The holiday season would not be complete without festive holiday decorations to go with it! Snow and sparkles galore await.
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season comes with a bit of tinsel, lights, and tall forest trees. Holiday decorations just bring so much joy! My favorite night-and-day transition comes from seeing dark streets the week of Thanksgiving to illuminated neighborhoods the following weekend. I have yet to put up my holiday decorations, but I have a plan!
Step one: Put out what I already have.
Step two: Ask myself an important question. “What can I do to make it even more festive?”
Step three: Target acquired. And that target… is Target.
I know what some may think while reading: sweetie, just say Christmas. To that I say, “No! You can’t make me! This isn’t Communist Sweden!” Seriously, though, being a kid who grew up with both Christmas and Hanukkah (or as I prefer, Chrismukkah), I always considered ways to meld the two holidays together without saying one was superior to the other (society did that for me). As time has gone on, and Hanukkah has captured some of the most fun holiday trends, it has gotten easier for people like me to enjoy both holidays!
Here’s a few ways to spruce up your house with holiday decorations, without ultimately saying “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah.”*
TOP 5 FAVORITE HOLIDAY DECORATIONS
- Wall clings of snowflakes. Spoiler alert: ice palaces are holiday neutral, so snow will come up a lot on this list! I not only celebrate Chrismukkah, but I do so in a townhome with two cats and not a whole lot of, ahem, tree space! I hope that in the future I can have the tree of my dreams (when I tell you the vision is as clear as day, know that I do not exaggerate), but until then, I’ve found that wall decorations are my key to a festive house without needing to get a tree (and a tree holder, and tree wrap, and intermittently spray with orange essence to tell the cats that no, this is NOT for you). Last year, I bought wall clings of snowflakes in all shapes and sizes. It glittered at night without running a massive electricity bill!
- White lights. This time of year, rainbow lights aglow across the world. I love them! However, if you’re looking to keep things more on the “holiday” trend over “Christmas” outright, string lights that glow white or blue are a safe bet! Bonus points if you have the wherewithal to go for the “icicle” lights that dangle down and look like dripping icicles. In previous years, I’ve decorated my tree with rainbow lights, but kept the white lights outside to decorate the exterior of my house. Classy, if you ask me!
- Inflatable or Twinkling Snowman. Confession time: I have never watched “Frosty the Snowman.” I know! I blew your mind! As devastating as it may be, it was never in my rotation (a list of what DID MAKE my holiday rotation comes later). I know that Frosty is commonly associated with Christmas, being that he’s a character from a Christmas special. However, snowmen in general are pretty holiday neutral. It’s just snow that looks like a person! Nowadays, we have a new favorite cartoon snowman that doesn’t really get associated with a holiday. As a result, buying a snowman to display on your porch or lawn doesn’t necessarily indicate a religious celebration. You know what we celebrate? Fun.
- Tinsel, Tinsel, Tinsel. I love the versatility of tinsel! It’s just pretty and sparkly (which, if you’re me, is essential for any time of year). Certainly, you can get blue, red, or green tinsel strands, to clarify which holiday you’re celebrating. However, if you’re a hybrid kid like me (kid. I’m twenty-seven), sticking with metallic colors like gold and silver bring out the more “festive lights” aspect of holiday decorations. If you just want to celebrate winter, combine green and silver tinsel! It’ll give the essence of trees dusted with snow, but with some pizzazz. Some razzle dazzle, if you will.
- Fake Snow. No matter what you celebrate, if you’re one of the lucky few who live somewhere cold this time of year, you’re… well, there it is. Growing up, all I wanted was the holiday season I saw on tv: menorahs glowing in frost-covered windows, and a soft, silent snowfall on Christmas morning. I really was dreaming of a white Christmas! Several years ago, the first Christmas I spent with Aaron and his family, Christmas Eve fell on one of the nights of Hanukkah. His parents bought a menorah for me (that I still use today) so I could light it away from home. I had never felt so welcome. That was my one true white Chrismukkah. I can’t wait to make it an annual tradition! In the meantime, fake snow can be bought or even homemade, with some effort. In places that don’t enjoy the luxury of natural snow, fake it ’till you make it!
Holiday decorations have become essential to this time of year. It’s a signal that the end of the year has come, and with it, a time for friends, family, and a fresh start. Now THAT’s something for everyone. So grab the tinsel and duct tape, and make it a December to remember (metaphorically. Don’t buy a luxury car without asking)!
*Christmas and Hanukkah are NOT the only holidays of this season! However, I am not an expert, nor do I celebrate the others. I highly recommend talking to those who are educated about those holidays!