Keep your Christmas tree up year-round and tweak it

This is the time of year when depression and anxiety get a lot of people down. They were so amped up for Christmas and even New Year, that once the days have come and gone life seems like a letdown. At home, on the job, and even in the malls and other stores everyone is removing holiday decor and packing it up. This can feel like a great loss for those who really enjoy the season of giving. There is a way to keep the Christmas spirit or that holiday feeling around you for all 12 months of the year.

If you dread the length of time for taking down your Christmas decorations or wish you could just leave them up I have good news for you. If you feel a sense of loss once the holiday is over, there is a way you can enjoy the season all year long. I have been seeing a few homes over the past few years where the Christmas lights remain lit up on the outside of the house year-round. I know people who keep their tree up every month of the year and it remains fully decorated. I've been told that the purpose is so that they will not have to begin the process of taking down the tree and decorations from the attic after Thanksgiving. This way the tree is up and all they have to do is add the presents underneath.

There used to be a local Pizza Hut that kept their green artificial Christmas tree up all 12 months of the year. They changed the color of the lights, however, to coincide with whatever national holiday was being celebrated. In February the lights were red in honor of Valentine's Day and in March were changed to green because of Saint Patrick's Day. I don't recall what the tree looked like during Easter but in May, June, and July the lights were red, white, and blue for Memorial Day, Flag Day, and July 4. During the fall months, the lights were orange because of Autumn, Harvest, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. They also had a string of lights across the ceiling that were the same color as those on the tree.

This might be too much trouble for some so you can always use clear or white lights all year and just change other decorations on the tree to reflect the season. I have a 2 foot tabletop tree as well as a 4 foot one. The tabletop has battery powered lights. I plan to keep both up all year from now on and will add my own twist. The small tree will remain in my bedroom for my husband and I to place gifts under that we give each other throughout the year. The larger tree will remain on a table in the family room area. When my children and or grandchildren come to visit, this is where they can look for gifts for their birthdays and other special occasions.

They can also leave anniversary, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and Grandparents Day presents underneath the tree for my spouse and me. This way my home will have the holiday spirit all year long. We are a family of givers so I believe this will be a most enjoyable experience. I don't plan to leave the trees lit the entire time, but will light them up shortly before each birthday or other special occasion. You can come up with your own traditions and put your own spin on a holiday tree. You don't even have to use lights, but can decorate for each special day accordingly. This will be a great activity to involve young children or grandchildren.

If you have an area or a room in your home where you can keep your Christmas tree as is and leave your decorations and stockings up all year, just know you are not alone. Should you have the time to switch out the lights and decor in honor of other special occasions then do so. Having a special date to focus on and prepare for is one way to help yourself remain motivated and not be dismayed by what is going on in the world. Forf Christmas of 2021 I had a live tree and as I write it is January 14 and it is still fresh and green and not shedding. I put it in a pot of dirt instead of just water and I'm going to see how long it lasts.