Now that you are retired do you still decorate for holidays (years, husband)

[mrsstats]

We have no children and no family in the area that visits any longer. I always decorated for all the holidays but it seems silly now. Do you still decorate?

[pathrunner]

I don't, but I miss doing it. It's so festive. Green and red are particularly pleasing at Christmastime. I miss having a tree and all the other trappings. Maybe again someday.

[ILTXwhatnext]

That's my wife's dilemma. If people aren't visiting she doesn't decorate much. She doesn't want to toss the ornaments but she can't quite get motivated. We're in a new locale now so let's see.

[Jkgourmet]

Outside lights YES. Inside tree NO. Inside tchotchkes YES (including a 24 inch tree with billiard ball ornaments.)

DH is in charge of decorating the neighborhood poop stand area. Every year.

[tasmtairy]

No, not since Mom passed in 2007. Xmas day my brother and SIL come by, but that's it. Thanksgiving with Dad, just he and I. I'm just not into it. If my daughter and family came out here from CA, I would, but nobody wants to travel around the holidays, at least not me.

[TaoistDude]

We never decorated, as we don't observe holidays and such. We may do a token pumpkin or wreath, but that's it. Several of our retired neighbors have garages and attics full of carefully organized and labeled boxes and bins of holiday decorations, special plates and dishes, lights, flags, and more for every occasion. Their poor husbands are drafted to pack/unpack, and put up/take down these items. The only concession to age is that some hire people to deal with outside lights and ladders. Many don't have family locally, either. But it must give them joy, so good for them.

[twins4lynn]

No. I hate decorating for holidays and hate the job of putting the stuff away. I more or less stopped when my kids got older. I don't miss it!

[MI-Roger]

My wife enjoys the decorations so not much has changed in 40+ years. No family ever comes to visit us (our sons each live 4 hours away in opposite directions, my wife's four siblings are too cheap to buy gas to travel 100 miles, my younger sister is still obligated to provide holidays for her two grown daughters and their families, and my older sister died this year after nearly a decade of being an invalid) so this 'might' be the last year for full decoration.

[Mightyqueen801]

No, last year I realized that Christmas was over, probably for life now. I can't imagine any scenario in the future where I would decorate or have any reason to be festive. Those days are in the past, and I have some good memories to treasure.

Our last family Christmas party was in January of 2020 (we always waited until after the New Year for the family to get together. My mother would die two months later, but that day, all her living children, all her grandchildren, and all her great-grandchildren were present, and we had a wonderful time. Then Mom died, COVID hit, people have gotten sick and younger ones have moved far away. We will never all be together again.

My only child moved to a new city, and is building her own life. I don't discount that we might spend a Christmas together again in the future sometime, but it would likely consist of having a good dinner and watching true crime shows together.

I do miss decorating for Halloween, and if I find myself in a place again where there are children who might come by, I would definitely put out some decorations!

[Charlie&Rose]

Now that we live in a smaller home in the south.....it really dosen`t feel like Christmas to me. We have been putting up our artificial tree, but it`s just not the same. My daughter visits for Christmas, she will come in and say " pretty tree", and then it`s done.
The timing of this thread though...is spot on. I was thinking this morning, of a way to decorate with all the sentimental ornaments, that we have had for years and years, without putting them on a tree. Any ideas?