You may have seen this photo of my tree that I posted earlier this month.
Yes, I stuff it full. It is a lot like the Christmas tree I grew up with, just smaller. Mom and Dad always brought in a huge tree, usually reaching the top of our 12' ceiling. And it would be loaded with ornaments. I think the last year they had the big tree there were about 1000 ornaments on it. When they moved to a smaller house, the ornaments were mostly divided up among my siblings that wanted them. Since I lived so far away, I didn't get any and actually didn't know that until after my parents passed away. At that time, some of my sisters gave me some of the old, cherished ornaments, and I began searching for more of the kinds I remembered from that long ago glorious tree. Here are some of my favorites:
This ornament isn't old, but it certainly reflects my love of tea.
An English choirboy, bought at Ely Cathedral when we were visiting England for the first time.
A WWII era Shiny Brite ornament, which was missing its cap, so I improvised. There were many like this one on my parents' tree.
(Shiny Brites have an interesting history, which you can read about here. I often included this story in my Christmas presentations.)
A vintage Polish "indent" ball, and an ornament from Salisbury cathedral, purchased when I was there in 2019.
More vintage Shiny British.
A lady named Rose Pullen from our county handpaints and beads these exquisite ornaments. I have 2 or 3, and hope to add another this year.
It is supposed to be good luck to have a nut on your tree, so I have this little carved angel holding a walnut. I have had her so long I don't recall where she came from.
Another good luck ornament: a pickle! And behind it a beaded ornament my mother made.
The handpainted delicate heart was brought back from Germany by my son after one of his tours there.
Another of Mom's beaded ornaments, and to the left and barely readable is the red glass ornament I wrote "Susie" on with glitter in 1962 or 63.
There are so many more favorites on the tree! It is always a pleasure to discover them again each year. Do you have favorites that you put on your tree each year? Or do you change it up, or do a different color scheme from time to time? And are there any "good luck" talismans on your tree?
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
...I LOVE your glass ornaments!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely ornaments. My mother's were broken when the tree was knocked over by a very inebriated friend many years ago. Some had been from Occupied Japan after the war, a lovely teapot I remember.
ReplyDeleteAll my ornaments have a story. That was the fun part, recounting the stories as the tree got decorated. Now I decorate it alone, and there is no one to hear the stories. I tell them to myself. The oldest ornament is from 1957. It was my parents' first Christmas. My mother was pregnant with me.
ReplyDeleteMy paren´t only had red and silver balls, lametta and real candles. I was always afraid the tree might stand in flames.... I like yours much better!
ReplyDeleteI loved every photo and description of that. Just after the war when blown glass ornaments came back on the market, I bought one a year with my allowance (and help from my father) for my mother. I still had a few of them a couple of years ago when our tree fell over, sadly, and all but one broke. Still a great memory.
ReplyDeleteYour tree is amazing.
I think you’d be the perfect person to find such things.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't put up a real or big tree in decades, I think. Judy has a few miniature trees that she puts around the house and a bunch of miniature toys that she arranges around a Kris Kringle and one of the trees. She puts all that on a sheet of spun cotton to mimic snow and tops it all with a strand of miniature colored lights. And that's Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI'll be posting my tree soon but yes -- I have a mix and tons of ornaments. A few shiny brites, many that were my mom's, and most all of the ornaments either have a story or connection -- a gift from a friend, a travel purchase, something made by me or others, or something relating to my life story. I have multiple trees (fewer this year) so a couple are thematic, one is woodland, one feltie things, a "Mom" tree (things that were hers or that she would have bought if she lived so long!) and a "Dad" tree, which has fishing and outdoorsy things on it. I just love this season. My decorating doesn't start till after Thanksgiving but it tends to not get down till Valentine's day -- at least, not all of it!
ReplyDelete