Decorations Up Early or Down Late: Am I Lazy, or Catholic?

Roxane Salonen ponders the seasonal dilemma: Does decorating early, or keeping them up too late, mean we’re lazy, just Catholic, or something else entirely? 

“Roast me if you will,” a Catholic friend posted on Facebook above a photo of her lit Christmas tree. The date? November 16.  

I happen to be on the other end of the spectrum, donning decorations later than the average bear — by default. Our firstborn, aptly named Christian, arrived on December 16, about a week before the big day. As our family grew, and with birthdays every month in our family from August through his mid-December celebration, I struggled to summon the energy to decorate any sooner, despite the evergreen trees in lots already thinning out by then. 

Keeping faithful to the season

When I joined a Catholic mothers’ faith-sharing group, I discovered late decorating was the way to go for Catholics, not because of laziness or birthday parties but because it was more faithful to the season.  

I recall one friend saying how her dad would wait until just before Christmas Eve, buying the last crusty tree on the lot for a very low price. They’d decorate then, lighting the tree just in the nick of time to welcome baby Jesus. 

Taking my time ushering in Christmas and being more in sync with the season, rather than ahead of it like the rest of society, resonates with my soul. Late decorating also appeases my feelings of overwhelm when preparing for the task, which often falls solely on me.  

Over the years, I’ve developed a system of decorating in stages. I start with the nativity scene. From there, I take my time, maybe putting up the tree, but not necessarily decorating it right away. I try to keep the idea of a slow reveal in my heart and actions, as if daring the world to wait a while longer for the good stuff.  

Waiting doesn't mean I'm lazy

But I’ve also struggled with feeling like I’m lazy. We don’t decorate the outside of our home and keep the rest of the decorations simple. I do love pulling out all the ornaments, reminiscing over Christmases past, along with the sparkles and lights that come with it. When the tree is finally lit, I’m one to rest nearby for a few hours, mesmerized by the shining bulbs and tinsel. 

It's likely because I’ve taken to delaying this whole process that I’m also slow to pull it all apart. The sight of Christmas trees strewn onto the curb on December 26 or soon thereafter makes me shudder. I want to hold onto it all just a little longer, and over time, I see that the Church agrees.  

Waiting to disassemble the Christmas adornment until February 2, the Presentation of Jesus — as Father Joel Sember, who leads my new favorite Advent study, Oriens, recommends — works well. By then, we’re stepping back into Ordinary Time. The Church, in her great wisdom, is aptly preparing us now to begin the slow ascent toward the next big holiday, Easter, and the Lent preceding it. 

When I first fully embraced late decorating, I was a bit zealous about it and prone toward judging the early putter-uppers. But in my more seasoned age, I realize every family has reasons for their traditions, and while I’m determined to hold fast to the up-late-and-down-late method, I’m more tolerant of others’ sensibilities and unique situations. 

But I still prefer lingering. On page 13 of the 2024 edition of Oriens: A Pilgrimage Through Advent and Christmas, Father Sember suggests putting up and decorating the tree sometime in the third week of Advent. “But don’t plug the lights in,” he adds. “Wait until the Light of the World is born.”  

Worth the wait

We hardly ever wait for anything these days. But it’s worth it, I’ve found, to decorate slowly, thoughtfully, and prayerfully, easing into the season meaningfully. If a neighbor or family member grumbles about my tree still standing — and perhaps now bending a bit — even as Valentine’s Day trinkets woo customers from store windows, I’m okay with it.   

I know what I’m doing, and meaning, by my “late-deco dance.” I’m bringing Jesus into my heart, little by little, sparkle by sparkle. I’m inviting in the light as I’m pushing away the darkness. And if it takes me a little longer than the rest of the world, so be it. 

February 2 will come soon enough, and that, too, can be met with joy. Father Sember suggests:

Have one last Christmas party! ... Light the candles on your (Advent) wreath and have a family Candlemas procession to the creche. Sing Christmas carols. Then put away all remaining Christmas decorations. 

Perhaps laziness is part of why we linger with decorating. But mostly, I tell myself while storing streams of lights in February, it’s really just because we’re Catholic. 

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Copyright 2024 Roxane Salonen
Images: Canva