Every year, I highlight a few of the ornaments on my Christmas tree and their stories. (That’s the hubs, putting the star on our tree last weekend.)
This season is all about traditions and stories, and the tree in my living room holds many stories, old and new.
When I was about six years old, my family spent Christmas in an apartment in the Dallas area while our new house was being finished. Most of our things – including our Christmas decorations – were in storage. So we bought a tiny Christmas tree and made ornaments out of glitter, wax paper and glue to hang on its branches. Dad and I lovingly refer to them as our “Charlie Brown” Christmas ornaments.
More than 25 (!) years later, a few hearts, stars and bells have survived, and I finally remembered to ask Mom to set aside a couple for me to bring back to Boston last year. I am so pleased to have them on my tree now.
My aunt Charlene (my mother’s childhood best friend) has sent us many ornaments over the years. This cheerful Beefeater guard arrived long before I ever visited London, but I love him especially because I’ve spent so much time in the UK now. (He’s definitely more whimsical than his real-life counterparts.)
Deep in the heart of Salzburg, Austria, is a shop filled with hundreds (thousands?) of hand-painted eggs, carefully stacked in crates and tied onto trees with ribbon. It’s a dazzling sight. I’ve been there twice, but I managed to lose the egg I brought back for myself, years ago. My sweet friend Laura knew this, and she brought one back for me when she visited Salzburg with her family last year.
I think my mom ordered these starched crochet snowflakes from a catalog many years ago. There are still a few on her tree, and now there are a few on mine.
The hubs and I found this goofy pickle ornament on a weekend trip to Boerne, Texas, right after we got married. Apparently, the person who can find the pickle on the tree gets a prize. It makes me laugh every year.
Do your Christmas ornaments have stories? (I’ll never have a sleek, color-coordinated tree – I love my mismatched collection of ornaments too much.)
cakes, tea and dreams 
I’m totally with you. All crazy, mish mash ornaments. All the time.
All the time. 🙂
I love this idea! My ornaments have so many stories. I may need to do a post like this.
We have the Christmas pickle too. It was my husband’s – from his parents when he was younger. We use it now with our son. We hide it on Christmas Eve, and we don’t open presents on Christmas morning until he finds it.
In my husband’s family, the finder got to open the first present, but since we only have one child, we had to change the rules a bit.
I love Christmas ornaments that have stories behind them. We love collecting them over the years too. I love the idea of hiding the pickle, I haven’t heard that before!
Another great chapter in your Christmas tree story! What lovely memories that you’re sharing once again. After reading your post last year, I did my first recollection and I just posted this year’s share.