Photo by Erik Mclean

Living Madly: The Holidays Simplified

By Emilie-Noelle Provost

I didn’t put up my Christmas tree this year. It’s the first time in my life that I haven’t had a decorated tree in my house during the holiday season. Although I have always enjoyed our Christmas tree, I just couldn’t bring myself to drag it and all of its ornaments and accessories down from the attic. I didn’t feel like moving the living room furniture around to make space for the tree, or vacuuming up the needles that always fall off while moving the tree around.

I have mixed feelings about it. I miss the tree’s lights, the way they brighten up the house on the year’s darkest nights, but I also feel relieved. A sense of dread came over me every time I thought about setting up the tree. It felt like work, an obligation. Nothing about it felt like fun.

Part of this, I suppose, is that I’ve reached a point in my life where I no longer care about other people’s expectations or opinions. I’m pretty much done doing anything I don’t want to do because I’m “supposed to,” most especially in my own house.

In the absence of the Christmas tree, I’ve been motived to make some of my own holiday decorations. I created a wreath from branches and greenery I gathered in the woods. I hung a simple garland of dried orange slices over the fireplace. More dried oranges—reminders of the returning sun—hang in my kitchen windows to catch and make the most of the morning light.

I’ve been making handmade gifts: crocheted hats, bags, and scarves, homemade treats, one-of-a-kind ornaments. It’s been fun to create personalized things for people that they couldn’t go out and buy for themselves.

Since deciding to do all this, I’ve seen several posts on social media offering up tips and ideas for celebrating the holidays in a simpler way: making handmade decorations and gifts; focusing less on spending money and more on spending time with family and friends. At first, I found it ironic that I had arrived at a similar state of mind on my own. But I think it’s a sign of the times, driven by our current economic, environmental, and political climate.

Whatever the reason for it, I believe the trend toward celebrating the holidays in a less commercial, simpler, greener, more personalized way is an idea whose time has come. I think most of us need more quality and less quantity in our lives in general.

Refusing to give in to pressure to decorate or shop has not only saved money, it’s helped me better appreciate the season. I’ve followed the tracks of deer, rabbits, coyotes, and foxes while hiking in the snowy woods, and have discovered winter berries and wild holly growing along trails. I made mulled wine from scratch for the first time in years. I’ve also made time to connect with old friends, and have reminisced about past Christmases spent with loved ones who are no longer here.

Maybe I’ll put up our Christmas tree next year. Or I might decide to get a smaller one, something just big enough to string a few lights on to brighten up the night. But if I don’t, I’ll come up with some other festive ways to celebrate the season.

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Emilie-Noelle Provost (she/her) – Author of The River Is Everywhere, a National Indie Excellence Award, American Fiction Award, and American Legacy Award finalist, and The Blue Bottle, a middle-grade adventure with sea monsters. Visit her at emilienoelleprovost.com.