Christmas Decor Crawl ~ Linda Broday

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One of the things I love about Christmas is the beautiful colors and decorations. For various reasons, I don’t put a Christmas tree up any longer but I love pretty wreaths and always have one on my door and several on my walls.

I wondered what wreaths signify and found some surprising and not so surprising facts. Wreaths originated in ancient times and the tradition of displaying them for Christmas is still evident everywhere you turn. It means that you’re inviting the spirit of Christmas into your home and are a symbol of good luck for the occupants.

But wreaths were used for various other things. In ancient Rome, they symbolized victory following competitions. Some were worn on the head. Wreaths are also hung on doors following a death and symbolize the circle of eternal life and victory of the eternal spirit over death. In Christianity, a wreath of thorns was placed on our Savior’s head as a mockery to believers.

This is the wreath I have hanging on my front door.

I also have two small ones I made myself hanging on my wall.

My Little Reindeer guarding my door and my boot centerpiece.

                                                   

And this was taken of me on Christmas 1953 with my new doll, stroller, and phone.

Mama really had fixed my hair. Sure wasn’t me.

Even if you don’t put up a tree, do you decorate your house? I’d like to hear your traditions if you have any.

Happy Holidays to all

Linda Broday

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Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules/

39 thoughts on “Christmas Decor Crawl ~ Linda Broday”

  1. I make some kind of treat to share, then deliver the goodies to friends and neighbors, or if they can’t have sugar, we play some music. We put up a tree and I have a wreath on the door. My favorite decorations are my nativity sets (I have several) that I put up wherever I can. Usually I keep the “holiday cheer” to the living room and the kitchen area. Some years we put lights in the windows, and I always have music in the background!

    • Ami, your home sounds very festive and warm. Christmas is indeed a time for sharing with neighbors and friends and showing the love that’s bursting from your heart. Merry Christmas!

  2. Love your decorations.

    I have a tree in the family room and another in the living room. I have a wreath on the front door, and inside on the front door and the door to the garage. I also have a Santa collection and a snowman collection. I always have a Moravian star from Lititz, PA, hanging on the front porch.

    Merry Christmas!

    denise

    • Denise, that sounds so lovely. Especially that star hanging on your front porch! How welcoming. I’ll be sad when Christmas is over and we have to take everything down. Merry Christmas!

  3. Hi, Linda,

    Merry Christmas. The wreaths you made are lovely; what diameters are they?

    We had planned to relocate when my husband retired at the end of 2018, Covid happened, we’re still in the same place but a lot of our things are packed to move (Christmas decorations/artificial tree included). Hence, we aren’t decorating a lot. I’m going to see if I can manage to hang several Christmas posters I have that I made from Christmas cards that feature kittens across the short end of our living room; this’ll depend on whether I can manage it without tacks or nails…

    Mary

    • Mary, my little homemade wreaths are about 7″ inch diameter. Small but cute and I enjoyed making them. How sad that all your Christmas stuff is packed away. Maybe you can get the kitties poster hung. Good luck and Merry Christmas.

  4. Merry Christmas Linda- I love your wreaths and decorations. I didn’t put up a tree this year either since I’m heading to the Great State of TEXAS to spend Christmas with my family.
    My mom always uses our bows and ribbons for a Yule-log then burns it on New Year’s Day for good luck.
    My mom has a lot of traditions, if I had children I’d be doing the same traditions as my parents raised me to believe.
    I love your picture. So beautiful.
    I’m wishing you and all the Fillies a Merry Christmas.
    Love you my Sweet Sister friend.

    • Miss Tonya, I’ve never heard of making a Yule log with the ribbons and bows! Wow! A cool idea. I hope enjoy being at your folks again and sharing the love. Miss Sage’s little tail will be wagging off! She’ll put down her duck for Grandma. 🙂 Love you and Merry Christmas!

  6. I used to do a lot of Christmas decorating, but I don’t do as much since it’s only my husband and me at home.

    • Janice, as our home shrinks, our energy level dwindles. Comes with age I think. A little is just fine. That’s what I’ve decided. I do what I can and don’t stress over it. Merry Christmas!

  7. Merry Christmas Linda! Cute pic of you! Love your wreaths and decorations! And liked the information on wreaths. I have a Christmas wreath on my door and mainly my decorations are outside lights and front porch.

    • Tracy, thank you for mentioning the pic of me. Very 1950-ish! I don’t know how I skinned my knee but I’m sure there’s a story there! Ha Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

  8. Lovely Linda! I love your decorations! Festive! Even though it’s just my husband and I, we still put up all our decorations that we’ve always had! It surrounds us with warmth and joy and so many memories! I love turning on the tree lights every morning when I wake up. We go to our son’s house for Christmas but we still enjoy decorating our house so we can enjoy it from Thanksgiving to New Years!

