Gen Zs will reduce their holiday budgets by 23% this year, more than any other generation. With tighter wallets and evolving tastes, younger generations will streamline their seasonal spending, choosing experiences, tech upgrades or travel over collectible decor. The shift changes what holiday cheer looks like at home, as old favorites give way to a new aesthetic.
Gen Z rewrites Christmas decor, trading tradition for minimalism and tech. Even the most nostalgic touches aren’t safe. Photo credit: Depositphotos.
This mindset has reshaped the holiday landscape: classic Christmas villages, glass ornaments and wooden nutcrackers, which were once the centerpieces of festive wonder, now share space with neon trees, app-controlled lighting and minimalist displays that better align with today’s budgets and aesthetics. Still, can modern homes reimagine the same magic Christmas villages once brought?
When nostalgia meets minimalism
It’s undeniable that the love for traditional holiday decor hasn’t disappeared entirely. Many families still find joy in setting up heirloom decorations. Whether it’s vintage ornaments, hand-me-down figurines or ceramic villages, seeing them as nostalgic links to childhood memories and family traditions.
Yet, the broader trend is unmistakable. PwC’s Holiday Outlook 2025 notes that consumers are becoming more selective with their spending, focusing on practical gifts, smaller gatherings and meaningful experiences over large-scale decor or impulse buys. Younger generations, in particular, are steering away from what PwC calls high-effort traditions in favor of simpler, more personal celebrations.
While items like glowing village houses, ornate garlands and Christmas greeting cards once captured the height of holiday charm, modern decor tells a different story. Homes today are sleeker, smaller and far more curated, and that evolution extends to Christmas decorations.
Today’s families celebrate differently
Last year, millennials and Gen Z prioritized self-expression over strict tradition. They chose unconventional, personalized displays instead of the classic setups their parents and grandparents cherished.
Recent coverage from Veranda echoes this shift, noting that personality-driven pieces and bold color are making a comeback alongside a renewed appreciation for vintage accents. But rather than recreating the past, decorators are blending eras and aesthetics, curating looks that feel festive and authentic without being overly traditional.
The same impulse inspires someone to spike their eggnog with a splash of Fanta orange soda or bake Christmas cookies in new flavors. The tradition remains, but it’s reinvented for the moment.
But why are so many old favorites, like Christmas villages and hand-stitched tree skirts, fading from view if modern families are not shying away from color, sparkle and overall holiday magic? The answer lies less in rejection and more in adaptation. Bulky villages and accessories require storage, maintenance, space and care; luxuries many modern homes no longer afford and therefore don’t mesh well with smaller homes, busier schedules and the desire for simpler, stress-free celebrations.
“From my perspective, I don’t see family Christmas traditions dying. I just see them changing. Millennial families with young children are so busy with both parents working,” observes a representative from Mount Hunger Farm, a Christmas tree farm in New Hampshire. “Plus, they have a high standard of aesthetics. The cheesy plastic decorations of the ‘80s don’t measure up. They want a beautiful family photo with a gorgeous backdrop and a magical experience with their children.”
Lia Lara, owner of Lia Lara Events in Los Angeles, believes that the modern lifestyle also influences the shift away from tradition. “I’ve observed the gradual fading of classic holiday traditions like Christmas villages from modern family celebrations. This shift can be attributed to changing lifestyles, technological advancements, evolving cultural values and environmental concerns.”
Reimagining classic holiday tradition
Lara also points out that the magic of Christmas villages and other nostalgia doesn’t have to end here. “The good news is that families can still keep these nostalgic traditions alive in our modern world. The key is to adapt these cherished customs to fit contemporary lifestyles while preserving their magical essence.”
Her ideas for doing just that feel both timeless and current. One is to create a village advent calendar, where families add a new piece to the display each day leading up to Christmas, building anticipation and creating a shared ritual. Another is to host a village storytelling night,” where everyone crafts a tale around a favorite building or character.
For those who miss the warmth of old-fashioned Christmas villages but prefer a modern, space-conscious twist, there are plenty of creative ways to keep the magic alive. You can create miniature light boxes or shadow villages by cutting paper silhouettes mounted in frames with soft LED backlighting to evoke the same cozy glow without bulky displays.
Minimalists can echo the look in 2D form using silhouette garlands or layered cutouts along mantels and windows. On the other hand, sensory elements like soft holiday music, crackling fireplace soundtracks or pine and cinnamon scents fill in the nostalgic mood. For a fresh storytelling spin, rotate micro vignettes. Showcase a different house or mini scene each week to keep the display dynamic and meaningful all season long.
These approaches invite families to reimagine the magic and stand as proof that even as traditions evolve, the sparkle doesn’t have to dim. Rather than saying goodbye, America is simply finding new ways to make the old magic fit.
A new chapter for a beloved holiday tradition
Smaller homes and evolving lifestyles have made large-scale village displays harder to maintain. In many ways, the change isn’t just aesthetic but also practical, reflecting how modern life reshapes even our holiday traditions.
Even as styles change and traditions shift, the spirit of Christmas villages endures; not just in porcelain houses or twinkling lights, but in new forms. Whether through digital displays, handmade micro-scenes or cherished heirlooms reimagined for modern homes, these little worlds remind us what the season is truly about: connection, creativity and the stories we continue to build year after year.
Jessica Haggard is the creator of the blog Easy Homemade Life. She inspires and supports homemakers with easy recipes, natural home cleaning tips and DIY tutorials for personal care products to promote a happy and healthy home environment.
The post Today’s kids don’t know the magic of Christmas villages appeared first on Food Drink Life.
