Cheetah Print Christmas Trees
![Cheetah Print Christmas Trees](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_39985.jpg)
Ah, animal print. Everyone go-to when they need to feel a little fancy. Well, here’s the deal...for the holidays this print is just off-limits. Christmas is about fir trees...not fur trees. Peta called, and they want to tell you that animal print doesn’t belong on your Christmas decorations. Animal print comes and goes, but that doesn’t make it a classic.
Ditch that over-the-top style that hasn’t been relevant since 2008 and opt for something timeless. You’ll never go wrong with the classic look. There are better ways to express your fanciness than gaudy animal print. If you’re just into zoology why not decorate with a nice reindeer or moose? Something more Christmas-y than zebra or leopard.
Holiday Hooplah (too much)
![Holiday Hooplah (too much)](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_5212.jpg)
Have you ever met that person who starts listening to Christmas music in July? Yeah...we all know at least one of those kinds of people, and they’re just...annoying! We get it, the holidays are such a magical time of year, and we completely support anyone who wants to celebrate life. But do all things in moderation, right?
Too much of a good thing quickly becomes bad. Don’t let your Christmas decorations close in on you. It’s always good to keep things simple, elegant, and timeless. If you’re not careful things can quickly get out of hand and turn tacky!
Popcorn Garland
![Popcorn Garland](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_21567.jpg)
Stringing popcorn has been a Christmas tradition since 1842, but that doesn’t mean it’s cute. If you want to string some popcorn and cranberries, have a little craft time with your kids or grandkids. However, leave that bird food off of your Christmas trees or you may have a few ants opening presents on Christmas morning too.
Use that popcorn as a snack while your watching some Hallmark movies, but don’t waste it on your Christmas trees. The whole concept just seems a bit wasteful. Buttery popcorn hanging on a tree isn’t the best way to deck the halls.
Colored Christmas Trees
![Colored Christmas Trees](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_3933.jpg)
When people got tired of regular Christmas trees, they switched to obnoxiously colored Christmas trees. Blue, green, red, yellow, and even rainbow Christmas trees have been all the rage for several years...but, if everyone else was jumping off a cliff would you?
These trees are a little tacky. The problem is, they look like they’re something out of a Tim Burton movie. A hot pink tree just doesn’t say “Merry Christmas.” It says candy land, bubble gum, and pepto-bismol. Stick to a regular tree if you’re trying to have a nice Christmas, otherwise, you’ll have to live with obnoxious arborvitae in your house.
Tinsel
![Tinsel](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_41148.jpg)
If you’re wondering what tinsel is you must be pretty young, but those of us born in the late 1900s know it as those cheap plastic streamers that shine on the lights of Christmas trees. They’re made from iridescent or reflective ribbons that come in almost any color...but it’s all just so bad.
Tinsel became very popular in the ’50s and ’60s and it’s stuck around ever since. There were even tinsel trees made entirely out of tinsel. Like most cheap plastic things, tinsel just doesn’t hold up. They get tangled, caught on things, and even go up in flames if they’re on a light for too long!
Colored Christmas Lights
![Colored Christmas Lights](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_1956.jpg)
Since electricity was invented, people have been enamored with twinkling lights. Around the holiday’s people even drive around their neighborhoods and look at everyone’s light display with their families. For many, this is their favorite event of the season, and honestly, it’s one of our favorites too.
However, we’d like to spread a little advice when it comes to Christmas lights. Don’t make your house look like the Griswolds and definitely don’t hang up colored Christmas lights. Glimmering white lights captivate our eyes, but those corny colored lights just don’t have the same charm. They don’t light up in the night as well, and just look chintzy!
Leaving Your Lights Up Too Long
![Leaving Your Lights Up Too Long](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_23336.jpg)
Every neighborhood has that one neighbor who leaves their Christmas lights up way too long or just the entire year! Don’t be that person. Your neighbors all snicker when they drive by your house with last year's light display. Christmas in July is cute and all, but not when it’s unintentional and lazy.
Leaving up your Christmas lights year-round is a direct signal to your neighborhood that you really just don’t care. And that’s not a good thing to project to those around you. Next thing you know you’re getting fined for knee-high grass and untrimmed hedges. Seriously though, take those Christmas lights down.
