Who celebrates Christmas but doesn't put up a tree?

[Tradd]

Many years I've tended to not put up a tree since I've got a small space and having my one end table taken over by a small tree is a pain. I've got a small 2' fake, but it's rather ugly and going buh-bye. One less thing to store. I almost pitched it the other day, but stopped before I did it. I'll be pitching it tonight. I have a nice poinsettia and all the cards I've received. They and a seasonal scented candle really are enough.

Why don't you have a tree if you celebrate Christmas?

[Miss Cellane]

Sometimes I have a tree and sometimes I don't. There have been years when getting a live tree to my house would be a huge hassle, because my car is really small and there's no good way to tie a tree to the roof. And usually, I'm spending Christmas Day at a relative's house, and there's always a tree there.

The on-again/off-again nature of my Christmas trees was beginning to bug me--I mean, why keep all the ornaments and stand and stuff if I wasn't going to have a tree every year? So last year I decided that I *was* going to have a tree every year. In order to do that, it would need to be artificial--no more worrying about how to get a real tree home. I love real trees and their scent, but I can live with this compromise.

So I bought a very nice (so it will last for years) pre-lit tree on sale. This year, it took me 15 minutes to haul it upstairs and set it up. I invited a friend over and we spent half an hour decorating it, and another few hours sitting and looking at it and eating Christmas cookies and drinking mulled cider. The lights are done much better than I ever could do; the tree really sparkles. So I'm calling this tree a success. And I only had to move one small end table in the living room in order to set it up.

[frugal-one]

This year I decided not to do any decorations except for something on the front door. Last year I wanted to do this but was roped into having people over during the holidays so I caved and put up a very small tree and decorations. I truly do not enjoy wasting my time decorating and do not even turn on the tree if it is up. It really means nothing to me. I have friends who put up multiple trees and expect me to ew and ah at their efforts. I am sure they are disappointed that I don't show any enthusiasm. I have to say that I never was thrilled with the tree even when we had a young child. My DH complained that it was always his job to put up the large tree. I told him I did everything else for Christmas he could at least do the tree.

[sweetana3]

We stopped putting up a tree when we moved for the third time and lost the space to store or easily set up a tree. Our big cat stands take up all that room. So I gave away the trees and boxed up the special ornaments. Never put one up again.

I dont do live or cut trees. Love them but the danger of a drying tree, the mess of water in the base, the disposal, let alone the environmental impact, would keep me from a tree. No place to plant a real living tree.

Next year I will have a quilt with a tree on it for the entry way wall. But it still needs to be sewn.

Every year we do less. Maybe if we had one relative to celebrate with, we might do some decorating.

[ctg492]

Me, no tree in years and years. I don't know really why, but some of the reasons that come to mind over the years: No one helps me, the cheap stuff made in China to waste money on, just the waste of money in general, the commercialism is not the reason for the season, storing and moving the stuff ( I move a lot), I am a grinch ;)

[Jemima]

I haven't had a tree in years for much the same reason as you, Tradd - too little space. Poinsettias are out as well, because they're poisonous to cats. My decorating consists mostly of taping up the cards I receive.

My neighbors have lights and lawn ornaments all over the place, so I suppose they think I'm odd. My only exterior decoration is a big red bow wired to the lampost. I did break down and buy two small wreaths, but I haven't put them up yet and may just stash them in the shed until next year.

What bothers me about all the glitz is that it misses the real meaning of Christmas. I'd like to find a modest nativity scene for the yard for next year. Or make one. Or something. Anything to remind people that Christmas isn't about red and green plastic crap and buying and buying and buying.

[goldensmom]

I know several families who put up a Nativity rather than a Christmas tree. They have nothing against a Christmas tree just prefer a Nativity. One family puts the baby Jesus in the manger after the kids go to sleep on Christmas Eve. When I was single and planned to be away for Christmas, I did not decorate because with working during the day and going to graduate school at night I just didn't spend that much time at home. I did put a strand of lights on a plant one year.

[IshbelRobertson]

I ALWAYS have a tree! Always a 'real' one an a locally grown, Scots Pine. A bit scrawny compared to those full, Nordic trees - but... I love the smell, I love the tradition!

[artist]

We have a tree but it's a small table top that we decorate very simply according to our faith. It's 2' artificial pre-lit. So no real work there. We tried no tree, but I felt like something was missing. I enjoy the glow of the lights at night as well. We don't exchange gifts so there is never presents under the tree decorate the tree with signs that remind us of the gifts that God gave us.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/63991_181254831891084_100000197051585_690082_66599 22_n.jpg

[iris lily]

artist, that is so nice, and pretty in a quiet way!

[iris lily]

Christmas decorations were one of my gazingus pins 20 years ago. Unfortunately we live a few blocks from the florist wholesale district and I spent entirely too much time there, buying crap. 75% of it is still stored upstair in the Christmas closet. Yes, one entire storage area for Xmas stuff.

