There was a time when I would leap at the opportunity to turn my parents home into something that would make Santa’s grotto look minimalist. In fact, the tree with it’s multi-coloured baubles and tinsel was just the start. After a relatively short space of time the cards would be strung from window to window, and Grandma’s Christmas decorations would adorn every visible service. I distinctly remember at the age of nine that once I had completed all of this that something was still missing and the room was still empty. The answer to this was, of course, streamers. These were the multicoloured sort that of course looked very party like by the time they had been twisted and run from every conceivable edge of the room. It didn’t seem to matter that a pair of sunglasses was needed just to enter the room and the invariably a streamer would end up Dad’s head the minute the central heating kicked in, it was Christmas and decorations were needed!!
Of course, I have changed a lot since then, now our Christmas tree has one colour (but different textured baubles), and there is no tinsel anywhere. All our Christmas lights are also a tasteful clear glow and there are definitely no streamers just silver coloured twig arrangements around the room. I am trying to think when colour went out and everyone started matching their Christmas decorations to their decor. I am certain that the home improvement TV shows of the 1990’s are in part to blame. I have to say I would never want to go back to my multicoloured days but I just hope that children get as much joy from making their home ready for Christmas and that they are not subjected to a pull out of the box, already decorated Christmas tree. If they are, I say bring the back the chintz and the streamers and enjoy every minute before they have their own home and have to consider which colours match their room.
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