The Ghost of Christmas past

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane of Christmas past. I can only hope you are old enough to remember my references and explanations of those truly diabolical décor trends we used to purchase with promise and use to decorate our homes with pride.

Now, I’ll be the first to acknowledge that many trends come full circle every so often, but I think I can say with conviction that these will remain well and truly tucked away in the ‘80s. Or at the very least, one can only hope they will.

1. The Thick, Shiny Snake of Yesteryear
   Remember when tinsel wasn’t just an accessory but a dominant force? Not only did we drape it on our trees, but we emblazoned our ceilings, the table, and sometimes even ourselves. The goal – to turn our homes into a metallic jungle.
2. The Accordion of Shiny Stuff
   Ahhh, the foil garland often draped on the ceiling from one side of the room to the other. The room in question? ANYWHERE! There were an assortment of colours, but the intricate patterned foil usually showed itself off in shiny gold, red, or green. Exhibit A – we shan’t forget.
3. The Fibre Optic Tree
   A mesmerising dance of colour that left us feeling like we were trapped in a low-budget sci-fi movie.
4. Musical Christmas Lights
   Dancing to the beat of Christmas songs? Usually an amalgamation of blue, green, red, and yellow, sometimes flashing or simply constant, dazzling us with their grandeur.
5. Flocked Frosted Everything
   And I mean everything! I remember as a child spraying snow on the artificial Fibre Optic tree with glee. I grew up in Africa and had never seen snow before, not to mention the stifling heat that December brought with it. It was all very confusing.