homeware shops and supermarkets alike are full to the brim of autumn decor. Cushions, throws, pumpkin bedding, wall art, Halloween bath mats… the list goes on. If you were to kit your home out and make it autumnal, as pretty as it would look that’s a huge expense for items you won’t really want on display after October. Not great for the environment either. AIBU to think why??

OP posts:
TotalOverhaul · 02/10/2023 07:24

My idea of dressing the house seasonally (apart from at Christmas) is buying seasonal flowers or house plants and filling it with the smell of seasonal cooking. Yesterday, adult DC came home for dinner. We had a huge jug of sunflowers on the table, candles lit, pumpkin soup and they commented on how lovely and autumnal it all felt. I like a gesture towards the turning seasons but not to the extent of changing soft furnishings.

NonMiDispiace · 02/10/2023 07:25

I’ve never decorated at any other time than Christmas, and I strongly dislike Halloween mainly because of the obnoxious individuals trick and treating around here.
I also despair at the commercialisation of everything, the plastic tat and the lack of awareness of the origins of various seasonal festivals.
Each to their own, it doesn’t bother me at all what others choose to do 😊

daffodilandtulip · 02/10/2023 07:31

I love it. I've got a wreath and a "fireplace" for each season.
The single man next door has full on decorated his house for Halloween already ... lights everywhere, things hanging from his ceiling, candles, signs ...

Thepeopleversuswork · 02/10/2023 07:31

I think this is a lovely idea, I'm just astonished that anyone has either the time or the money!

Topofthetowntoo · 02/10/2023 07:33

It's a very US/American thing. I've lived there on and off for several years and many of my friends would have seasonal wreaths for the door, different seasonal scatter cushions and hand towels too.

I've noticed the seasonal wreath idea has become quite popular where we live though. My neighbour has just replaced her summer door wreath with an autumn one. Each to their own I guess!

SamW98 · 02/10/2023 07:39

Totally with you OP but then I’m an absolute grinch.

I don’t even have a Christmas tree since my DS left home.

LolaSmiles · 02/10/2023 07:40

I understand people having autumnal weight blankets that come out when summer ends, then are packed away in spring in favour of lighter weight throws.

Same for people who like their flower arrangements matching the seasons, or if they've got some nice seasonal decor they get out and looks pretty. It's not my cup of tea but I can appreciate it.

What I don't like is the low quality tat that's permanently available in the range and places that will break easily and is most likely to be destined for landfill so people can have a new set of tat next autumn.

MrsMiddleMother · 02/10/2023 09:37

Strong disagree! A duvet cover and bath mat can be fairly inexpensive ways to decorate a difficult room for the season. You wouldn't put a load of pumpkins in the bathroom so a bath mat and hand towel would be perfect. These are used every year.

I'd love to have lots of decorations for each season/holiday but unfortunately I do not have the storage space to do so.

Boymum2104 · 02/10/2023 09:54

I love to bring out my Autumn candles & blankets each year! Helps with SADs for me.

exteacher93 · 02/10/2023 11:27

I don't change my decor (aside from a Christmas tree) but as a resident goth this is the BEST time of year for me to pick up my all-year-round home decor which stays up all year!!

Vistada · 02/10/2023 11:29

Not great for the environment either.

Mind you don't get a nosebleed on that high horse!

user1497207191 · 02/10/2023 11:34

I love minimalism, so barely even decorate at Christmas - just a tree really and a "Russian Doll" christmas tree which we bought in StPetersburg because we bought it on a special holiday (never to be repeated, especially now), but that's about it really. Of course, we did more when DS was little, i.e. more Xmas decorations and a bit at halloween, but he soon lost interest when he was around 10, so we stopped bothering and he didn't even notice! Christmas, Halloween, etc are really just for young (primary age) children in my opinion!

I hate ornaments, cushions, throws, rugs, etc anyway, and only have the bare minimum I can get away with, so no way on Earth would I waste any money at all on "seasonal" crap like that and I just ignore all the "Christmas" aisles in shops.

user1497207191 · 02/10/2023 11:37

but I just find the fact that someone’s thought of a reason to ship even more cheap plastic from China so depressing.

