Christmas Trimmings?

At Story Time today, Pat (the librarian who led the session), asked the children what they had on top of their Christmas trees.

Immediately, they responded with a cacophony of yells, shouts and screams.

An angel!
A star!
Fairy Lights!
A dolly!
Teddy! (???)

I watched Danielle, slightly bewildered by the ruckus they were making. She turned to look at me and pointed at the big star on the Christmas tree in the book Pat was reading to them.

Danielle: It's a star, mummy.
Me: Yes, it is.
Danielle: On tree!

I felt a tinge of sadness? guilt? disappointment? More for Danielle than for myself since I care nothing for Christmas trees, stockings, baubles and the like. But I wondered whether we were depriving her of a 'full' Christmas experience without these 'frills'.

I've been deliberating whether we should get a real fir tree. Just this once, since we're spending Christmas in a foreign country. Unfortunately, the price tag cannot dissuade me further. A small tree (and I mean the midget of the lot) costs a whopping 35 pounds! Certainly a luxury, not a necessity.

Last Saturday, when we made a trip to ASDA, I made a feeble attempt to brighten the house with a couple of Christmas decorations - a table spread here, some string and pegs for X'mas cards there. I even picked out an economical box of party crackers to pull on Christmas Day, just for laughs. And I'm planning to buy a pot or 2 of ponsiettas to make the house more 'christmassy' but for now, here is my rather dismal Christmas display:

I know Christmas is not about the fancy dinner, the presents, and certainly not that over-rated fir tree. But the mummy side of me still wonders whether I should just relent, and spare no expense to create a 'magical' day for my baby.

Then again, should I bother since the miracle of Christ's birth, His life and sacrifice, is the true 'magic' she should experience at Christmas?