Burlap Christmas Extravaganza
![Burlap Christmas Extravaganza](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_33772.jpg)
Who doesn’t love potato sacks everywhere in your house? Yeah, that’s what it’s like having burlap on your Christmas tree. How rustic. We’ve seen burlap for years now, and it’s been fully explored to the end of its rope. Leave burlap in the barn, we’ve been there done that, and have the Pinterest feeds to prove it.
From table runners, Christmas tree ornaments, tree skirts, and stockings, we’ve seen it all and we’ve had enough. Burlap belongs in the garbage along with your throw-away potato peels. Why not go for something a bit nicer? If you’re that sold on burlap, that’s ok...just keep this itchy material to a minimum.
Big Brand Christmas Decor
![Big Brand Christmas Decor](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_45370.jpg)
This tacky trend may be uniquely American, but somewhere along the way, big brands started nosing their way into our families on Christmas morning. While this is a pretty clever way to put their brands in our minds during the most intimate of celebrations, it’s absolutely an invasion of privacy.
Besides, decorating with Coca-Cola, Oreo, or Pepsi for the holidays just doesn’t sound like the most glamorous way to celebrate the holidays. These special days are about family, not allowing corporate America to butt their way into your home to show you an involuntary advert. Leave those Coco-Cola bears in the north pole.
Lanterns on Lanterns
![Lanterns on Lanterns](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_1058.jpg)
Another Pinterest project gone wild is the lantern trend. For years people have been collecting lanterns and spreading them throughout their houses during the holidays. They fill them, stack them, but rarely ever light them. It’s laughable how many lanterns some people have scattered across their homes.
This trend has gone the way of throw pillows. You’re told to buy some, and then you just keep buying them because that’s all you know. These lanterns got so popular that some people made them a permanent fixture in their decor. Having a lantern (read: one lantern) can be a tasteful accent piece, but too many become a bit obnoxious.
Country Christmas
![Country Christmas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_4941.jpg)
If you like your Christmas a little bit country, just skip this slide. There’s nothing wrong with a throwback, but the people who take country Christmas a little too seriously don’t seem to know when enough is enough. We get it, you like a Stetson hat and a pair of cowboy boots. The truth is, it’s just a little tired.
Unless Dolly Parton is the angel on top of your Christmas tree, we don’t want to see it. You have the entire rest of the year to go to the rodeo, why not switch things up a bit and add some variety to your life? Furthermore, having a little country Christmas in your suburban house built in 2008 just seems a little inauthentic.
Christmas Angels
![Christmas Angels](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_33863.jpg)
What’s that on top of the Christmas tree? Oh! A Christmas angel, how...quaint. Adorning the top of your Christmas tree with a pious Christmas angel is so old school, we don’t even know where the tradition started. We’re all for traditions but if you really think about it, what’s an angel have to do with the top of your Christmas tree?
Besides, those old-school ornate porcelain angels eerily stare at you from across the room all throughout the holidays. Judging you as you walk by with another piece of pie from the kitchen. All jokes aside, these winged cherubs just don’t quite say “happy holidays” like they used to. Swap them out with a nice bow or something else instead.
The Elf on the Shelf
![The Elf on the Shelf](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_21613.jpg)
Yet another creepy humanoid that inhabits our homes during the holidays is the Elf on the Shelf. These blushing creepers “hide” themselves around the house so that the kids in your house can find them during the holidays. Anything to get your mind off those in-laws right? Well, they’ll at least make a fun conversation topic.
Elf on the Shelf started nearly ten years ago and become a cultural phenomenon that rivaled that of Frosty the Snowman or Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. However, unlike the sweet and loveable characters we normally see around the holidays, these tricky little elves like to cause commotion around the house and...well, unnerve your family.
Animatronic Santas
![Animatronic Santas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_17398.jpg)
Around the holidays these horrid little figures crawl out of whatever trashbag they’ve been hiding in for the past year to sing their little songs and dance their little dances. After a while, they start looking a little odd...and sounding a little odd too. None of us are sure where these guys came from...they’ve just always been there!
So, if Santa is starting to look a little worse for wear, throw him out! It does sound a little sad to throw out Santa right before the holidays, but what good is he doing rotting in some dark attic? Besides, he’s probably been cramping your style on the holidays as soon as that plastic hair started to turn yellow.