  9. Hello. I know about a funeral wreath. I actually bought one when my mother in law passed away. The traditions we have are hanging out the stocking, opening one present Christmas eve, buying one ornament for each person in the family so when they are old enough to leave the house they will have some to start their own trees. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Hugs

  10. I usually do decorate inside my house, though I don’t have room to put up a tree, but this year there was so much stress for me and I wasn’t allowed to do any reaching for awhile, and by the time I could, I just decided it wasn’t going to get done this year. I’ll just enjoy others decorations, as I go to my sister’s on Christmas Eve and to friends on Christmas Day.

  11. I do the whole Christmas thing – tree, decorate the house with lights, wreaths, and sleights. I have a grapevine wreath I leave up on my door all year. I change the flowers and leaves accordingly to the season.

    • Karijean, you’re very smart to keep your grapevine wreath on your door and only change out the flowers. Saves a lot of money. I’ll bet your house sparkles with the twinkling lights. Merry Christmas.

  12. Last year I had to downsize to a much smaller tree. 7 feet to 4 feet. The small one sits on a table. I didn’t like it all last year. This year I love it. Many treasured ornaments are stored away but the little gold glitter mouse my new husband surprised me with in 1971 and the little handmade felt tree my mother put on my gift for that first ever away from family Christmas in 1971 are always the first two ornaments on the tree.

    Over the years I’ve begun collecting Santa’s. I’ve downsized them as well.

    Time may be coming for my granddaughters to choose what they might want on their future homes.

    I am loving the posts. Merry Christmas, Linda. I love you.

    • Nona, we all have to downsize sooner or later as age takes over. Sounds like you have some treasures that fill your heart with love and joy. Plus memories. Merry Christmas to you and Bill.

  13. I have put up a Christmas tree for the last time. I do plan on expanding the decorations on my fire place mantel and add some mini lights there. I have two wreaths, one on my inside door in the living room and the other on the outside of our entry. Years ago I used to put up garland with lights around my entry door, but cold weather and the inconvenience of shutting them off each evening convinced me to stop that. I love the garland of poinsettias you have around your door. It gave me ideas for next year. Your decorations are just beautiful.

    • No pressure, Judy. Just do the things you can that make you happy. There’s no use working yourself to death and what you put up, you have to take down. I’m glad you like my decorations. They’re simple like me. I’ve had that poinsettia garland for many years. Only the wreath is new. Merry Christmas!

  14. We only have a Christmas tree. I also put up any Christmas Cards we receive. I love your Christmas Wreaths.

  15. Dear Linda – Happy, happy holidays and all the best for you in 2024. Yes, we do decorate. Or I should be more accurate and give the credit to live-in granddaughter who takes care of us in many ways including making sure the house is festive. We love to see things decorated and lit up, including the tree with all our favorites on it.My husband had major surgery in October and another surgery in November so we have slowed down and scaled back a little this year but still have happy things to look at inside and in the back around the pond. Every couple of years I like to go through all the ornaments just to reminisce and look at old decorations made by the children when they were little and other things I don’t usually display anymore but don’t want to get rid of. Take care and enjoy the season. Love the photos! sally xo

  16. Sally, sending prayers that your husband gets back on his feet. How fortunate you are to have a granddaughter living with you. What a great help. I’m glad you enjoy the pictures. Merry Christmas.

  17. Love your decorations! And what a great picture! Wish I’d posted one of myself on my blog during Christmas past— great idea! Love you, girl! Have a fabulous Christmas ?, Linda!

  18. I always put a wreath on my door. I make five kinds of cookies and six kinds of candy. I give some of them as gifts.

  19. Several years ago, my late husband made me a cross out of horseshoes and horseshoe nails, then painted it silver. During the holidays, I decorate it with some large white and red poinsettias. I also have a beautiful nativity scene which I put on my corner tv. I have other nativity scenes, but this is the only one I have room for right now. Have a beautiful village, but no place to put it.

  20. Hi Linda, Love your wreaths & boot decorations. Yes, I have decorated inside & out for years. Hubby, is now getting on me about climbing since both of us are nearly 80. I do icicle lights, wreath on door with a talking motion activated Santa. Lights around windows & a LED tall changing color lights tree outside. Inside, I put up Santa & Mrs. Claus, small Christmas tree, lights, lanterns, candles & lots of bows…. As you can tell, I love Christmas & so do my grandchildren & great-grandchildren. Wishing you & your family a MERRY CHRISTMAS & a HAPPY NEW YEAR’S. Have read your books for a number of years now & I hope I will always be able to. Your reader, Lois Imel

  21. I don’t go all out like I use to, but I have a small tree and I put up my door wreath. My Christmas music boxes my oldest brother gave me and a few treasured table decorations.

  22. Merry Christmas. Usually we decorate the whole house. This year with my meds changing and my not having much energy and only hosting once, I didnt worry about it too much. We put up our tree and the alpine village under it. I know life will be better next christmas. I have hope in Jesus about this one.

  24. Your wreath on the door is lovely. The small wreaths were a cute craft project. We were out of the country for a couple of weeks, so didn’t decorate. I got COVID the last day of the trip, so my plans for a late Christmas and decorating are on hold. Hopefully, we can celebrate Christmas on Epiphany. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

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