Very on trend, we kept up with the prevailing holiday decor tastes at the time, especially with the Jetsons–Esque aluminum trees that were accompanied by a colored light wheel (ranging from red, blue, green, and amber) to change the branches’ colors. That was an early favorite in my household until it wasn’t. Then, the large pine tree emerged, with a wingspan of a double refrigerator and more sparse limbs, leaving room to highlight the significance of favorite ornaments like those from the Seven Dwarfs and the Peanuts Gang.
As time marched on, the mighty Douglas Fir trees became adorned with hand-painted wooden ornaments, aptly accessorized with gingham bows and popcorn garland, an austere nod to the hit vintage series, The Walton’s, perhaps? Bidding the somber 70s farewell, with its energy crisis and strikes, with not even a fare-thee-well adieu, the Dynasty-inspired trees would rise to rival any in a department store. They would tower, all glistening in gold and strand-upon-strand of twinkling bright lights, a relatively newish trend then.
Of course, the coveted tree would alternate from a spare corner in the den, to a more prominent place in the formal living room for an occasional faux tree, to the front plate glass windows, flanked by taffeta drapes, below a glittering chandelier, that said, Hey hey–look at me. Who could miss it? As the opulent 80s gave way to the more Bada-Bing 90s and 2000s of an amalgamation of themes, sentimental favorites, grandparents’ vintage ornaments, and Christopher Radko collectibles were in vogue, but now like so many things in the world, anything goes. The holidays reflect our own, as well as our families, progress in age, taste, and worldly point of view.
The main thing, as I see it in the here and now, is to create lasting memories with loved ones, tree or no tree, especially since the several-year pandemic impeded so many recent holiday plans, and perhaps all year ‘round instead of just these two months ahead. In essence, congratulations on the progress of 2022, for which we are all full of gratitude, and how about we start making those New Year plans ahead of time because 2023 will likely be the most extraordinary year yet. See you around the tree…and in the ballroom.
Lance Avery Morgan
Editor-In-Chief &
Creative Director
Portrait photography by Romy Suskin
