‘Maybe it’s a sign of the times’: some opt out of holiday decorating

TORONTO – Sharon Kallis moved to Vancouver in 1992 with her Christmas decorations in tow.

But as she spent more time separated from her family in Ontario and not returning each year for the holidays, Kallis started to define a festive tradition all her own.

It’s one that now involves spending time away with friends at a cabin or cottage. What’s not on her to-do list? Decorating.

“It mostly comes from a pragmatic place of living and working in 530-odd square feet in downtown Vancouver where property is really costly,” said the married environmental artist, who has worked with various nonprofits and the Vancouver Park Board for the past decade.

“I have a storage locker, but do I really need to take up rental space for a box … of trinkets? There’s no sense to that from my perspective. And then, space is small. Where would I put a tree?

“I sort of look at every square foot in my home as being real estate, and when I can purge and get rid of things I’m making real estate. I’ve got other things that are more important and relevant than hanging decorations.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I sort of look at every square foot in my home as being real estate, and when I can purge and get rid of things I'm making real estate. I've got other things that are more important and relevant than hanging decorations."

Whether it’s due to lack of space, interest, time, money or being away during the holidays, some may be inclined to eschew tradition and do away with holiday decor.

“I remember even when I was a young person in Toronto there were houses that didn’t do anything,” recalled Marcel Danesi, a professor of anthropology at the University of Toronto, who counts himself among those going decor-free as he heads south on vacation later this month.

“We live in that kind of a secular society where this is really just part of festivities rather than part of something sacred. So, it doesn’t surprise me at all that individuals will opt out, probably more so than in the past. “

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We live in that kind of a secular society where this is really just part of festivities rather than part of something sacred. So, it doesn't surprise me at all that individuals will opt out, probably more so than in the past. "

Danesi said the communal nature of Christmas has changed drastically in the last 50 years, evolving from a time when ritual gatherings for dinners and gift exchanges were the norm. Nowadays families are more scattered and get together when they can.

“I myself say: ‘What am I doing this for really in the end?’ So maybe it is a sign of the times,” said Danesi.

“There is a huge tug today between those who want to restore traditions and those who are saying: ‘Look, let’s move on.’ And it comes out in these kinds of ways.”

Kallis said she still does do a little holiday decorating but is more inclined to source ideas from nature. She led a wreath-making workshop with fellow artist Rebecca Graham last year.

“There’s fresh cedar clippings around that can be simply woven into a door wreath or made into a table arrangement, something I’ll just throw back into the compost heap in two weeks time,” said Kallis, author of “Common Threads: Weaving Community through Collaborative Eco-Art.”

READ MORE: Tips for avoiding toxic chemicals in holiday decorations and gifts

Kallis also said she makes use of non-seasonal decorative items she already has in her home and things that help add a little more light in her space during the gloomier months, such as candles on reflective surfaces.

“(They’re) just little things … using what I already have in my life and what I’m already surrounded with and just maybe bringing it to the forefront and enjoying it a little more than I do when things are tucked away in a cabinet.”

Designer Sarah Richardson agrees there’s no obligation to go overboard with holiday decorating.

“You don’t have to gussy up every surface in your house,” said the HGTV host and author of “At Home: Sarah Style.”

“I always say pick a few key areas. A beautiful natural wreath on your front door, whether it’s birch bark or spruce or cedar … and create a little statement just inside your front door if you have an entryway or a vestibule or … a console table.

“You can even just put ornaments in a vase or in a bowl and get some effect that signifies that the season has arrived.”