Are Christmas Decorations Worth It?

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Millions across the world decorate their homes or businesses for the holidays every year, but is it really worth it?

Hundreds of dollars are spent each year on decorations that are only good for maybe one or two Christmases. While they add to the look and cozy feel of Christmas, some may wonder if they are worth all the money and effort people put in for them to burn out after a couple of years. The average person in the U.S. spends around $230 on decorations alone and almost $1000 on Christmas in total every year.

“I spend a lot on decorations since I have to replace them or restring lights on them every year or maybe every other year,” mother Tambra Shurley said. “While it’s pretty to look at, it sometimes just adds to the stress since I spend so much on gifts for my family.”

Bigger families or older generations may find it is just too much of a hassle and a load of effort for the short amount of time they go up.

“I used to love putting up all of our house decorations and decorating the yard each year. But it began to be tiring for us as we got older because it is a lot of work, especially for the maybe one or two months that we leave them up,” mother and grandmother Mary Simms said. “We’re getting a little old for this each year, especially with no one here to help us and having to dish out money for more.”

Some say the price doesn’t matter, as it brings many adults and children joy to see all the beautiful colors and lights.

“I love decorating every year just for the children who get driven through the neighborhood to see the lights,” grandmother Sheilia Kennedy said. “The smile on their faces means more to me than however much I may pay for them. You just can’t beat that.”

Some families or local groups decorate the entire yard or block full of different decorations for the public to drive through and see, for those who may not be able to decorate themselves or who just gain joy from seeing the lights.

“Our family decorates our entire block each year, and while it is costly, most people donate without us even asking for us to continue doing it because people just love seeing all the decorations and lights and it makes us happy to see how much everybody enjoys us doing it,“ Mary Griffin said. “It became somewhat of a tradition because of this.”

Some may say it’s a waste and some may agree, but there’s something special about everybody gathering for this time of year according to Mary Griffin.

“We wouldn’t trade seeing the smiling faces for anything,” Tommy Griffin said.