Christmas Light Reindeer
![Christmas Light Reindeer](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_28371.jpg)
What many consider a Christmas classic, these Christmas Light reindeer aren’t doing anything but cluttering up the front yard. At night, sure they’re majestic stags standing ethereally in your front yard….but in the daytime they’re just a bunch of random pieces of plastic stacked on top of each other.
As if three of these phony animals weren’t enough, people think they need to get an entire herd, and all of a sudden we’re overrun with Christmas light reindeer! If you have the impulse to buy some of these from your local big-box store...don’t. Just remember, if you can buy it at Walmart, that trend is officially out!
Disney-Themed Christmas
![Disney-Themed Christmas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_20912.jpg)
Unless you have about 6 kids at your house on Christmas morning, there’s no reason to have a very merry Disney-themed Christmas. Seriously though, there’s nothing more annoying than a Disney adult! Mickey Mouse was cute when you were about five, but it’s just time to grow up. We’re not in Neverland.
Watch a couple of Disney movies if you must. But a Disney-themed Christmas is nothing but tacky. Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, and 101 Dalmatians just don’t belong on Christmas morning. Like those big corporate Christmas decorations, all they do is make things look tacky. Ditch Disney this holiday season, and try something more elegant.
Menorahs When You’re Not Jewish
![Menorahs When You’re Not Jewish](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_10244.jpg)
Oh, there’s nothing more unnerving than cultural appropriation. Somewhere along the way, it became super cool to put up a menorah in your home even when you’re not Jewish. This is just not okay...if you have not officially converted to Judaism, don’t bring a menorah to your Christmas celebration.
There are so many other holiday traditions and decorations to explore, why in the world do you need to steal someone else’s culture? There’s absolutely no reason or situation in which that is appropriate, so just don’t do it at all. If you’re interested in other people’s culture, watch a documentary or something!
Over-the-top Nativity Scenes
![Over-the-top Nativity Scenes](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_1649.jpg)
If you didn’t know, a nativity scene is a little set of figurines that depict the birth of Jesus Christ. They usually come with a sweet baby Jesus, a Mary and a Joseph, and three wise men. Usually, there are a few barnyard animals too. Oh, and the star! They go perfectly on your coffee table or fireplace mantle.
However, like with most things...too much is just too much. People think it’s super cool to rebuild a life-sized replica of their nativity scenes in their front yard for all to see. To put it over the top, they also bring real-life animals and re-enact the scene with their family for the neighborhood to watch. This is just too much.
Fake Snow
![Fake Snow](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_47249.jpg)
The most beautiful part about winter is seeing that delicate powdery snow that covers our rooftops and coats the branches of trees all winter long. But, imitation is cheap. People have been using fake “snow” for decades. They buy it in sheets to put under their trees and even in spray cans to frost their windows.
However you do it, fake snow is just not the look. Besides, we’re not even sure what that stuff is made out of! You could be using harmful chemicals all over your house and not even know it. It’s tacky anyways. We’re not saying you should go outside and bring in real snow! Just, let the snow be beautiful how it is...
Yard Blow-Ups
![Yard Blow-Ups](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_3240.jpg)
It wouldn’t be a tacky decor list without mentioning these horrible yard inflatables. Here’s the deal...they’re never cute. No matter what you think at the moment, they’re just plain tacky. Horrible, even. They blow around, droop when they’re wet. They rarely ever look how they’re supposed to.
No matter what, they just look cheap! They’re pieces of nylon after all. The only thing that can make these yard blow-ups worse is to make them gigantic and that’s been done too. Whoever thought that an absolutely massive Frosty the Snowman would look good in their yard is only out for one thing, and that’s attention.
Peacock Christmas Ornaments
![Peacock Christmas Ornaments](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_8989.jpg)
Like animal print, peacocks just don’t belong in Christmas decor. Peacocks are exotic birds with beautiful feathers, and while we love to look at them any other time of year, Christmas is the one time we would rather not. They’re just not Christmasy, but people still decorate with a peacock theme anyways.
If you love birds, that’s cool! But why not go with something a little more seasonally appropriate. A snowbird or cardinal would look beautiful nestled in your Christmas tree...but a peacock? Something’s are just out of place. People who like to decorate in peacock themes also tend to go a bit too far, so it’s best to leave peacocks alone altogether.
