Photo courtesy of Mandi Smith T.
1112 Holiday Decorating Nativity
Placing your family’s Nativity in a prominent location in the home helps your family revisit the Christmas story throughout the season. Adding fresh greenery and berries makes for an attractive display.
While I love keeping up with current holiday trends, it’s just as important for me to keep our decorations meaningful. To me, meaning is derived first from the holiness of the season and second from the traditions our family has developed over the years.
To celebrate Christmas, we try very hard to keep the religious purpose of the holiday as the focal point. I often hear people express regret about the hectic nature of December, including the burden of putting up decorations. No doubt, it can become a chore. I think it helps to include some genuine reminders of the joy and peace that are at the center of Christmas. I have also found these items provide a calm, restful environment and, especially as repeated each year, will lead to anticipation that will more than outweigh the burden of locating them in the attic!
Nativity scene. Eight years ago, my husband began giving me nativity figures the first week of Advent. Each year he has given me one more character to add to the arrangement, and our children of course love to guess what figure is coming each year. I place the set in a prominent place and decorate it with fresh mixed cedar cuttings, juniper berries, seeded eucalyptus and satin ribbon. Most importantly, it gives us an opportunity to revisit the Christmas story as a family in our home, before we get swept up in all the holiday shopping and parties.
Holiday card collection. I have managed to keep every single Christmas card we have received since we have been married. They are sorted by year and wrapped with beautiful satin ribbon in a color that complements the décor for the year. I place them under our tree at the beginning of the season to fill in until the presents begin to arrive. As the gifts begin to take their place, the cards are moved to more accessible place in our home, such as a large acrylic tray on our coffee table. Last year, I included them in the center of our dining room table surrounding an antique lantern filled with a large candle. One night during the holidays, we pick a year or two and look through the cards our friends have shared with us over the years. I’m always amazed to see how our friends’ children have grown. It’s and a wonderful reminder of how important family and friends can be during this time of year.
A new take on the Advent calendar. In late November last year, I printed off trivia information related to Christmas for each day in December. I rolled them up and included a label with the day of the month. I then placed them in a basket with ribbon and fresh greenery. Each morning the children would take turns opening the trivia for the day and reading it aloud. There were lots of random things included like the history of the Christmas tree, directions for making paper snowflakes, even a wassail recipe my kids made and loved! It’s just one more opportunity to make the season meaningful to your family.
So, whether you are decorating on a large or small budget, incorporating sentimental traditions into your holiday décor will keep your family grounded during the busy season and memories that will last a lifetime.
Free template for Christmas trivia
Love Mandi’s idea for Christmas trivia but don’t have the time to create one? Visit Mandi’s design blog to download her Christmas trivia and start a new tradition at your house this season.
Interior designer Mandi Smith T retired from practicing law in 2002 to spend more time with her children and to pursue her lifelong interest in home décor. She enjoys helping homeowners looking to update the interior of their homes at an affordable price. She now runs Mandi Smith T Interiors, which specializes in giving clients a fresh look without replacing everything. You can find out more about her style and creativity by visiting her blog, Interior Design Musings. Mandi and her husband John have been married for 13 years and have two children in the Mountain Brook school system.
