Maybe it’s the same everywhere, but here in the South you start seeing Christmas decorations in the stores not long after the back-to-school sales are over. You might even find some stores that have Halloween decorations, Thanksgiving decorations, and Christmas decorations separated only by an aisle. Yep, you can take care of all of your holiday decorating needs at one time and at one store.

It’s not uncommon to see outside decorations in the South. Painted deer sculptures with garland and lights stand guard on lawns. You may find Santa waving from the porch and ten foot snow globes. Don’t forget to look for the Grinch on other lawns to give you an idea of how the homeowner feels about Christmas.

One thing you may see in the South that you may not see in other parts of the country are decorated doors. Homeowners wrap their entry doors with wrapping paper. Find an extra wide wrapping paper, wide enough to go around your door, and tape it so the tape can’t be seen. If you can’t find wrapping paper large enough, piece it together the best you can. Then find a large ribbon and bow to cover any seams. If the wrapping paper is too much for you, you can also use only the ribbon and bow to give a simpler look that won’t block your being able to see out of your door windows.

Some people in the South go overboard when it comes to Christmas lights. Not only are there major attractions with thousands of lights, but some individuals will do something similar but on a smaller scale. It’s not uncommon for Southerners to drive around in a city to see the many homes that have Christmas lights.

Wreaths are popular Christmas decorations all over the world. In the South you may find Christmas wreaths with Magnolia flowers in them regardless of the fact that Magnolias are no longer in bloom in the winter. You can also find them with greenery and pine cones along with normal Christmas ornaments.

Gingerbread houses are common decorations at Christmas time. Some gingerbread houses are large enough to be placed as centerpieces. Children can create smaller gingerbread houses to decorate Christmas trees. Look online to find directions to make them out of clean white meat trays or foam board, cereal boxes, and t-shirt paints.

Even though it’s rare to have snow at Christmas in the South, that doesn’t mean Southerners don’t enjoy the holidays. Deep South decorations for Christmas aren’t really that different from other areas in the country. They may have their own Southern charm, but that’s how people in the South are, too.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 links spicy pork sausage, sliced
1 cup water
2 pounds frozen green beans
Seasoning salt to taste

Instructions:

Sauté the garlic and onion until tender. Add sausage to skillet and brown all over. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Now add the green beans. Cover, reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes until green beans are ready. You may need to add a little more water about half way if it starts to get low. Season to your tastes.