Beech Tree News Network

Many have decorated or will soon decorate their homes for Christmas. An Australian research company, IBISWorld, reported that “the retail market for seasonal decorations has sparkled over the past five years” (http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/the-retail-market-for-seasonal-decorat...). Though decorating for the holidays may involve some expense, it also involves hard work, safety measures, and personal choices.

Decorating for the holidays certainly involves work. I usually put up a wreath, a tree and place some other decorations around the house. Many do much more decorating than I do, such as putting up outdoor lights and setting out yard decorations. For me, the hardest part of my decorating is getting out the tubs and sifting through the contents to choose the decorations I want to use. This task requires a couple of hours and several trips up and down a ladder (Every year I tell myself that I will make room for those tubs on the garage shelves instead of in the upper garage storage area.). Though decorating involves some work, it also provides a cheerful environment during the holiday season – a fair trade.

The Consumer Reports website had an article entitled “12 Tips for Safer Holiday Home Decorating.” Author Paul Eng explained: “The year-end holidays can be a time for beautiful home decorations, but the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CDSC) warns of an increasing number of injuries from consumers stringing up festive lights and other holiday decorating activities” (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/12/12-tips-for-safer-holida...). These dangers can result in property damage as well as personal injury or death. The article listed twelve safety tips for holiday decorating. Some of those tips included keeping trees away from sources of heat, taking care of candles when in use, and safely using lighting and extension cords. The complete list may be accessed at: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/12/12-tips-for-safer-holida.... Safety measures are certainly worth the required time and effort.

Holiday decorating also requires making choices. While the Internet provides many sites offering advice for holiday decorating, Billy Baldwin (a New York interior decorator, 1903-1983) once said, “Be faithful to your own taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style” (http://budgetdecorating.about.com/od/budgetdecorating101/a/Inspiring-Quo...). Baldwin made a good point. The holiday decorations I choose year after year are the ones I like; those that stay in the Christmas-decoration tub are the ones that are eventually discarded or find a new home. Additionally, we may purchase new items for a different look or to compliment what we have. Having some choice is entertaining.

So, decorating for the holidays involves a bit of work, taking safety precautions, and making some personal choices. Nowadays, “decking the halls” involves more than “boughs of holly.” And each year about this time, I’m ready to drag out those tubs in the garage; but by New Year’s Day, I’m eager to store it all away again.