Usually, we get a Christmas Tree tag, which entitles us to drive several hours, chop down a tree from a protected forest and bring it home to decorate. We place the tree in water. Add lights. Add decorations.

My home-sewed mantle scarf goes up. So do various house decorations. A Martha Stewart wreath. A snow globe or two. A scented candle. A large snowflake doodad.

Last year, we didn’t get a tree tag. We didn’t feel like shelling out $40 for an Oregon tree, either. So we just didn’t decorate, save for some evergreen branches purchased at Trader Joe’s that failed to fill the house with the aroma of fir. Oh well.

Surprisingly — it wasn’t depressing at all. It was actually pretty nice to not have the stress of keeping a tree watered and happy, keeping the dog from drinking the Christmas tree water, remembering to plug in the lights every night, figuring out where to put all the decorations…

So we’re not decorating this year, either. Some year, when we feel like it, we might trot out all the glitter and doohickeys again. Until then, we’ll just enjoy the things we love about the season — the cold, dark, hibernation-friendly nights; the smell of smoke in the crisp outdoor air; snugglier dogs; wearing socks and sweaters and blankets; baking bread…