Another instalment in the Christmas Rants series. This time it’s the turn of the bric-a-brac of the festive world.
Week 3 - Décor
Turning on the Christmas lights is a bit of a ritual in our fair old country. Over the past few days there have been celebrities rubbing shoulders with the general public the country over – hitting the big red button and sending sparks into the sky.
“Bringing out the decorations” is a practice dripping with Christmas tradition. As the carols begin and the weather takes a turn for the worst there are Mums and Dads dusting off cardboard boxes nationwide. Fake trees, gaudy baubles, shaggy tinsel and knackered fairy lights hit the scene for their annual performance, and then it’s back up in the loft. What a strange way to behave.
Those that have the power to plan for the 25th December simply baffle me. I know certain people that look to the January sales for their presents and decorations – an annual plan to make sure that the next year has a suitable amount of guff. I once owned a small box of trinkets with which to don the tree, but it never had the potential to do the year long stint in good time for the next year. Call me ignorant but this is exactly the sort of thing that I can’t see past the end of my nose on – redundant bits of stuff that act as nothing more than clutter until the time comes. Nightmare scenario.
As I’ve pointed out in previous instalments it’s clear that traditions change – so what are the trends with Christmas decorations?
Years gone by would see households filling up with a more rustic arrangement. Fresh flowers, wreaths and candles were the likely candidates for spreading the festive charm. Mince pies and roasted chestnuts were yet to lose the plot off the back of their appearances in chart topping songs and kids hadn’t yet learned that Santa’s first name was Argos. A simpler time.
Nowadays it’s glitz and glamour. LEDs have stomped their size 12s in the back door without using the mat, and you’d better believe you’re nobody’s business if you’re not packing luminescent heat. You can forget trailing a battery-powered line around your tree. Take a look at this.
Okay so that is actually a specially designed turbine that’s been a year in the making. It’s been hailed as the largest Christmas star in the world and it sits alongside the A9 Autobahn just outside Munich.
Affixed to the three blades of the massive wind turbine–70-meters tip to tip–are 9,000 light-emitting diodes (LEDs), all of which use less power than a hairdryer.
I’m not sure about the price range, but there’s more than enough on the market for commercial sale – take for example this LED rope. Yes it’s 150ft long and you can change the colour scheme, but for this piece of kit you can be expected to fork out upwards of £200: here listed as $464.80.
It looks as though bouquets and wreaths are making a come back, though. The traditionalists are making sure to leave out a glass of milk and some carrots, but if we’re honest it’s all come straight back to the original point. We’re looking at gimmicky ideas that are full of pretence and cost you a little over the threshold of the Christmas spend.
I suppose it makes sense that we buy one set in the mid 80s and stick with it for life…
