Tree Decorating Integral Part Of Christmas Season

Decorating a tree or trees at Christmastime has become a much-loved tradition for most of us. For many people of my generation, Christmas memories center around the tree and decorating its branches with cherished ornaments used year after year. Those ornaments came in all shapes and sizes, as the array of potential decorations for a tree were nearly limitless. Ornaments consisted of handcrafted items along with store bought ornaments of all colors and shapes.

Decorations are limited only to people’s imaginations and preferences. People may decorate trees with cookies or fruit, or use ornaments made of glass, porcelain, plastic, fabrics, or other materials. Stars, bells, wreaths, elves, sleighs, angels garlands, tinsel, candy canes; the list of potential decorations stretches into infinity, but this selection of ornaments has the capacity to turn an ordinary tree into a festive work of art.

Many of the younger generation seems to purchase new decorations and ornaments each year, but most of us retain much loved ornaments, packed carefully away each year at the end of the holiday season and stored until the following December. When Christmastime rolls around again, we pull them out of their storage containers, dust them off, and hang the ornaments on the tree to enjoy them again.

I keep my ornaments from year to year, and each and every one of them has special meaning for me. Each ornament was either hand crafted by family or friends, given to me by family or friends, or are remnants from Christmases from long ago. When I pull out my tree decorations each December, I don’t notice the frayed edges or the scratches that mar some of these ornaments. Instead I remember happy Christmases decorating the tree with family, or recall a special friend who gave me a particular ornament. This in turn sparks memories of times spent with that particular friend or family member. I also rediscover ornaments that I had forgotten about since the previous year, and when I pull that ornament out of the box, it is like discovering an old friend.

Some people design theme trees. My regular tree has no theme, as each ornament is unique and speaks only for itself, such as the cross stitched Doberman ornament that my sister made for me.

However, I do make one theme tree every year, always using the same theme and the same ornaments from the past year with the possibility of the addition of a new ornament or two, depending on what I find available that year, or on what my sister decides to make for me. Outhouses and barns have always intrigued me, so a few years ago my sister cross stitched an outhouse ornament for me that I proudly displayed on the tree. The following year she made me another outhouse ornament, and two good friends also each bought me an outhouse ornament, and the tradition began. For the past three years, I’ve decorated my special Crane Christmas tree, which consists of a forked pine branch, devoid of needles, hung with my various outhouse ornaments. While outhouses may not appeal to everyone, I love my Crane tree and it sits at the foot of the steps to welcome me home.

My Crane Christmas tree, combined with my regular tree decorated with ornaments given to me by friends and family, along with my fiber optic tree and my illuminated ceramic tree all satisfy my needs as far as having festive Christmas trees to help me celebrate the holiday season.