As the holidays of the later months start to roll around, it’s clear to see a growing trend among people. Looking around stores right now, you can see massive displays for all sorts of things. Stores are putting out Christmas decorations in September, and shelves are full of cheap holiday decorations. There is a rise in people buying unnecessary things to ‘get in the spirit,’ but is all of it really necessary?
The rise in holiday decorations started in the 1840s, when retailers started to see holidays as an opportunity to capitalize on. Some of the first items to hit the shelves were ornaments and Christmas lights.
Other holidays, such as Halloween, have also started to make a rise in the decoration department. In the early 1900s, Dennison Paper Company released a yearly guide with ideas for Halloween decorations. People started seeing Halloween as another holiday to decorate for, and by the 1950s, Halloween decorations switched to a more cute, kid-friendly theme than the spooky, scary imagery seen in the past.
The one main reason why so many people like filling their homes and lives with endless decorations is because of the holiday spirit and the festive feeling. For many, decorating feels nostalgic or has been passed down by tradition. Decorating can bring a feeling of hope and excitement, even bringing a sense of control. For some, nothing’s better than a 12-foot skeleton or an entire yard covered entirely with lights.
However, is all of this really necessary? Many of the decorations you can find are made of plastic, a lot of which has a high chance of spending its final days in a landfill somewhere, and even if it’s not, it will spend a lifetime shedding microplastics into the environment, damaging the already crippled climate.
Holiday decorations are also a waste of money. The cost of living is ever on the rise, and inflation and economic uncertainty are plaguing many people. Holiday decorations can be expensive, and even if they are not $100, there is always a better thing you can use your bank account for than a seasonal decoration.
One of the reasons people use decorations is the “holiday spirit” or to find a sense of community. People say that decorating helps get into the mood of the holiday and feel festive, but do you really need to fill your yard with fake cobwebs and skeletons, or inflatable animals holding ornaments? True festivity doesn’t need a bunch of decorations to make the holidays special. There are many other activities, such as spending time with friends and family, creating crafts and baked goods, or watching movies and listening to music.
You don’t need decorations to enjoy the holidays. Holiday decorations, while they may seem like a good idea, are a waste of time, money, and plastic. Although a few light decorations are not necessarily bad, it’s better to keep fewer decorations and use them for a long time. True festivity comes from within, and holidays should be focused on spending time with friends and family, or making handmade crafts instead of the Walmart Christmas aisle.
