Christmas Decorations 101

So listen, do you know the difference between Father Christmas and Santa or Saint Nick? Do you care? Well, I do, and I am not militant about it, just wanted to clarify-Father Christmas images usually have long robes of various colors, rarely have toys toted on their backs, most times they appear with an evergreen tree and/or animals.

Santas usually have red clothing including a 3/4 coat and trousers.

But art is an expression of how others see things, so sometimes all these guidelines are out the window, because you will see all kinds of variations of the "Santa" theme. And the reason I have seen so many different kinds of Father Christmas and Santas is because I am a collector-OK, so maybe I am obsessive, I never met a Christmas Santa I didn't like.

One year we counted them, and counting the statues, ornaments, paintings, tablecloths, magnets, dishes, postcards, slippers, linens, (oh gee this is really revealing my madness isn't it?), Christmas cards, rugs, jewelry and stopped at 120.

This of course is in addition to my other Christmas decorations and musical Christmas singers,

and my SHs small Penguin collection.

But guess what? I just decided that I would not put out most of my collection of Father Christmases and Santas this year.

No need to call 911, I am not ill, just thought I might appreciate them more if not put out this year. Or maybe because I need a Santaesk break or maybe it just seemed like more than I wanted to do. I am not honestly sure why, but that is what I am doing this year.

Some years I have put out only my guys, and very little else, but this year, just a few pieces of them, and maybe more of a Nativity mindset.

This image in on the header of my page for December. It was on a house in the Florence area of Italy, just above the doorway, I took this picture as the bus was flying by-it just struck me as needing to stay with me.

I never gave the fellas more importance than the reason for the season, but they were just a cute little thing that was part of my definition.

And whatever way we express it, we need a little Christmas, in our hearts, in our minds in our houses and hopefully we have enough to share, so whatever decorations are your style, time to haul 'em out!