Holiday Decorations: "Tacky" Versus Tasteful
Inevitably, this time of year, a debate resurfaces regarding the holiday decorations people install in their yards: "tacky" versus tasteful.
Some like their holiday decorations refined and tasteful. This camp prefers, say, a simple wreath hung on the door, a string of small, white lights on the lamp post, and perhaps one or two other similarly understated holiday decorations. They avoid anything that would be considered "tacky" like the plague.
Others, by contrast, would substitute words like "colorful" or "exuberant" to describe what the tasteful camp calls, "tacky." Since holidays are supposed to be festive, their attitude is, the more glitz and glitter, the better. This camp prefers holiday decorations such as inflatables, animated reindeer, and strings of large, colored lights wending their way to the tops of 30-foot spruce trees.
Still others, of course, respond to all holiday decorations with a disdainful "Bah, humbug!" Which camp do you fall into? Take the poll to vote your choice, and/or elaborate your views on holiday decorations more fully by leaving a comment below.
Photo ©2006 David Beaulieu (licensed to About.com)
Comments
The snowman in the picture here isn’t too bad, as inflatables go. Some of ‘em are real tacky, though.
Personally, I prefer creativity not an identical set up just like the one in the stores. Something humorous would be nice. By the way the blow up decorations are TACKY but I have kids so guess what… I have a snowman full of hot air right next to my front door (UCK). Plastic religious scenes usually blown over just don’t do it either. The snow domes give me an urge to jump inside the dome and act like an idiot.
You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned “creativity.” That’s why I like Halloween displays so much: there seems to be more potential for creativity. Even something simple like building a scarecrow can really get the creative juices flowing. And some of the folks who go in for the “gruesome” look at Halloween obviously put a lot of work into how each element in their elaborate displays is positioned.
Of course, as you say, our yard displays are sometimes dictated by children. And there’s nothing wrong with that: may our displays tickle their little souls to the max, during this magical time of life! But, speaking again from the adult perspective, I prefer standing back from a display and being able to see it as almost a work of art, rather than a mere set of “decorations.”