Brown Christmas Decorations
![Brown Christmas Decorations](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_36604.jpg)
Whoever said brown was a fabulous color to decorate with for Christmas lied. Who in their right mind would think brown is pretty? It can be pretty in very rare circumstances. But for Christmas? Absolutely not. Brown is heavy and looks like mud...or worse. A touch of brown is fine, but only using brown is not a good look.
Wouldn’t you rather have a little color in there? It is the holidays after all. A little red never hurt anyone! There are so many other seasonally appropriate colors besides brown. If you’re a person who solely likes neutrals (we’re looking at you beige enthusiasts,) that’s perfectly fine. Just use whites, creams, gold, or even silver.
Poinsettias
![Poinsettias](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_16073.jpg)
Somewhere along the way, poinsettias became intertwined with Christmas tradition. These flowers originally came from South America, but around the 1600s their beautiful red leaves were used to decorate elaborate nativity scenes in the southwestern part of North America.
While a stunning hue of red, these leaves come with a secret. They’re just about as a nuisance as poison ivy. The sap from their leaves can cause rashes and irritated skin. And don’t even think about letting your pets near them! Leave these itchy red leaves at the store from now on, they don’t belong in the house.
Scraggly Christmas Trees
![Scraggly Christmas Trees](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_48274.jpg)
Around 2016 people started ditching their big, full Christmas trees for tiny scraggly ones that can barely support five ornaments without snapping a branch. We’re going to blame Joanna Gaines and Magnolia for this tacky trend. Seeing it once is endearing, but like most things with her show, it just got way overused.
Minimalism is wonderful, but sometimes we don’t want our decor to be sparse and drab. Christmas is one of those times. Now, we’re not asking minimalists to go all out, but maybe at least get a slender full tree. That way it’s not overpowering, but it’s not leaving you with a sad-looking Christmas tree.
Cotton Stem Decor
![Cotton Stem Decor](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_15084.jpg)
Another 2016 special, the cotton stem, invaded homes everywhere for nearly ten years now. A couple of stems can be really cute, but after a while seeing them in garlands, wreaths, the Christmas tree, and centerpieces leaves us a bit worn out with it. There are other ways to bring a natural look to your decor.
Cotton has gotten overused, and unfortunately, it’s now tacky. Leave these out of your Christmas decor this year and try something new! Something you haven’t seen a thousand times on HGTV. It’s okay to be original! Just give the cotton stems a break this holiday season.
Palm Tree Christmas Trees
![Palm Tree Christmas Trees](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_9965.jpg)
Obviously, not everywhere in the world will have the climate for traditional Christmas trees. But seeing people decorate palm trees as Christmas trees is just hilarious. It’s even more fun when they have beach bunny Santa Claus along with it! A palm tree Christmas tree is like a beach-themed bathroom in Montana.
It’s just not right! Christmas trees just need to be Christmas trees. The amazing thing is that you don’t have to have a real tree to celebrate! You can just get a fake one like everyone else. Palm tree Christmas trees are funny in an ironic kind of way, but irony never makes good home decor.
Patriotic Christmas Decor
![Patriotic Christmas Decor](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_6705.jpg)
It’s always good to be proud of the country you live in, but leave that patriotism for the fourth of July. Any other time it’s just tacky. A patriotic Christmas takes things a bit too far. Christmas has nothing to do with your love for your country. It’s a worldwide holiday! Out of any holiday, it’s probably the best time to celebrate together.
Patriotism has a time and place, and the holiday season just isn’t it. Red, white, and blue just don’t make great Christmas decor. There’s also something odd about people who are die-hard nationalists. A healthy amount of criticism of one’s self and government makes the world go round.
“Baby’s First Christmas” Ornaments
![“Baby’s First Christmas” Ornaments](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_32405.jpg)
Again with the memory Christmas ornaments, these “Baby’s First Christmas” ornaments never seem to go with the rest of your decor. Usually, these ornaments are given as gifts from someone else, and that person has no idea what your decor is going to look like that year. So it very rarely matches.
If you’re going to commemorate your baby’s first Christmas with its own ornament, that’s fine. Just maybe get your own, or let everyone know what your decor looks like ahead of time so it matches. Or, you can throw it on the “Special” tree with the other handmade and memory ornaments.
Handmade Christmas Ornaments
![Handmade Christmas Ornaments](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_22434.jpg)
Those darling little crafts are packed full of memories, but the problem is most of them look like homemade soap. UGLY! We love arts and crafts as much as the next person, but those Christmas ornaments made by little Johnny when he was six just don’t say elegant decor. That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of them though.
