3 Weird Holiday Rituals That Involve Decluttering

The thing about decluttering is when it evolves from a chore to lifestyle it tends to permeate into parts of your life that you wouldn’t expect. Like holiday rituals… Wait, what? Allow me to explain how holiday rituals can involve decluttering in a weird and wonderful way.

Here are 3 rituals you can begin that will enhance your holiday season and have you tap-dancing your way into the New Year with a happier home and a lighter heart.

The Party Closet

We have officially entered the sparkle and shine season. This presents an opportunity to party in your closet while enhancing your list for Santa. I don’t know about you, but my holiday rituals almost always include a few celebratory nights out. Could be a party, a concert or a dinner out with friends but I usually find myself scrambling a bit to unearth something shiny, sparkly or glittery to wear. If there are several outings I need several options.  This presents the perfect opportunity to get into my closet and take inventory. I pull anything that fits the occasion to the front so I have it available for easy access. There may be a chance to add something to the mix, but first I need to see what I have.

I know you’re wondering when we are getting to the decluttering part of this exercise. Never fear, it has arrived! So, I’m already in my closet with sparkly stuff pulled out for assessment. What other items have I encountered in my travels that aren’t currently serving me? I am currently at a unique crossroads in my closet. My wardrobe needs shifted dramatically during the pandemic. Now there is a material percentage of my wardrobe that I no longer have need for. Also, (damn the menopause) my body has shifted as well. No matter what I eat or how much I work out, my boobs remain significantly bigger that they did 2 years ago. This presents a problem for about 40% of my tops. Many of the things I really can’t wear anymore are also some of my favorites so it’s been a mental journey getting ready to let them go.

Enter Santa. Gifting season is the perfect time to replace some of the things I love but no longer wear with new things. Things that either A) better fit my current lifestyle and B) actually fit. So it feels okay to declutter since I’m making space in my closet for newness (which is always exciting for me!)

And bonus points for donating before the holidays so your former clothes can delight someone new! (P.S. If you want a more thorough closet adventure check out my Bedroom & Closet Guide.)

Kids Are In The House

The kids are coming home!  The prodigals return! The fledglings are back in the nest for a limited time! Yes, I’m excited to see them AND I’m also excited to ensnare them into decluttering!

As you can imagine, my kids are well versed on the topic of decluttering. When they were little, one of our holiday rituals was decluttering toys (and later clothes) before the holidays so we could make room for the imminent influx of newness. If you still have kids at home I highly recommend this ritual as it makes the job of putting the new stuff away after the holidays infinitely easier!

Now the kids swoop in closer to the holiday. I have them captive for a couple of weeks at least. I explain that I’m going to be doing some decluttering in January ( it’s immaterial whether this is true or not) and I would be happy to do theirs for them (usually not palatable 😉.) OR they can go through their own stuff and decide what they no longer need. This practice saves future me a lot of time, energy and grief. Little by little their rooms are less stuffed as the holidays go by.  For some reason this ritual is less effective in the summer months – maybe because they are hungrier for home at Christmas.

And to ensure their donations make it out the door in a timely fashion I add a trip to the Goodwill drive-thru onto a holiday-esque errand outing with my kids, including someplace they like Trader Joe’s, Dough Zone, etc.) to get them into the car with me.  I love this holiday ritual!

Declutter & Connect

The last holiday ritual that involves decluttering is (cheater) not really confined to the holiday season. Technically, you can practice it any time. I associate it with the holidays because it’s an opportune time to connect with your people and your memories.

This ritual applies to letting go of things that you know objectively you shouldn’t keep but that are associated with a person you love. Instead of practicing avoidance by shoving the thing back in the closet, reframe the decluttering act as an opportunity to connect.

If your person is still with us, hit them up with a text, phone call or email. Let them know you are thinking of them as you are decluttering this hard thing. It’s a signal to them (and to you) that you value the connection and it’s not purely tied up in this physical thing they gave you.

If your person is no longer with us there are a couple of different options. Number one, think about some of your favorite memories with this person. I’m guessing they don’t involve the thing you saved and instead center around experiences. Think about what they would want you to do with this thing. What would they would say if they knew you were feeling burdened by it. By bringing your own memories forward you are strengthening them in your own mind. You are lessening the need for ‘things’ to remind you. By conjuring the memory of your loved one, you are transforming the act of decluttering into an act of connection, which honors your relationship.

If this all sounds a bit heavy for an already emotional season, I hear you. But I find the more I lean into the feelings that scare me, the more they transform from fear to love. Bonus points if you do this while lounging in front of your tree, with beautiful music playing. All rituals deserve beautiful music.

Weird is Wonderful

Anyway – I know these holiday rituals seem a little weird but I warned you about that in the title 😉 They all involve some Habit Stacking (see James Clear’s Atomic Habits for life-changing advice on creating habits!) And just because they are weird doesn’t mean they aren’t fun AND effective!