7 Christmas Decorations We Love To Hate

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us, and with it, all the things we love about the season: time with loved ones, fresh-baked cookies and sky-high trifles, nostalgic music, and garland-wrapped trees decked in treasured ornaments. But every year, amidst all this magic, there are a few Christmas decorations that transform our sugar-plum dreams into something of a nightmare. Here, a few of our resident Southern Living Grinches whine about the holiday decorations that they love to loathe. 

Decorations that Get in the Way

We’re all for placing festive elements in unexpected places, but don’t get so focused on the pretty that you abandon the practical. “Fake cotton snow on the kitchen island is not ideal for food prep,” says one grouchy Southern Living editor. “Don’t cover a set of cabinets with a wreath so that you can’t open it. Make sure it’s beautiful and functional.”

Real Christmas Trees

Before you cancel your subscription, let us say first that we love to love real trees—preferably when they’re cut at the local farm or purchased from a community organization that sells them as an annual fundraiser. But we’ll admit that sometimes we also love to hate our beloved Fraser firs because they can be a real pain. “I have to vacuum up loose needles almost daily, it requires more water than my front porch planters, and my dog tries to climb it every other minute. It smells so good, but every year, I have to ask myself, ‘Is it worth it?’” whines a Southern Living Scrooge. 

Flocked Anything

A faux-snow-covered tree is mesmerizing in the land of rare or little of the white stuff, but if you’ve ever tried to flock something yourself, you know that it can be a royally un-merry disaster. “I hate flocked anything. It’s so messy,” gripes a snow-hating Southern Living staffer.

Christmas Villages (But Not for the Reason You Think)

The teeny tabletop scenes bring joy to many, but for the person unpacking them, the experience can be as bleak as a visit from Christmas Future. Whines one Southern Living Christmas crab: “It takes like 90 hours to pull [all the pieces] out of the perfectly cut Styrofoam packaging.” It’s just as fun, we imagine, to put them all back up.

Motion-Activated Holiday Characters

They say you hate what you fear. Such is the case, at least, for one Southern Living editor who deplores dancing Saint Nicks: “No matter how many times I walk by them, they will scare me every time.” If you've got folks in your family who scare easily, it might be time for you to rethink the animatronics too. 

White Lights or Multi-Colored Lights, Depending on Your Preference

There are few debates that stir up quite so much controversy in our office as that of white lights versus multi-colored lights. We may let you waffle on what kind of barbecue you like or which mayonnaise gets slathered on your sandwiches, but your holiday light preference is as concrete as your football team during the Iron Bowl: You can’t be Team Both. If you’re Team White Lights, you’ll argue that they’re classic and timeless; you’ve deemed multi-colored lights a chaotic eyesore. On the other hand, if you’re Team Multi-Colored Lights, you’ll contend that they’re whimsical and nostalgic; to you, White Lights are a snooze—why waste the electricity on that? Wherever you land, we feel quite certain that the other team’s lights are a Christmas decoration you love to hate too. 

LED Light Projectors

While we’re fans of LED bulbs themselves (they use less energy than their incandescent counterparts), we can’t get behind the projected displays that dance across home exteriors as an alternative to traditional string lights. “Take your lazy decoration back to Lowe’s and get real lights,” advises a Southern Living sour puss. Call us old-fashioned, we suppose.