Handmade ornaments can be displayed, separate from your main Christmas decorations. It would probably break your family’s hearts to throw away their childhood Christmas ornaments, so save the heartache and get them their own special little tree somewhere else. That way you can display them proudly without taking away from the good decor.
Hodge-Podged Memory Trees
![Hodge-Podged Memory Trees](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_40245.jpg)
Finally, what may be the most controversial piece of decor on our list, the hodge-podge memory Christmas trees may be the tackiest thing in your home during the holidays. These trees are purposefully tacky, and that’s okay. They serve a purpose after all! So it’s something that sticks around.
Like your aunt Susan who never has anything nice to say and just doesn’t fit in with the rest of the family, you can’t get rid of her. She’s there, and you have to live with it. Yes, your memory tree is tacky...but it’s perfectly okay. What would be even tackier is throwing all of those ornaments away.
Glitter Pinecones
![Glitter Pinecones](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_34478.jpg)
Mother nature knows best, honestly. Every Fall season, pinecones by the thousands fall from trees and clutter the ground, but in honor of the yule-time season we gather those beautiful pinecones and use them as ornaments and decoration in our homes. This is just another way to cozy up the home for the holidays.
The only way to mess these pinecones up is to cover them in tacky, cheap, glitter. People coat the edges of pinecones in glue and roll them in glitter. But it just looks cheap. Ditch the glitter pinecones, especially around the holidays. That glitter gets everywhere, and besides…it’s absolutely terrible for the environment.
Door Signs
![Door Signs](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_24962.jpg)
Around the time that farmhouse decor left the country for the suburbs so did those tacky door signs. You know, the ones people prop up against their entryways that proclaim something. This whole fad is all about labeling things and telling people how to feel…it’s obnoxious! No one wants to be told what to do.
Around the holidays, these door signs always say something ridiculous. “Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal!” Or how about “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays.” Yeah right, people are doing everything they can to avoid going home for the Holidays. These wooden planks are just another cash-grab to get you to spend money.
Candles in the Window
![Candles in the Window](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_13702.jpg)
Placing candles in the window of your home is one of those old-timey Christmas traditions that people still cling to for whatever reason. People placed candles in their windows for a variety of reasons, but to be honest, the whole thing is confusing! Some do it for loved ones who’ve passed, others for people who are away for the holidays.
Some people don’t have a particular reason for doing the things they do. They just do it for the sake of doing something. What we’re getting at is that this trend is antiquated…and not to mention a bit of a fire hazard. Also, it’s kind of creepy to see a lone candle in your neighbor’s window.
Excessive Christmas Lights
![Excessive Christmas Lights](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_22672.jpg)
Year after year, people lose their minds and make Christmas lights into their entire personalities. Whether they’re keeping up with the Jones’s or reliving some sort of lack-luster childhood dream through a pricey electric bill. While your neighbors are smiling to your face, they’re talking smack about you behind your back.
Listen, the whole idea behind National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is that Clark Griswold was an insufferable moron. No one’s house should be seen from space. It’s not cute and quite frankly, downright obnoxious. How about sticking with a few classic strings of light trimming your rooftop.
Star Wars Christmas
![Star Wars Christmas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_3849.jpg)
People who are so obsessed with Star Wars are tacky all on their own, but it’s time we talk about a serious issue…and that’s the strange trend of mixing Star Wars in with your Christmas decorations. Yes, Baby Yoda is cute, but not for Christmas! No one needs Darth Vader carving their Christmas ham with a lightsaber.
Star Wars people are right up there with people obsessed with Disney. If you’re a kid, it’s totally fine to think Star Wars is cool and an appropriate Christmas decor scheme, but as an adult, it’s a different story. It’s time to grow up Star Wars fans! Why not just watch the movies with your family instead of torturing them with lightsaber Christmas lights all season long?
Beach Santa Theme
![Beach Santa Theme](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_31921.jpg)
Ahhhh, after the holidays Santa likes to grab Misses Clause in his magical sleigh and fly to Tahiti for the new year and get out of the cold winter weather! And thus, beach Santa was born. Cue the speedos and tan lines because Santa's coming to town…to the beach town! Not a pretty thought is it.
