Putting up the Christmas tree is more than just a holiday task for our family, it is a trip down memory lane. Collecting ornaments over the years remind us of family we love, major events in our lives, places we have been.
My husband and I put up our first tree together a few months after we started dating – that was 13 years ago. We had no ornaments! So being crafty (I am not artistic, but I am crafty), I decided we should “make” ornaments. So we opened some beers, bought some glitter, glue, and paint, and went to work. During our project, we got silly and put glitter on one of the empty beer cans – the glittery can still hangs on our tree every year.
Years later, as we hang the ornaments, I like to talk about how each ornament became part of our collection. It is like a game show – I say: “Remember this one?…” but only I seem to know the answer.
We have a memorable collection that gets a little bigger each year. Here are some of my favorites:
The glittery balls from that first year we were dating with our names on them (we had no idea what else to put on them). My husband’s has his first and last name!
The glass ball with a picture of my nephew and me– I recall clearly sitting at my parents that summer and posing for the picture. My nephew was about 2 at the time, he is now almost 11.
The wooden house from a trip to New Haven when I told myself I would collect an ornament from every place we visit (I didn’t live up to that self promise very well).
You can find the paper-fan and a bird given to me by my husband’s step-mom to help us fill up one of those early empty trees. I recall, but don’t know why, her explaining that all trees needed paper. And the bird reminded me of the birds we had on our Christmas tree growing up.
There is the purple star, my favorite color, given to me by my best friend and roommate from college.
If you look, you will find many ladybugs because I loved “lucky ladybugs” so much that I decided when I was 18 to get the tiniest one tattooed on my big toe.
Up high, because it is breakable like many others, is the wedding cake ornament given to us the year we were married.
Now one of Big Girl’s favorites is the ballerina giraffe from a good friend and neighbor while we were living in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Fleur de Lis hangs from our trip to New Orleans (post hurricane Katrina) next to a San Francisco trolley car.
Of course, you will find a Baby’s First Christmas from the year our daughter was born.
One of the first ornaments given to Big Girl were miniature nutcrackers. The nutcrackers are from a good friend given to Big Girl during our trip to see the ballet.
The Kermit the Frog ornament that I received as a child hangs next to Dora the Explorer that was given to Big Girl.
Most recently received are the brand new matching mice in Santa suits given to the girls from their best friend.
The list can go on and on.
Now that the girls are getting “older” – they are receiving ornaments from their friends and family. Hopefully, I will recall with the same clarity who gave them those ornaments so they, too, can begin to build their own memories. Maybe I better start writing that down!
Do you put up a Christmas tree? If so, tell us about your ornaments, especially the ones your children love!
This has been an original post to World Moms Blog by Angela Y. of San Francisco, California.
Photo credit to the author.
Love this post and relate to so much of it. For me, the Christmas tree tells a story. We have ornaments from our travels (like a little sail boat donning a wreath from our trip to the British Virgin Islands). We have ornaments from older generations of our families (the ornate, handmade, beaded ornaments from my husband’s grandfather and the fheirloom ones from my grandmother). We also have the kid ornaments (baby’s 1sts, Winnie the Pooh…this year Finn McMissile from Cats 2). And no tree is complete without all the handmade ornaments, which my son proudly displays front and center. It’s not a well-designed, Martha Stewart tree, but it celebrates our family, past and present. Happy holidays to you and yours!
Because my husband is from England, and we live in the US, I wanted to have something “English” on our tree. Straight from the Westminster Abbey gift shop, I purchased London double decker bus and red English post box ornaments one year. We enjoy taking them out every year!
My mother gives her grandkids a new Christmas ornament every year. My daughter’s prized one is her green T-Rex!
One of my favorites is a “babysitter” ornament I received in 1990 from a family who I used to babysit for. I think of them every year when I get it out!
Jen 🙂
I loved your post. I get really in to decorating our tree too! We often get a tree the first weekend after Thanksgiving so I can enjoy it for as long as possible. Since my parents are divorced and my dad now spends winters in Florida, he passed along the box of ornaments I grew up with. They are very nostalgic to me. Now MY family adds to the mix each year and the collection becomes more precious still.
My favorite ornaments are the felt chickadee I gave to my daughter on her fist Christmas, and the felt Nuthatch for my son. For my husband and I, a little felt nest with two wee eggs. We hang these three together. Also ornaments from family vacations: Mexico, Yellowstone and Acadia National Parks, China. Our tree is both a trip around the world and down Memory Lane. Merry Christmas, Angie!
I love this post. I do the same thing, attach each ornament to a memory. This year, my tree and ornaments are being held hostage by a storage closet that has lost it’s key between Halloween and now. This feels close to tragedy (not really) because I miss looking through all my beautiful ornaments. Thank you for sharing.
When I was a kid we used to make a chain from magazines or colored papers. I always loved it. Very simple but bringing many memories. Most of our decorations were hand made by Polish artists so I actually can’t pick a favorite. I loved them all. This year we do not have a tree.
Beautifully written!
Unfortunately, my family doesn’t keep special ornaments because the ones we had from a long time ago was gone when our house got burnt down the ground.
Thank you for sharing this Angie. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Oh no! So sorry that you ever had to experience a house fire, Maureen. 🙁 I hope you and your family make many new memories in the future! Jen 🙂
Thanks so much Jen. It was in 1991 so it’s been such a long time and we are weaving new memories for sure 🙂