Favorite Christmas Tree Decoration

[spirits]

Every year at Christmas when I decorate the tree I get all smiley at some of the decorations. I have our silver bells which my DB (now DH) and I bought our first Christmas together. I have the ornament I bought in the hospital when our second son was born Dec 18. I have a picture of my DH and myself when we were so much younger, taken and framed by our neighbors as a Christmas gift 30 years ago. But my absolute favorite are the old fashioned bubble lights that need to go on the larger string of lights. My parents had them when I was a child and I bought a whole swack of them a few years ago at Canadian Tire. Have not seen them since. Until they burn out no mini lights for me but I always think of my wonderful parents (now gone) as I put them on the tree.
What are your favorite decorations>

 

[Karen G]

Every year at Christmas when I decorate the tree I get all smiley at some of the decorations.

I'm the same and I always enjoy placing each ornament on the tree and remembering where it came from. I tried to buy an ornament each year from wherever we were on vacation, usually at a timeshare. My favorite is a little clay ornament that looks like a fireplace with stockings hung above it. There are three stockings with our three kids' names on them.

 

[falmouth3]

I have all my great aunt and uncle's ornaments from the 50's and maybe earlier. I enjoy bringing those out and decorating the tree.

Also, my maiden aunt used to make those bead and sequin ornaments many, many years ago. Each year I'd get one. Some aren't in good shape anymore because the glue bonds have failed, but I love seeing those because she spent hours on each. Everyone got an ornament each year demonstrating her love for all of us.

 

[chellej]

I bought each of our 3 kids an ornament each year. Now we pick and choose (60+) is too many. But may favorite is my handblown icycles. At my first job I worked with a very talented glass blower and he made me 4 dozen or so delicate glass icycles.

That particular year, we had the group christmas party at my house and my bosses boss and his wife were admiring the icycles...they asked where I had got them and I of course told him Harry made them. He knew of course he made them in the shop at work. His wife piped up and said then she guessed they better have a set too. Each year a few more seem to get broken so when they get too short I will have to discard them.... I will be sad to see them go

 

[glypnirsgirl]

I have an aunt and uncle that live outside of Washington DC. every year, they havc sent me a "white house" ornament. They are my favorites.

Since Jordan was born, every year I have bought him a "bear" ornament. He is 29 now so he gets his own tree. When Rose joined our life, I started getting angel ornaments for her.

elaine

 

[pjrose]

It's hard to pick a single favorite....but these are some of my faves:

A dill pickle from nearby Dillsburg

Brass ornaments that Colonial Williamsburg sends us each year for donating, each one a different building.

Lots and lots of antique cars with Santa in them; Chevies, Fords, VWs, no-names.....I think the best is a pink late 50s or early 60s Cadillac convertible with Santa and a big load of presents in it.

 

[stmartinfan]

When we lived in Germany in the 70s we bought many of the handmade wooden ornaments there, including some beautiful delicate angels, each playing a different instrument. Seeing them each year reminds me of carefully selecting them at lots of different Christmas markets and craft fairs. And it brings back memories of those early years of our marriage. Each of our daughters also has a collection of dozens of ornaments acquired over their 20 years, as gifts from godparents or selected by them as souvenirs from trips or as reminders of their passion at the time. They include everything from Ernie to softball players, horses, London scenes, and grade school photos in handmade frames. Our tree is packed with ornaments and would never win any decorator prizes, but I love it because it's the story of 40 years of our family life.

It's especially meaningful this year because for the first time one of our daughters isn't home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day--spending it with boy friend's family. Hard to have her gone but I always vowed to be like my mother in law on this issue -- she was always glad to have us there whenever it worked for us but never any pressure or guilt if we weren't there specifically on Christmas Eve.

 

[suzanne]

We always bring back a small ornament from every where we travel. But my favorite is a small brass ornament of a boy and a girl angel kissing with my DH and my names engraved under each with the date of our first Christmas together 30 years ago. It always goes at the top of the tree.

Suzanne

 

[jackio]

The "Our First Christmas Together" dated 1980, plus the three "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments for each of our children.
My favorite, though, is our dog Princess' collar. We had to put her down on December 19th, 2005. When we came home from the vet, I hung her collar on the tree, and it has been hanging there every year since.

 

[Dori]

Twenty-two years ago, my son was in Beavers (like Cubs ans Scouts, but for 5 year-old boys). i was one of the leaders at the time, and that year we made ornaments with the boys. We took each one' s photo (in uniform), and placed it on rolled out baker's dough. We then crimped the edges and baked them. The photos came out beautifully in their own "frame". It graces our tree every year, and every year I almost cry as i hang it.

Dori

 

[easyrider]

Along long time ago, I can still remember our first xmas tree decorated with little bottles of booze and other fun stuff. I still see these friends occasionally and its fun to play remember when. Drinkable ornaments were a favorite of mine.

All trees from that point on have been family trees for kid and now grandkids and have been decorated by my wife, kids and grandkids.