Christmas decorations

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Flavia202
Level 10
Kingston, Jamaica

Christmas decorations

Hello hosts - season's greetings, happy holidays!
Do you put Christmas decorations in your listing? I usually put some bright & sparkly baubles in a large bowl and use it a as centre-piece on the dining table & a smaller version in the living room. I think it's a nice touch for guests who celebrate the Season and the stuff is small enough for guests to put away (e.g., in a draw) if they don't like it.
 
What do you do?  Some decorations- a little, a lot?  None? Love to see pics so please share.
 
Wishing you all a safe, healthy and prosperous 2022!
1 Best Answer
Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia

just rebooting this topic because this is our 2nd xmas hosting and we have a family booked into the cottage. Last year we had a single man doing covid QT, what a different year it is!  I'm thinking at the least we will do a Xmas tree and probably a wreath on the door and xmas lights, but I don't really see fairy lights as "xmas" haha, we have quite a lot of fairy lights about the place. I also buy xmas tea towels (usually animal or botanical themed stuff to go with our styling, there's been a great shift in the past years to make Xmas decor more appropriate to our landscape so there's more things with native flowers and plants, and cockatoos and other animals etc) and I don't do anything religious, just festive.  

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40 Replies 40

Yeah, they could have at least tried them...

@Flavia202  Or, if they didn't want to try  it, at least take it outside the house and throw away so the host doesn't find the untasted gift in the trash.

Exactly, @Mark116 .

Lisa723
Level 10
Quilcene, WA

@Flavia202 we put a wreath on the outside of the house. Would not do more, as an assumption that everyone who matters celebrates Christmas can be very unwelcoming to those who don't.

So just a nod to Christmas then, @Lisa723.  Any thoughts about expecting guests to know that they're in a place that DOES celebrate Christmas and so should not be turned off by seeing such decorations in the listing? 

@Flavia202 what do you mean by "a place"? Obviously there are people who don't celebrate Christmas in every part of the world. If you mean your particular listing, if you don't always display religious iconography, but only at this particular season, you could of course alert any guests who book or request to book for stays during that time that they will find it.

Agreed, @Lisa723 .  

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Lisa723 

 

I am all for being sensitive to cultural differences, BUT...

 

I am not actually a Christian myself, and come from a muslim family. When my parents first moved to the UK, they had never celebrated Christmas and didn't see the point in doing so, as they viewed it as some other people's religious tradition.

 

However, that is really not the case here. Most traditions associated with Christmas have little to do with christianity. Rather, some are derived from earlier pagan traditions and many are more cultural than religious. Correct me if I am wrong, but there is nothing particularly Christian about a decorated tree or Santa in his red and white outfit.

 

So, I view any Christmas displays as something more cultural than religious and I have never had a single guest indicate that they are offended by them. Quite the opposite. People seem to love them and many, many absolutely expect it and are disappointed if they are not there.

 

That is quite different to telling people they need to go to midnight mass. No one is forced to participate in a religious festival, but they do get a chance to witness the traditions of the culture that they choose to visit during that holiday.

 

Do I celebrate Thanksgiving? No. Or Holy, or Ramadan? No. But I'm certainly not going to get offended if I visit a country where they do and expect the people in the place that I am visiting to adapt their culture for me.

 

Would you visit a very traditional muslim country and then tell people there that they should dress differently or not have the call to prayer because you don't believe in it and therefore that offends you?

@Huma0 you're certainly correct that many "Christmas" traditions predate Christmas and were simply appropriated by Christianity. And no, I wouldn't tell people in a traditionally muslim country (or any other country, or in my own country) how to dress etc.-- not sure how you made that leap.

 

In the US, Christmas is an omnipresent and completely over-the-top consumerist extravaganza having very little to do with religion. It is virtually impossible to escape it. I try to provide a neutral space for people looking for a getaway. I personally would not assume that all guests would be happy to find a Christmas tree or a creche in their space.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Lisa723 

 

That's fair enough, but I see that you list entire spaces, whereas mine is a shared listing, i.e. my own home, with possibly multiple guests staying. I guess that is a different scenario.

 

When going to stay in another country, especially in a homestay, I would never, ever expect the host to remove evidence of their culture, especially during an important holiday. I would consider that as insensitive behaviour on my part, and maybe that is how I made that leap. To me, that is not akin, but pretty close to, visiting another culture and expecting everyone else to act the same as where you come from/according to your beliefs, i.e. not dress differently or display anything different from your culture. I would not go to a Catholic or Orthodox country and expect them to do things Church of England style.

 

I completely understand though if you are providing only entire space listings that it makes more sense to keep things neutral.

 

My guests, on the other hand, would mostly be disappointed by a lack of Christmas tree and decorations. In fact, every guest I had staying with me shortly before they went up asked me if I was going to have a tree and when was I putting it up?

@Huma0 my post was a response to @Flavia202 's question, not your answer. Her listing is also an entire space.

 

I agree that home sharing is an entirely different thing; a realm that I would fear to tread as either a host or a guest. 😉

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Lisa723 

 

Thanks for clarifying. Yes, I guess that I was looking at this more from my perspective as a homeshare host who would normally have a Christmas tree in my home, regardless of if I wasn't hosting. I can totally see why it wouldn't necessarily be appropriate in an entire space.

 

However, judging by the reaction I get from most guests around this time of year, they kind of want and expect some festive decorations and seem disappointed if there are none. So, I'd be interested to know if any hosts have had negative feedback as a result of having these decorations or not.

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

If I were staying in a foreign country where there was a major holiday that existed which was not part of my personal cultural tradition--far from being offended by any decorations or evidence of the holiday--I would be thrilled to get exposure and would see it as a learning opportunity.  

Elaine701
Level 10
Balearic Islands, Spain

Yes, we go all out. Decorations, tree, lights, seasonal place settings, candles, Stollen, Glühwein, bubbly... The works. Indoors and out. 

 

Every Christmas guest has loved it so far. No complaints. 

Cheers!