To be a bit Meh for putting Christmas Decs up

[Cakefolk]

I feel every year I pull my hair out trying to get the house looking lovely for Christmas alone but I’ve realised no one else gives a shit apart from the tree. Then husband swoops in at the end and takes a photo. I started and then thought I can’t be arsed and chucked them back in the box. I think I just needed to write that down as I feel like a Scrooge. The tree is currently stood naked and stupidly I feel sad for it!

Aw I decorated one year as a newbie in town and I was the only one who saw my tree. I still would put one up (and a wreath and decorate the mantle). I may take the most pleasure from looking at and I think I’m worth it!

I'm feeling the same, just lugged all the Christmas decorations out on my own. Kids too old to be bothered, DH would not decorate if I wasn't here. I've given up in a huff.
DH also does the swooping in at the end when I've bought all the presents and asks what have WE bought for x,y,z. Pisses me off no end.

To be honest I do my tree for me because I love the pretty lights and my ridiculous collection of decorations.
It's my "thing".
I think with Christmas you have to choose the parts that you enjoy the most and just focus on that.
If you don't want to decorate the tree.... them don't 🎄

Aww thats lovely. Yes I normally do the wreath on the door which I usually make, mantle and stairs and I love to see them. I think I’m cutting my nose off to spite my face. It just takes me ages to do the stairs, started but gave up and took the mantle decs down I had already done

Some years you just don’t feel it. Especially when children are too old to be that bothered.

I think that’s it I’m in a huff but I love all the lovely lights, I don’t think my husband would bother if I didn’t.

Do what gives you joy. Leave what doesn't.

I always feel meh when l drag them all out but once l get going and the place looks festive l love it. My dd would usually get excited when she arrives home for Christmas but this year year she is abroad with her dhs family so l have no one to admire it. Yet l am sitting here enjoying it. I do believe my two ds would miss it if l didn't do it but never get too excited about it..except for the food!!
I feel it breaks up the dark winter with the lights and gives you a lift and a change so do it for yourself.

Would you perhaps decorate the house less to make it easier on yourself?

I do a real tree - about 5’ - in the lounge and a tiny fake swag thing with a nice velvet ribbon on the front door. That’s it. Nothing else.

So try doing nothing, and see what happens.

This.

It should be posted on 90% of posts about Christmas problems.

You don't "Need" to do anything for Christmas. Do what you want and what you enjoy and you'll have a great festival.

This year for example, I've done less decorating than last year. We are away for quite a bit of December, and I'm busier than usual. No pressure on it though, if my family want more decorations they can do that, but I'm very happy with the bit I did, and enjoyed it. Forcing myself to do any more would have served no one and just turned something happy into something pressured and negative.

I used to go whole hog and decorate every year because my husband was like a big kid and absolutely loved when I decorated the house for christmas. We also would host a very large Christmas party for the family, I decorated early, around the beginning of december, and kept it up late, till about the middle of january. Hey you're going to go through that much trouble, we might as well look at it.

When my husband passed, it was close to Christmas and I honestly couldn't face decorating. So I didn't. I'm not even sure if I decorated the second year.
Gradually I found a place that worked for me, not lots of decorations, but just enough. Enough to have a smile as I put it out, thinking of all the good years, but not so much that it took up so much time and effort to put up and even worse take down.
I have a very small Christmas tree that I enjoy the lights on, and a few other Christmas touches, I enjoy putting wreaths on the door as well.
But yeah, the decorating of lights outside, stringing the lights up into every window, all the various decorations and seasonal tablecloths and little angels and little nativity scene and the big tree with all the decorations, no.

I enjoy a few touches of Christmas but am not one of those people that go the whole hog and get bedspreads, cutlery and tea towels and so on. If someone likes that, go for it, I say. My preference is a bit more subdued.

I’m the decorator here too. Dh would help, but he hates it, and his huffing and puffing spoils the vibe for me, so I’d rather do it by myself. The dc used to love helping when they were small, now they’re indifferent teens.

I don’t resent it, because that won’t change anything. I just simplify down to what suits me. Each year that passes I simplify a bit more. I used to make garlands and wreaths but now the fake ones do just fine. I bought lovely lights in Primark that stay on for 6hr and led candles that do the same. Each evening they turn themselves on and I don’t have to do anything but enjoy them.

It took me a few days this year to put stuff up, whereas other years I’d have had carols playing, a glass of mulled wine, scoffed most of the mince pies, and knocked it out in a few hours. But I’m glad it’s done now and the house is cosy.

I told my boys who are 19 and 12 that I would only get the tree out if they helped, otherwise it will stay in the box. Not only did they help, but they even put their little trees up in their rooms as well 😆

I hate the process of putting everything up. Getting everything down from the loft, untangling the lights etc is a real pita. I do love when it's all up and find it gives my mood a little boost on the dark rainy December days. I go for bright and retro decorations, lots of tinsel, those foil ceiling garlands and 80s style colourful lights. I think the nostalgia aspect helps; I would be less motivated to put up carefully colour co-ordinated insta style decorations.

As PPs have said, just do what suits you and if that's nothing this year, then that's perfectly acceptable. Also don't feel like you have to do everything in one day. I did my tree last Monday, wasn't enjoying it so stopped for the day, then did a bit more a few days later.

I'm starting to feel that way too op. Im determined that next year I will pare down the amount of decorating I do. I love the lights but dh keeps turning them off because they reflect on the TV screen! It's become hard work now rather than fun

Can you make them help you. Say, for example, after dinner we are going to all spend an hour together putting up decs. Maybe bribe with hot chocolate and task someone with putting on Christmas songs.

Same here 🎄