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Tree-Trimming Tradition
Rated by 3 members
Some of our family's holiday traditions are carried out with great intention, such as our policy of never listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, or the way we always put the baby Jesus in the manger just before bedtime on Christmas Eve.
Others have come about less intentionally, yet still mean just as much. Thanks to my husband's career in the Navy, our family has moved 15 times in 18 years. In my more charitable moments, I've been known to say that our frequent relocations made life feel like a perpetual vacation — always something new to see, always somewhere new to visit. And, as it turned out, always a new souvenir to buy.
No matter where the Navy sent us, I always loved decorating our home for the holidays — whether that meant cutting fresh cedar boughs in the Pacific Northwest, or stringing twinkle lights on the banana trees on the island of Oahu. So when I purchased souvenirs as we moved here, there, and back again, I suppose it was natural for me to gravitate toward Christmas tree ornaments.
After a few years of marriage and an equal number of Navy relocations, we realized we had an ornament from every place we had lived, and we started intentionally seeking out souvenirs for our tree. We have a pineapple from Rhode Island (their symbol for welcoming tourists), a trolley from San Francisco, a wooden ferry from Washington State, a pewter Parliament building from Victoria, British Columbia, and one from Hawaii that says "Mele Kalikimaka."
During the years we didn't move to a new place — and from now on, because my husband has retired and we're not moving ever, ever again — we purchased a souvenir during a family vacation or weekend outing. We have an Empire State Building ornament from a summer visit to New York City, and a Cinderella's Castle from our trip to Disney World.
If we find an ornament we like that doesn't have the year printed on it, I simply add it myself with a black or gold permanent marker. (Hint: Drawing little dots at the tips of each numeral makes the writing look more professional.)
Tourist shops everywhere keep these kinds of souvenirs out all year long. In fact, we often make our purchases during the summer months.
Every year when we decorate our tree, our souvenir ornaments help us remember all the places we've been and all the friends we've made. Our tree is both beautiful and unique, and our holiday guests enjoy looking at it and hearing about our travels. Best of all, our tree does more than twinkle; it tells our family's story.
Member Comments On…
Tree-Trimming Tradition
Shannon, our family is going to adopt this tradition ourselves. We love to travel, and after all these years I can't believe I never thought to do this myself! Thanks so much for the great idea.
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WHEN MY SONS WERE YOUNGER I DID THE TREE IN THEIR ORNAMENTS MADE FROM SCHOOL OR STORE BOUGHT. SINCE THEY ARE NOW OLDER AND OUT ON THEIR OWN, I CHOOSE TO DO MY TREE WITH SNOOPY AND WOODSTOCK FROM THE PEANUTS CARTOON STRIP SINCE I AM AN ADVID COLLECTOR OF THESE. I ALSO THROW ON ORNAMENTS WE HAVE PICKED UP ON VACATION AND ALSO ADD PERSONILIZED ORNAMENTS FOR EACH OF MY 3 GRANDCHILDREN, ONE NEW ONE EACH YEAR.
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What a wonderful idea. When my son was born 6 years ago my husband and I decided that we would purchase a special, personalized ornament each year. Now we let him choose an ornament each year. My plans are to give him the "collection" when he turns 21. It is a wonderful way to tell the story of his life.
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Shannon-What a wonderful way to celebrate your family history. I'm always bemoaning the "souvenir" trinkets and stuff that we accumulate in our travels--it looks so great in the moment and then you bring it home and that giant sombrero or hand-carved wooden "rose" just seem ridiculous back in the "real worls." From now on I'm going Christmas tree ornament all the way! It's such a meaningful and practical way to commemorate trips and adventures. Thank you for sharing and Merry Christmas!
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Every year after the annual visit to Santa in the mall, we head to the Hallmark store and let each child pick out an ornament. It is extra special because they pick them out themselves.
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We do the same thing with getting souvenir ornaments when we're on vacation. We also keep art projects from the kids - and we even have some from when my husband and I were kids! Maybe someday I'll have a fancy decorator tree, but for now ours is full of memories.
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We also have the tradition of buying an ornament from everywhere we go on vacation. They range from beautiful hand painted ones from Lake Tahoe to silly sea creatures from the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz and patritoic ones from Washington DC. As we hang the ornaments on the tree my daughter loves to tell stories of all the things we have done. It is a great way to start your holidays feeling thankful for all the things we have been able to see and do.
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My husband and I have been married 29 years and always get a real tree. Every year when we make a fresh slice in the trunk before putting the tree up, my husband cuts an extra slice to keep. We let this slice dry all year, then right before the next Christmas we use a woodburner to write the year (previous year) and make a simple drawing to represent that year (we've included births, deaths, new house, vacations, new puppies, etc.) We put a hole in the top, varnish it, and hang it on our tree.
The year our boys were born we made extra ornaments with a drawing of a baby bottle on it (with their name inside it), so when they grow up and have their own trees, they will have an ornament made from their very first Christmas tree!
Now our yearly tree is filled with these lovely mementos of our past Christmas trees and memories of the passing years.
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My mother in law started this tradition with my husband and his sisters and we have started doing this with our son. Each Christmas Eve, my son gets to open 2 presents, his Christmas Pj's and his special Christmas ornament. He gets to wear his pj's to bed and hang his ornament on the tree. We also make "handmade" ornaments that involve my son's hands (we have done reindeers-hands for antlers and his foot for the head, angels, and Christmas wreaths). Our family just loves seeing how big our son has gotten from year to year by his ornaments. The best part is that when he leaves home and starts his own family, he will have ornaments for his tree.
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We have purchased ornaments for our children from birth until they turned 25. These ornaments are theirs to keep, and when they start their own families, which they are doing now, they will have these ornaments to start their first tree and add to as their own families come along. It is amazing to see how the kids enjoy putting their "special" ornaments on our tree, and Mom and Dad enjoy reflecting on the significance of each ornament. It sure makes our Christmas and Holiday season special. I especially enjoyed adding my sons ornaments to the tree the year he was overseas, as it made it easier for me to accept the fact that he would not be home for that Christmas. Seeing his baby pictures, his ornaments on the tree, and receiving his card from Iraq made my Christmas extra special.
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