New Holiday Symbols
 

I've been thinking about this for awhile. Why are Canadian geese and cardinals suddenly symbols of Christmas? Ditto witch shoes for Halloween. There are others and I'm blanking out on them.

When did this happen? Did I miss a memo?

I think I did. If you wear or display cardinals or Canadian geese or even snowflakes after Christmas, people ask you why you have those on or out after Christmas! And they're all over holiday decorations now.

How can wearing/displaying snowflakes, cardinals, or Canadian geese after Christmas be considered awful? Is it simply The Love Police insisting upon Valentine hearts and flowers for post-December 25th? ;)

As posted an hour ago on the GC Christmas Music thread, even beautiful seasonal music that mentions winter snow--sleigh rides--The New Year--ice skating--or cold winter weather is rarely played post-December 25th. And Winter lasts three months after Xmas!

I think it's just a decorating trend, kinda like mason jars and burlap that are everywhere right now.

I've noticed a lot of squirrel themed christmas decorations this year, which I don't recall seeing before in the past.

Ditto on owls

I guess I'd assume it's indicative of WINTER, not Christmas. But if that's the case, why would people go all ape-shit about taking down the decorations on January 1? I'm not a decorate seasonally person, but if you are, what the hey. Go for it.

Making a big hooha over people taking down their winter decorations right after Christmas might be because people go so ridiculously overboard that they are OVER it by Christmas and want everyone else to be over it too. One thing that's nice about the Canadian geese and cardinals, et al, is that they are not typically glittery, lit up, battery operated monstrosities.

Where??? Please help the Alpha Gams out here and point us in the right direction!

Pier1 http://www.pier1.com/Natural-Squirre...efault,pd.html

http://www.pier1.com/on/demandware.s...h-Show?q=acorn


West Elm http://www.westelm.com/products/cera...oMerchRules-_-

http://www.westelm.com/products/squi...oMerchRules-_-

West Elm has some cute small glass ornaments but not on the website.

I put white lights around our pool fence every year and I really want to leave them up for a while, because it's nice for the dog when he goes outside. It's dark from 5 pm to 8 am here now. But I can't stop thinking of that line from the Gretchen Wilson Redneck Woman song "and I keep my Christmas lights on, on my front porch all year long."

Of course, she's talking about her front porch...maybe the backyard is OK? :o

I lived with a fraternity brother and his Alpha Gam wife for a couple of months before my lease started this summer - she would go nuts (pun intended) over squirrel Christmas decorations. I, however, was scared to come across her collection in the dark haha. The squirrel above the sink particularly gave me the hebejebees while I washed dishes!

I do think white lights (not the hanging icicle kind thigh) can be done tastefully year round in a backyard or other outdoor living space. I think the key to avoiding the raised eyebrows of neighbors is to put them up at another time of year so it doesn't look like you jut got too lazy to take them down.

I would love to have white lights up in my backyard trees year 'round!

Squirrels are HUGE here in Ireland- I bought a squirrel sweater, ornament, and converse and there are quite few ugly/creepy squirrels that I passed on. Yay for finally finding squirrels!!!

As to the Canadian Geese, well that's always been a symbol at home- perhaps it's just spreading to our southern neighbours?

We have massive flocks of Canadian geese that either stay here all year or alternate with others (not sure which) so they don't seem Christmasy to me! They are known for their daily 5 PM march over to the Mormon church to poop on the lawn. In all my years here, I have only seen Mormons on the lawn once, haha.

I think maybe all these "winter" creatures are in support of a more "green" Christmas--a tribute to nature: holly, pine and fir trees, and all kinds of woodland creatures: cardinals, owls, squirrels, raccoons, bluejays, etc. Plus--lots of people put food out for birds and small animals in the winter and: winter+snow+bird feeders=Christmas time (for some, anyway).
Organizations like the Audubon society, for example, have offered for years Christmas cards and ornaments that are nature themed--maybe Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel are just catching up!

I live in Canada and I've never seen Canada Geese as a "Christmas symbol". Some people do eat "goose" for Christmas Dinner (more of a European thing)...maybe that's the idea (not that you would eat a Canada Goose per se).

I think I've seen red cardinals on Christmas cards, etc., as being a bit holiday'ish as they are red, and maybe they're still around in the winter when the others have flown south? We need a bird expert to confirm this though....

My next door neighbors have their house lights done professionally, and the icicle lights they have are the only ones I've seen that I like. The pattern is irregular. Instead of "zig-zaggy", they are just vertical lights of varying lengths...like 7 lights, 3 lights, 5 lights, 4 lights, etc. I've never seen these in regular stores.

These are the neighbors I'm worried about. They are very nice people, but they take their Christmas lights seriously.

Every catalog I see, every ad I see is simply ugly with owls this year! Haven't seen many cardinals, but I bought the one I did see.

I wear my snowflakes until there's no snow. I don't care what people think - I love snowflakes! It's snowMEN that I find kinda creepy.