AITA For Thinking It’s Nuts to Buy a New Christmas Tree & Ornaments Every Single Year?

One Reddit user shares their frustration about a relative who buys a brand new, full-size Christmas tree and all new decorations every single year. From changing the tree’s color and design to constantly purchasing new ornaments, lights, and even a tree skirt, the user finds this wasteful and materialistic.

Despite never reusing any of the decorations, the relative just stores them in a basement “graveyard.” The user confesses to silently judging this practice but wonders if they’re overreacting. Read the full story below.

‘ AITA For Thinking It’s Nuts to Buy a New Christmas Tree & Ornaments Every Single Year?’

I have a relative who buys a brand-new (fake) Christmas tree every single year. One year it’s silver, the next it’s white, and sometimes it even has built-in snow. And it’s not just the tree—she gets all new ornaments, a new topper, new lights (in a different color each year),

and even a new tree skirt with a different design. I mentioned to another relative that this seems a bit nuts to me, and they acted like I’m the weird one. They said people do this all the time.

What really gets me is that she never donates, sells, or gives any of the old stuff away. She just has an entire room in her basement where she throws it all each year. It’s like a Christmas tree graveyard.

I’ve never seen her reuse any of it. So, AITA for thinking this is wasteful and materialistic? I didn’t say anything to her directly, but I admit I’ve been silently judging.

Check out how the community responded:

TrainingAfternoon529 −  This must be fake. You have to share a picture of her basement first!

Dlraetz1 −  Isn’t the point of ornaments that you take them out and reflect on good times

Ballas333 −  Nah, this ain’t normal. The only reason this makes sense is if they own three homes, have stock in Google and Chevron, and just love to flaunt their wealth.

My view is that your kinda supposed to build a connection with your tree and your ornaments by interacting with them year after year. Especially growing up in a lower middle class home that can’t afford new ornaments let alone a whole new tree every year.

ParkingOutside6500 −  NTA. You can THINK whatever you want. Personally, I agree with you. The thought police seem to think you are screaming at her to change her ways. Fake trees are plastic, and thus they are bad for the environment, One can be redecorated easily enough. Thinking this does not make you evil or judgmental, just normal.

pixie-ann −  NTA sounds like relative has more money than sense. That said, it is their money and their storage space so they can be as silly with it as they like.

Large-Client-6024 −  My parents bought a 6 ft artificial tree in the early 1970’s, when they bought their house. They used it until 2003, when they downsized to a mobile home and the tree didn’t fit right.

They put it in the shed and bought a 3 ft fiber optic tree that they still use. In 2010 my nephew bought his home and asked for the old tree, as he couldn’t buy a new tree yet. I saw him last year and he was still using the 50 yr old tree.

Effective-Mongoose57 −  NTA. Is this for real? It sounds too crazy to be real. I know there are people out there that do get a new fake tree every year or two, but that is highly wasteful and they throw theirs away. But not hoard them in a basement.

MNConcerto −  NTA, I remember having a conversation with a coworker talking about decorating the tree. I said something about moving the boxes of ornaments upstairs and making sure the lights all still work etc. She said what? Don’t you just buy new decorations every year?

I was like hell no. It’s wasteful and expensive AND we buy meaningful ornaments for each other or the kids every year to hang on the tree so it’s full of memories. No matchy matchy designer tree for me. She was surprised. She was also raise JW and left so I think she missed some social cues.

Massive_Lack5365 −  You’re not an a**hole but I also don’t understand why it concerns you. It’s their money. If they want to work 50 hrs a week at a dead end job and then burn their money in their back yard, they can.

CrazyOldBag −  Are her trees tasteful? Why don’t you try something like, “Oh, the tree you had last year was so pretty! Could I perhaps buy it from you? I just love your taste in decorating!”. Might find out something.

Do you think the user’s judgment of their relative’s yearly Christmas tree overhaul is justified, or is this simply a personal preference for the holiday? How do you feel about the balance between tradition, sustainability, and materialism during the festive season? Share your thoughts below!