That’s why we think this trend is totally tacky. No one wants to see Santa in a scantily clad swimsuit! Let’s leave Santa in the North Pole…where he belongs. We’re perfectly fine with the traditional ho ho ho Santa Clause, and you should be too.
Excessively Vintage Christmas
![Excessively Vintage Christmas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_49240.jpg)
The whole vintage trend comes around every now and then, only to disappear back into obscurity. But then you have die-hard vintage fans who just can’t let a dead horse lie. A little bit of vintage is totally fine, but when your house all of a sudden looks like the inside of a Cracker Barrel for the holidays, you’ve gone too far.
Keep the vintage look limited to a few good items. Like a few vintage ornaments sprinkled in, one (repeat after me, ONE) vintage Santa, or even a nice antique nativity scene. After so many vintage pieces your house may start to look like your neighborhood flea market. Like most things, enjoy it in moderation.
Christmas Rugs
![Christmas Rugs](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_20146.jpg)
We love a tastefully decorated entryway. A wreath or mini tree by the door can provide a perfect boost of holiday cheer - and make your neighbors jealous of your sophisticated taste. But please, it's time to do away with the crusty Christmas rugs. They're over the top, and why buy extra decorations just for people to wipe their feet on?
Tacky Christmas Serving ware
![Tacky Christmas Serving ware](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_40798.jpg)
Besides Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner is the holiday meal we’re all counting on for another round of turkey and some tasty Christmas ham. That Christmas ham sure does taste a lot better on that snowman platter you’ve had for thirty years, doesn’t it? Not really, especially after years of wear and tear on it.
It’s time to give that tacky, dated, Christmas serving ware a break. As in, a retirement party in your donation bin. Let’s give someone else a chance to love that serving ware as much as you have, and while you’re at it…get something nice, timeless, and fashionable as it’s replacement. It’s like a divorce, and you’re trading in for a younger model.
Obnoxious Audio-Shows
![Obnoxious Audio-Shows](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_34666.jpg)
About ten years ago now, audio shows in your front yard around Christmas time became a really neat new way to torture your neighbors around the holidays! Just what everyone wants when they drive by your house, a loudspeaker blaring Mariah Carey and Mannheim Steamroller for weeks on end.
Your neighbors think you’re rude. There’s just no way around it. Sure, they’ll bring their kids to see it, but afterward, they’re judging you for sure. No one loves the holidays that much, and you’re just pretending if you do. Whatever childhood trauma that made you feel like you need to blare Christmas music at your neighbors can be resolved with a few therapy sessions.
War on Christmas Propaganda
![War on Christmas Propaganda](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_3883.jpg)
For those of you that get completely offended when someone says Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, you’re hurting your own feelings…for no reason at all. This is the land of the free! If someone doesn’t want to celebrate the holidays for any reason, that’s their right. So don’t be a prick.
You never know why someone isn’t celebrating Christmas. It could be for religious reasons, a death in the family, or they may just be a scrouge…but despite what conservative news has told you, no one is taking away Christmas. So, I think we can all take a lesson here and that is to calm down and stay out of other people’s business.
Creepy Christmas Gnomes
![Creepy Christmas Gnomes](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_45475.jpg)
As if a giant magical fat man breaking into your house to give presents to your children isn’t creepy enough, these Christmas gnomes are straight out of the holiday horror movie, Krampus! More often than not, these gnomes are faceless and feature long dangling legs. We just have one question.
Since when did gnomes sneak into Christmas decor? The only magic beings working for Santa are elves! So, are these Christmas gnomes Christmas imposters? It definitely raises suspicion, because last we checked gnomes were the creepy cousins of elves. What’s next…Christmas trolls? We hope not!
Too Many Glitter Stems
![Too Many Glitter Stems](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_27732.jpg)
When ornament, lights, pinecones, and ribbons weren’t enough anymore we had to dip our toe into something a little extra for our Christmas decorations. Glitter stems. These stems are coated with glitter and shaped in tons of different designs and sizes. Some even have balls at the end of them!
We were putting them all through the tree and sticking out of the top of our trees as our crowning arrangement. But, after your tree is assembled you may notice the glitter homicide that’s happened on your floor! That crap gets everywhere, and there’s no avoiding it. This trend is getting a little dated and tacky, so let’s pass this year.