Yep, I agree. So many virtue-signallers who are happy to buy a load of plastic crap from sweatshops in China, powered by coal, then shipped across the World on heavily polluting diesel powered container ships, and transported to the shops in polluting diesel lorries, but it's OK because they put it all in the recycling bin after it's been used once!

ribbonsofblue · 02/10/2023 12:11

I've done something for the season for years, but it's all handmade, natural (do people not still have nature tables/displays year round? We used to when I was a child so it's not new) and reusable.

I also change above (and as per my previous post) for winter, spring etc.

The stuff in the shops I suspect is connected to what people might put on social media? It's definitely new, I've only seen it the last couple of years, and it's all highly tacky. It's reduced to pence quite quickly so I'm not sure many buy it. It's different from Halloween decorations, specifically autumn.

Needmorelego · 02/10/2023 12:14

@user1497207191 why do you assume the decorations only get used once?

NonMiDispiace · 02/10/2023 12:36

Having wandered around Sainsburys this morning the aisle of Halloween tat was depressing ☹️
I presume in a month it will be flogged at greatly reduced prices.

Ffion21 · 02/10/2023 13:07

I don’t think peoples opinions matter. If people like doing this great, if they don’t that’s great too. What people do in their own home sis nobody else’s business. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

Personally I don’t do it as I think it’s tacky and is mostly tat. My view is irrelevant however.

I also bought a bunch of Pokémon cards for my son this weekend. I think they’re a waste of money and total tat but he thinks they’re the best thing in the world.

Life would be boring if we were all the same.

Needmorelego · 02/10/2023 13:10

@NonMiDispiace most shops actually don't have much left over to reduce. It's sells. It's popular.
I went in Home Bargains today and got quite excited by the Halloween and Christmas stuff that's out now.
I don't like a lot of the "horror" type Halloween stuff and obviously not everything is to my taste but it started to get me feeling at bit autumn-y (let's face it...the weather certainly isn't doing that).

Needmorelego · 02/10/2023 13:11

@Ffion21 yes I wonder why people care so much about what other people do?

Abcynthia · 02/10/2023 18:53

My living room is Halloween themed....all year round. I collect vintage style Halloween ornaments, I have a huge collection. Then all my decor is Halloween themed- orange and pumpkins galore. So the shops stocking all these things is great for me and my special interest :) I've collected for years and it was never easy to find things in the UK, but now it is so much easier. I never buy short term items, everything I buy is long term use. I do purchase mainly resin/ceramic from TK Maxx. But I also love cushions, blankets and rugs.
I've also noticed how massive the Halloween UK groups are on Facebook these days.
Of course this isn't to everyone's taste, but everyone gets a chance to choose how to decorate their homes. Each to their own and all that.

fearfuloffluff · 02/10/2023 19:12

Yanbu

There's something particularly depression inducing about buying cheap plastic tat with an autumnal harvest festival pumpkin type vibe when the seasons are fucked due to overconsumption

Likewise death related tat for Halloween

Nothing wrong with decorations per se, we've made paper skulls and paper bats and got chestnuts and pine cones in. But the plastic onslaught makes me feel bleaker than bleak

fearfuloffluff · 02/10/2023 19:15

Topofthetowntoo · 02/10/2023 07:33

It's a very US/American thing. I've lived there on and off for several years and many of my friends would have seasonal wreaths for the door, different seasonal scatter cushions and hand towels too.

I've noticed the seasonal wreath idea has become quite popular where we live though. My neighbour has just replaced her summer door wreath with an autumn one. Each to their own I guess!

Not each to their own, it's a pile of wank and it must be stopped

This should be the new culture war ;)

mondaytosunday · 02/10/2023 19:52

I can see changing a few cushions and adding a colourful throw in Autumn, and we do have flannel duvet covers for cooler temps that are in Autumnal and winter designs. But don't do more that that and don't know anyone who does.

Chipsahoy · 02/10/2023 21:02

I have been doing it for years. It’s common in the USA and my dh and children are American.
I decorate mid September for autumn. I add Halloween decs the week before Halloween. I replace those with thanksgiving decs in November and then those with Christmas decs in December. At Easter I decorate too. I adore it. Makes me happy.

sashh · 03/10/2023 02:29

Not everyone celebrates Christmas.

Diwali and Samain are both in October, Día de Muertos follows on and then it is bonfire night. Sukat has just passed.