Decking the halls for the New Year.
It all started the year my daughter cried when we took down the Christmas tree. I had to admit, taking down all those colorful, shiny decorations, festive plants and wreaths always felt sad to me, too. So, I told her that I wasn’t taking down the decorations for an entire year, I was ‘redecking’ the halls for the New Year.
Since then, as the Christmas holiday décor comes down, the New Year décor goes up. A white, gold and silver theme replaces the reds and greens. On the table, I put a white tablecloth with metallic threads, a gold metallic runner and a centerpiece with a hurricane, white pillar candle and festive beads complete with brass bells to ‘ring’ in the New Year. The mantle gets a snowy theme with little flocked trees and lighted white wreath. The hutch which holds the Christmas china gets redone with crystal champagne glasses and a silver champagne bucket. One year, I made a New Year’s wreath. You can see it pictured above…I cut oak leaves out of aluminum sheeting adding veins and details in repousse’.
It doesn’t take long to add these festive touches but it goes a long way to brighten up everyone’s mood after Christmas is over. My daughter has carried the ‘tradition’ to her own apartment this year as she ‘redecked’ her halls for the New Year, too.
I think what I love the most is the process itself. I renew my home for the New Year. I honor the past year’s good times with the gold touches. I welcome the abundance for the new year with the silver oak leaves. And I open up to new beginnings with all of the white touches; the candles, flowers, table cloth, trees and lights.
What started as a way to make my daughter happy has become a tradition that makes us all happier in the New Year.
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1 comment:
What a wonderfully inspiring idea. It is a Christmas tradition for my son and I to shop for more baubles for the Christmas tree every year. It's something we've loved to do, and my son, who's now 20, still reminds me each year to go to the shops. We always look out for unusual things.
This year, our tree was absolutely magnificent and there was an extra
feeling of regret to take it all down.
Now, I am going to follow your idea, Susan. It may be January 21, but I think I'll decide it's just the beginning. And my son is home for a visit from university this weekend so I think he'll want to join me in a quest for New Year decking!
Thank you so much for inspiring!
All good wishes
Pauline
Dr Pauline Kiernan
Creative Writing Consultancy
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