You Don't Have to Decorate for Easter

As I sit here on the Tuesday following the Easter holiday, I’m realizing that it came and went without any decorations adorning my apartment. The most surprising part is, that doesn’t upset me.

It all started at Christmas. I spent hours cleaning, decorating, and perfecting the living room in order to give it that cozy feel of home. Not to brag, but it looked gorgeous; deep blue, forest green, shiny copper, and sparkly gold shades complemented each other well. But living in Buffalo New York, we weren’t spared by the Blizzard of 2022 and multiple spots in our apartment flooded. Anything in the basement that wasn’t packaged away in plastic totes was affected. I knew this included the mid-year decorations I’d sealed in a large cardboard box when moving to this location.

Following the new year, the ornaments and every other Christmas decoration remained until mid-February both because of how busy I was, as well as how daunting the idea of packing it all up became. I’d never really put up much for Valentine’s Day anyway–mostly because the color palette doesn’t match with the dark accents that came with the apartment–so skipping that holiday didn’t bother me. But as spring approached and things had been looking up in my life, I wanted my home to reflect that.

So, later than usual but not so much as it was futile, the box holding spring decor was unearthed from the basement. It was water-damaged and I hate dirt and mold more than I loved the pieces they covered so a lot of the items had to be trashed. The few hand towels and oven mitts that were left went into the washer and by some miracle my favorite decorations for any season–the Easter peeps–were all spared from any destruction. Even with this small victory, I just didn’t have the energy to display them in the apartment; they’re currently still sitting on the kitchen counter.

It’s not like I was having anyone over to celebrate. In fact no one other than the two people living there would be setting foot in the apartment until weeks later. No expectations were had by anyone but myself based on the fact that every house I’d ever spent Easter at had always decked out the entire home with eggs, rabbits, flowers, and other spring accents. My grandmother and mother both had multiple totes full of decorations for every holiday that they spent, sometimes days, putting out only to be packed away within a month.

I drove down on the ninth to my childhood home and celebrated with those closest to me. It was very enjoyable, and not once that day was I upset that I hadn’t put out my decorations and then spent hundreds at the store buying more to make each room feel as magical as the next. See, the maternal figures in my life had over thirty years on me that they’d been able to collect the decorations that filled the totes. I was currently paying tuition, rent, utilities, and many other expenses in a period where prices of everything have been gouged. There wasn’t extra room in my budget for anything elaborate–and that’s okay.

See, stores make it seem as though having their products up in every room is necessary to having a “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Easter” but odds are they only make it worse. Many people don’t like putting up loads of decorations, and even more dread packing them away each year. Repeat the process–and therefore the feelings–ten or so times a year with each largely marketed holiday and you’ve created a cycle of themed despair. And for what? If it doesn’t bring you more joy than frustration it’s not worth it.

In a more minimalistic sense, I’ve tried to limit my decorations to one large tote for each season. If it fills up, I either have to donate something I already own or refrain from buying something else. This is a very simple way to stay organized and avoid buying unnecessary decorations just because you can.

If you’re still not convinced that you can handle not decorating multiple times a year, try thinking of ways to simplify the process. Instead of going all out each month, try only purchasing things that are seasonal, instead of specific for each holiday. Halloween and Thanksgiving items can be whittled down to a fall theme, and continue this process for each season. You’ll still be able to feel that holiday magic in the air, and it won’t be overshone by the hassle.

No matter how old you are or what your current financial state is, there will be no judgment if you choose to have time for yourself rather than spending it putting up holiday decor. Life isn’t like Christmas With The Kranks where your neighbors harass you for not having a snowman on the roof. It’s about the love that is felt as soon as they open the door or give a hug. Holidays don’t have to be about the materialistic representations, but rather the memories made together.