There are so many things... most of our ornaments have an origin of some sorts, gifts to each other, a few very old ones from my parents' house, and ones we picked up from certain trips (we always buy a Christmas ornament and a kitchen magnet wherever we travel). So decorating the house is always a conversation about past vacations, people, where we got certain ornaments, especially our cows. I should take pictures and share one of these days, but we have over a dozen or more cow ornaments, which we have gotten for each other and others have given us, because we really like cows. :) We have some really cute ones...

And more sentimentally, for me, it's also cookie recipes and things my mother made that I make now. I don't do all of them, but it's impossible for me to not feel a connection to her when I use them, and her b'day was also Christmas Eve, so it all takes on a lot of memory-power. :)

Sam

About 2-3 years ago I got rid of a lot of my ornaments because my sister gave me the 2 ft ceramic tree she made back in 1987 or 1988. I has holes so you can insert pegs and inside there is a light bulb so it lights up. In the base/stand there is a music box that plays Silent Night. I think at one time it broke and was glued together again because there is a crack at the back and to cover it, silver sparklies were sprinkled on it so it looks like snow.
I also have a bell with pictures of blue flowers that says "I Love you, Mom" and a figurine of a little blonde girl holding flowers that says November(my birth month) that I had gotten for my mom for Christmas the year she passed away.

migrated to Brazil just before the first world war. She spoke only Russian but found work as a maid in a big house for a family of rich German emigres. The first year she was there, the woman of the house gave all the servants Christmas ornaments. My grandmother was given a silver glass ornament shaped like a bell.

It's never hung on a tree but she used to keep it in her hutch. Every year during the month of December, she would set it out on the mantle. Just the lone ornament set next to the menorrah.

When she passed, I asked for it and I keep it wrapped up. Most of the "silver" has flaked off but I bring it out at this time of the year and set it out as part of our decorations.

It reminds me of her, of spending holidays of her, and the kindess of others.

ani

His voice still means Christmas to me. I know he has other albums. I know other people sing the same songs. For me, it's Johnny!

is always a strange day for my family because it was (or IS, as my Mom reminds) my brother's birthday. My sister who was closest to him actually celebrates Christmas early because she can't bear the reminders after his birthday.

The year he died, the funeral home where we laid him down had a ceremony, strangely enough on the 16th, to commemorate all the people we had lost that year. Two things happened that cemented that date on me more than any other year before or since. As I was getting into the car to go, pregnant and feeling sad again, it was the very first time my son ever kicked. Feeling him in there gave me such a feeling of happiness that the sadness receded, leaving only a peacefulness behind.

The second was an ornament they gave out, a golden dove with my brother's name on it. We all were given one and each of us put it on our trees every year. So, while he's no longer with us, he's always a part of our Christmas.

:)
Dee

Oh, some of these stories are making me feel weepy! My grandmother always had a silver tree, and she only hung silver and white glittery balls, and angel ornaments on it. Before she passed away, she gave me several boxes of her angel ornaments. I love having them, and even though my tree isn't silver and sparkly like hers was, the angels always remind me of Christmas at her house, when my sisters and I would ooh and aah over her tree.

Pinking shears. :)

My mom had these HUGE pinking sheers, they must weigh a pound and she used them on everything. My sister found them a while ago, with some other sewing odds and ends, and gave them to me, though I hadn't used them. Some of the odds and ends were some loose little jingle bells, and today, I'm making Xmas stockings for my nephews, and I used the pinking shears, and plan to attach the bells. It's a lot of fun, because I know it's exactly the kind of thing my mom would have done, in fact, we have the stockings she made us right here, and use them every year. :)

Love the stories. :)

Sam

I did get a little nostalgic decorating the Christmas tree - it's always at my parent's house and pretty much I'm the only one who does it :P - but there are ornaments still from when my sister and I were in elementary school (some made, some bought at the school Christmas "sales"). :) It's a lot of fun having an eclectic collection - no fancy tree for us, with only bulbs and white lights.

They were the albums we played every year as we decorated the family tree (yep, vinyl!) We play a variety of stuff now, but it doesn't sound the same ;) And we've got quite an eclectic collection of ornaments now, but they don't have the same history as the collection my siblings and I used on our tree at home! I guess we're building new memories now with our kids!

I have a couple of old wooden ornaments from my childhood. They're cheap, but they remind me of past Christmas and they're still in good condition. I wish I never threw away any of my old ornaments.

We now put up a smaller tree after my two cats a couple of years ago had a party with our big one during the night So we put ours up just a couple of days before Christmas so that we don't have to keep them locked in our rooms too long. When my mom passed away on Dec 1, 2000, between the holidays, it was a very difficult time for me and I was very lost. I was visiting a friends home and admiring her tree and it was just a couple of days before Christmas and I had not still put mine up. She told me a story about her sister and that she believes she's watching over her and would want her to bring joy into the home during the holidays and gave me an angel ornament that I kept my eye on alot. I just kept thinking that my mom was an angel watching over us now. Each year we have been adding a new angel ornament to the tree. Two years ago since I was having surgery, my son and hubby surprised me with picking out an angel ornament for the tree. This year my daughter asked if she could pick one out and I told her she just added another tradition to this. So we now will take turns picking out the angel ornament for the tree! Its so beautiful with various angel ornaments and some special ornaments that we were given by friends over the years so there's not two ornaments alike on the tree.

Gosh, y'all have me sitting here with tears streaming. It takes me forever to decorate my tree each year because I have so many ornaments with memories attached and I have to take the time to remember each one's story before I hang it on the tree. The year my husband died (9/2001) our local Hospice had a remembrance ceremony in December for the families of all those who had been in Hospice care and died that year. They had a huge Christmas tree and asked the families to bring an ornament to honor their loved one to hang on the tree. In return they gave us an angel ornament to hang on our tree at home. At the end of December the ornament I had made was returned to me and every year since then when my granddaughters of the heart help me decorate my tree they always stop to remember "Mr. Bill" before placing his ornament front and center. This year they weren't able to be here on the weekend I put up the tree but the 13 year old called to make sure I had remembered to put Mr. Bill's ornament front and center on my tree. He may not be here physically but he's still very much a part of our Christmas.