Hawaiian Christmas
![Hawaiian Christmas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_32725.jpg)
“Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say, On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day.” If you’re doing things the island way this Christmas, just know the rest of us think you’re a little tacky. At this point, we should all know that Hawaii doesn’t really want to be bothered. We should really pack-up and leave the islands to be governed by its own people.
Native people to Hawaii don’t celebrate Christmas culturally so it’s a bit offensive to make an entire segment of Christmas decor related to celebrating the holidays on the big island. This whole theme is similar to the Beach Santa decor which is equally as tacky and ridiculous. In short…just don’t do it.
Christmas Trees that Look Like Characters
![Christmas Trees that Look Like Characters](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_3629.jpg)
Once we figured out that we could sculpt our Christmas trees to look like characters from our favorite books, movies, or shows, people completely lost their minds. All of a sudden a horrid Grinch-Christmas tree-hybrid is standing in your living room, staring down your friends and family.
Seriously, these monstrosities look like someone shoved a Christmas tree through Santa! What a horrifying thing for your children to see! “Sorry kids, Santa can’t deliver gifts this year because we skinned him and used him as Christmas tree decorations this year. That’s a horrifying thought, isn’t it?
Upside Down Christmas Trees
![Upside Down Christmas Trees](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_12214.jpg)
Several years ago, it became a fad to suspend your Christmas tree upside down. For whatever reason, we’re not so sure. It is a good way to save floor space, but this just looks so bizarre and honestly a little dangerous These trees can’t be safe. Some have their own stand, but even then that seems top-heavy.
It would be one thing if these upside-down trees looked good…but they just don’t. We’re all for breaking the mold, but in this instance, we’re going to suggest sticking with the norm. Anything too outlandish around the holidays can quickly turn tacky, so stick to what you know and you’ll be totally safe.
Spring Florals for Christmas
![Spring Florals for Christmas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_42184.jpg)
Christmas florals usually look like fir stems, holly, and poinsettias…however, in recent years people have been dipping their toes into spring florals for the holidays. We’re not buying it. You have the entire rest of the year to enjoy spring florals, so why not give them a break for the holidays?
Blushes, blues, and yellows in your Christmas decor just don’t seem to ring in the new year. Why not wait until Easter to break out the pastels? Roses don’t belong on the Christmas tree. If you’re that hung-up on florals stick with white or red and do something traditional. It’s winter foliage’s time to shine!
Candy Themed Christmas
![Candy Themed Christmas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_32667.jpg)
If your holiday decor looks like something out of Candy Land, we need to have a conversation. Candy-themed Christmas just doesn’t look good for anybody. What you’ll end up with by the end of it all is a tacky mess of overbearing knick-knacks that no one can make sense of. And no one wants that.
You may think that kids love candy, and they do, but if you ask Hansel and Gretel how they feel about the house with tons of candy…they may give you a different opinion. A little peppermint stripe as an accent doesn’t hurt, but just like with candy, too much sugar can give you a toothache.
Stuffed Animals in the Tree
![Stuffed Animals in the Tree](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_25545.jpg)
Placing stuffed animals in the branches of your Christmas tree almost seems like a cop-out. If your kid has an obsession with a certain book, movie, or show, this may seem like a perfect way to incorporate that into your holiday decor but it just doesn’t look good.
Also, placing a fabric bag stuffed full of flammable materials right next to problematic Christmas lights seems like a massive fire hazard. Why not leave your stuffed friends out of the tree and give them a place on your mantle? That seems like a much better way to include them.
Harry Potter Themed Christmas
![Harry Potter Themed Christmas](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/entertainment/u19311_slide_21371.jpg)
While we argue that Harry Potter is technically a Christmas movie, we can’t support the notion of a Potter-themed Christmas. At some point, we’ve got to draw the line on how much we can let Harry Potter in. Christmas is that line. Watch the movies, take the house quizzes online, but don’t let the boy who lived ruin your Christmas.
And before you come wagging your plastic wand in our faces…we’re fans too! The thing is, it’s time to grow up. Your Hogwarts letter is never coming, and it’s time to celebrate a very merry, muggle, Christmas. Hufflepuffs, we know you’ll primarily be the ones to write in to complain, so we’ll go ahead and get this out of the way…don’t bother you can’t change our minds.
![](http://assets.alot.com/assets/common/authors/jennifer_freehill.jpg)