1bassoon Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 It happened by accident, here. Usually, we put a Christmas tree up at Thanksgiving. This year, we traveled, and the 2 weeks following were just insane with concerts and the like. Meant to get a tree this week, but it's been rainy and dh couldn't find a small one. . . . we leave on Tuesday for a week, and we all finally said, "What's the point!?" I feel pretty bad about it, and I'm sure this Christmas will live in infamy as "the one with no tree". But my parents will have one so - oh, I don't know. I guess I'm a little sad over not seeing our own ornaments, but not enough to make me get a tree for 3 days!!! Anyone else in this dilemma? What do you do when you family will be out-of-town for the holidays? (oh, btw, this isn't meant to open up a "the tree is a pagan symbol why do you bother with it" can of worms, kwim? thanks!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I would skip the tree. But I might put the decorations out anyway - perhaps on an evergreen swag across the mantle (if you have one). Or in a decorative bowl as a centerpiece. We have some of our decorations along our railing by our stairs (we have a split-level). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 We joke in our family that our holiday tradition is that we've had no traditions, LOL. No years have been the same to this point -- sometimes tree, sometimes no tree; sometimes at home Christmas morning, sometimes at relatives, or in a hotel, or ?? So, yes, "no tree" is doable and you don't have to feel like you're ruining anything. We don't have ours yet, BUT we're planning to get one this weekend and put it up with just lights for now. Then Christmas day we're going to decorate it and leave it up for the 12 days of Christmas. A new tradition. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I bought an artificial tabletop tree to use in our living room this year. It adds some holiday cheer and didn't cost a bunch of time or money we couldn't afford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 My kids do all of our trees now, and I just enjoy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 No tree here this year. Been out of town since Thanksgiving and DH won't put one up just for himself. I'm at DD in MN. They bought a tree three weeks ago and it sits - no decorations - in the living room. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I'd do a tree anyways, personally. Its just one of those 'musts' for me :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 If it makes you feel better, this is our first year with a tree. I broke down and bought a 4.5 foot cashmere "pine" and ornaments at Target this year. MIL and dd had a blast decorating it and NONE of the kids messed with it (this is why we didn't have a big tree in other years). I have had a little 2.5 foot tree with lights and tinsel that I use as a Jesse tree for the past 4 years. We read a story and hang a felt ornament during Advent. That tree only cost $10 or $15 and serves it's purpose well. You could even hang about 20 or 25 ornaments on that size and use it as a centerpiece on a table you don't actually eat at or on an end table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I vote for a small tree. You could probably find one cheap at Wal-mart or Target. Something that has it's own ornaments. A tree just makes it feel like Christmas to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Maybe you could take a few ornaments to your mom's and hang them on her tree? If it's like ours, we can always squeeze a few more in, and there's no "theme" to ruin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I vote for a small tree. You could probably find one cheap at Wal-mart or Target. Something that has it's own ornaments. A tree just makes it feel like Christmas to me. :iagree: I'm not sure Christmas would feel the same without a tree. I love gathering round the tree with the glow of the lights and opening gifts and reading the Christmas story. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Time Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 We joke in our family that our holiday tradition is that we've had no traditions, LOL. No years have been the same to this point -- sometimes tree, sometimes no tree; sometimes at home Christmas morning, sometimes at relatives, or in a hotel, or ?? So, yes, "no tree" is doable and you don't have to feel like you're ruining anything. We don't have ours yet, BUT we're planning to get one this weekend and put it up with just lights for now. Then Christmas day we're going to decorate it and leave it up for the 12 days of Christmas. A new tradition. :D Hey, we should start a club or something because this is our family joke, too! Due to a lot of traveling and an upcoming move, we are treeless/decorationless and mostly presentless as well. *Sigh* We are picking up dd at college this weekend and headed back today (yippie!). I was just thinking that we would pick up a small, rosemary bush at the local Wholefoods. They had them when we were here at Thanksgiving, and I really liked them, but we didn't get one. I think we will this time. They are trimmed and decorated for Christmas. Afterwords I will be able to keep it on our patio to help me start an herb garden. We are seriously downsizing for a while, so it might be a nice way to cover Christmas decorations and still have something for it! One year when we were out of town for Christmas all we did was put up our Nativity set on the mantle with some lights. I have to say that in a way this was my favorite year. Keeping it that simple and focused really took off the stress and made us all extra mindful of the meaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I'd skip the tree. For a couple years before kids we didn't have a tree and I hung up the ornaments (with hooks) on our existing curtain rods. It looked really cute and I didn't have to get a tree. Seems like a good compromise for you. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I don't even start thinking about putting up a tree until we're into the 20's of Dec. We have done it right on the 24th for a number of years but lately I bump it to the 22nd or so. If I were in your shoes, I definitely would put up the tree & then, celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas. The 25th is Day 1. You'd have laods of time to enjoy your tree. Our tree comes down on Epiphany or the day after. So, when you come back from your visit, just keep on enjoying your tree all the way to Jan 6. Have story times, bake some cookies, drink hot chocolate, sit around it and enjoy it. I find it helps deal with some of the 'let-down' feeling to let Christmas slow down gradually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 We don't put up a tree when we're out of town for Christmas. I just don't see the point. But we do put out some decorations. This year, we don't have a tree because money is tight and we decided we'd rather spend more on gifts instead of having a tree. But we have out our other decorations and the house is festive even without a tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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