True confessions, my excuse is that I had some idea that our house would be on Christmas Tour ( I live in a Victorian neighborhood where Christmas decorating is at the level of an Olympic sport) but that's been a fantasy since our house is no more ready for a house tour than is the neighbor's dog house. Let me have my fantasies!

So despite the fact that we've got at least 2 and I think 3, fake Christmas trees in storage (one is 11' tall) I don't put up any decorations. But I will not give up that fantasy of putting our house on the neighborhood's House TOur. It is a major event and it raises $25,000 annually.

[Sissy]

WE have used a small fiber optic tree for 2-3 years (after the the days of the big trees) and it went kaput this year, so I won't bother with one at all. This drives my grown kids grown kids crazy. "you need one, mom, for the grandbabies!" Um, no. We have absolutely NO room for a tree and that is just the way it is. I like it that way. Also, I always get depressed when it is time to take all the holiday stuff down, so I would rather keep the static quo.

But anyway, Merry Christmas!!!!!

[Float On]

I grew up on a Christmas Tree farm.
I love real trees!!
I use to do 4 trees and greenery with lights over every window, wreaths on every door, window, etc......
I'm down to one artificial tree (dad got out of the tree business 2 years ago - the hardest work on them is in the heat of the summer anyway) and one wreath.
I'd probably be happy sticking a few fresh cut greenery in a bowl with a few ornaments once the boys are grown and gone. I think I'd rather travel somewhere during christmas week anyway.

[KayLR]

We have a fake tree, fully decorated, but we place it on the front porch since we've moved to this smaller house. There simply is no room and the cat destroys it anyway. I like that we are sharing our tree with the neighbors---and the birds!

My DH is really into the decorating. Right after Thanksgiving he gets my grandson and they spend all day Sunday putting up the tree and lights. I'm glad for them they have this little tradition going.

For me, I'm kinda along the same line of thinking/feeling as a previous poster. I'm just getting less and less tolerant of the added clutter, the commercialism, and lack of focus on the reason. It's a real struggle for me. I get roped into exchanging gifts with people in my family I never even see because of pressure from my mother. I don't know how to get out of that. My siblings all play the game, and I know most of us wouldn't if it wasn't for her. She has such a fantasy of what "family" is and what we're all supposed to do and be to each other. It's messed up. This always has the same effect---a downward spiral for me the closer and closer we get to Christmas Day, until I just can't wait until it's over.

[catherine]

This is my first year ever not having a tree, and I have mixed feelings. We're spending a week up in VT with my kids, so DH said, so we don't have to get a tree, right? My first reaction was, "What do you mean, no tree??" He said, "Well, no one will be here to see it." And I said, "But I'll be here! I love sitting in the living room looking at the tree." (For proof of that, see my blog post from last year: http://silententry.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/a-christmas-treehugger-says-farewell-to-a-friend/

But, I've been really busy with work, and when I thought about it, I decided not to get one. I did decorate with other easy-to-put-up decorations, but that's it. Seems really weird, but it did save me a lot of work. I'm thinking of bringing my favorite ornaments up to VT so my kids could use the traditional ones if they want to.

[sweetana3]

Oh, I just came back from Hobby Lobby and almost bought a tree. In fact, I almost bought two, a green on and a black one for Halloween. Maybe I will go back tomorrow.

I would put up all my handmade ornaments and finally show them off for part of the year. At least these trees are tall and thin and dont take up much room.

[reader99]

In the early 90s I finally figured out that it was the real tree giving me the huge seasonal allergy attack every year, so after that it was artificial only. My late DH loved Christmas decorating and he bought a largish artificial tree. I no longer do any knd of tree. It means giving up some of the very little living space I have, and storing it the rest of the year, just feels too complicated. I scatter ornaments around on surfaces around the house.

[treehugger]

I scatter ornaments around on surfaces around the house.

I sometimes put up a tree, sometimes not. Depends on my mood (have been too stressed to feel like for the last 4 years, so I have skipped it).

Just wanted to post that a nice alternative to a tree, for the purposes of displaying ornaments that you enjoy seeing, is to hang up faux evergreen garland (inexpensive after Christmas, on sale; much easier to store and deal with than a fake tree) in a doorway or on a bannister or just along a wall. I do that for ornaments sometimes, even when I do have a tree up, and I think it looks very pretty.

Kara

[happy with less]

Like others, I have intermittently put up a tree, depending how I felt that year. I put a 2 ft artificial on a small round table top this year because I like the lights on it. They are all clear and they sparkle and give me a warm fuzzy feeling. My daughter has LED clear lights on her tree and they just don't glisten in the same way. My little tree folds up, slides into a 3 ft box and no problem to store. My condo does not permit live trees.

[RosieTR]

We gave away all our fake trees, then were asked to host Christmas one year. Doh! But that's the one and only time I've ever put a tree and it was borrowed. Too much bother and we're usually somewhere else or don't care.