Traditional decorating 

There are several reasons the Christmas season is highly regarded as one of the best: the songs, the snow, and being around family and friends. However, the most breathtaking part of the Christmas season is the decorations. Between bright lights and bold red and green, the maximalist, traditional decorations have me enamored for the entire season.

This year, “Ralph Lauren Christmas decorations,” more commonly known as traditional Christmas decorations, have been trending on social media, but my family has followed this trend for years.

In my house, Christmas decorations have always been put up as soon as possible. Red and green lights stay up on the house all year round, but other decorations go up quickly, with a traditional vibe curating the perfect cozy space to host holiday parties.

Basically, once the Halloween season is over, the bins filled to the brim with our Christmas decorations, both antiques passed down for generations and little trinkets from HomeGoods, start to be brought up from their storage in the basement. 

Hundreds of trees, glass, felt, and faux pine all go up around the house, covered in colorful lights, fake snow, and
tartan patterning. 

The decorations cover nearly every surface available — on top of cabinets, overflowing on shelves, and in the background on countertops.

The main focal point is our Christmas tree. Typically, a balsam or Fraser fir and standing 9 feet tall, the tree is covered in bright white lights that form the background for snowflakes in an array of colors, peppermint sticks, and icicle ornaments.

The rest of our ornaments are a collection our family has acquired over the years. From handmade trinkets dating back to 2004 to decorations that have been bought year after year as our family has grown, the tree is always filled with every color imaginable — layered with traditional colors. 

Around the house, random faux pine garland, vintage Santa pictures, and vintage bears sit in corners, while lights go up in every possible space. 

Although the traditional Christmas lifestyle chose me, I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Nothing beats watching old Christmas movies while the room is lit by colorful lights hanging around the room, surrounded by traditional red and green decorations that have been put up in familial houses for generations.

RELATED: Point/Counterpoint | Is November too early to watch Christmas movies?

Nontraditional decorating

The time to decorate for Christmas is here, and families have started coming together to put up trees and hang ornaments they’ve had for years.

When it comes to choosing garlands to put up, some families take a less traditional route. In the typical style, the tree is green and lights are white or simple colors. Though I had some Christmases like that as a child, whenever I have decorated with my family recently, it has been through a slightly different route.

In the past couple of years, my mom and I started decorating by thinking about what would bring us the most joy. Since Halloween had always been our favorite holiday, we began buying Christmas stuff on the more spooky side.

One year, we had a black Christmas tree adorned with silver ornaments and little fake spiders. It was fun and exciting to try something new, which are feelings I hope to carry with me for future holiday seasons.

Now, this is not to say I do not like the look of traditional Christmas decor, but I find it interesting how an atypical style of Christmas lights, trees, and ornaments can allow someone’s personality to shine. 

Though I had a black Christmas tree, my little sister never really enjoyed Halloween like me, so she was given a pink tree that matched her more. It was exciting to see how she decided which color of lights and type of ornaments she wanted to put on because it highlighted who she was.

Despite the clash of a pink and black tree in the same room, it was nice because my mom, sister, and I all got to show anyone we had over for Christmas activities the intriguing way we interpreted the holiday.

In the long run, though, it does not matter what accessories people choose for their holiday season. Whether they want to accessorize their home with a traditional tree and the typical string of colorful lights or find a different colored tree and lights to match, the real thing that matters is sparking holiday spirit within yourself and your home.