Ornament Traditions...

I have collected ornaments for many years. Each year, I add at least 10 new ornaments during the ornament open houses at Hallmark. After the holidays some of the ornaments are reduced in price, so I add some more ornaments. I have over 600 ornaments and am running out of room.

When I was growing up, about the only ornament tradition was that we started decorating the tree in blue and green. But when my mom started putting up a little tree when my folks bought a house in 1976 she started collecting ornaments. She had some I made, some she got on her travels, some people gave her. She had a very well decorated 3 foot tall tree.

Some of my decoraions bring back memories too. I won't bring out all my stuff this year. I have 2 crazy kittens that I don't want tearing them up. I have all blown glass and cyrstal for my tree, that stuff will stay packed, its plastic ornaments this year. Merry Christmas to you too, its coming before we know it.

When I was in kindergarden I made my mom a garland made out of packaging peanuts, construction paper and yarn. I made her put it on the tree every year, even after I had moved out of the house. My older sister used to make fun of it and say that we just needed to throw it out. It was actually more fun to annoy my mom and sister with my persistance that it be hung on the tree every year (in a place where everyone would be sure to see it) then it was really meaningful. After years of hearing my sister complain I made her and her husband a similar garland to hang on their tree. My brother-in-law who has the same sense of humor that I do continues to insist that my sister hang it on her tree! I also buy my children ornaments every year and plan on teaching them how to make their own (to give as gifts to their grandma and aunt of course!).

When my kids were little we used to get special ornamments for the kids. I still have some that my mother made in the 60's. I made some years ago also. This year I dont even know if we will try to put up a tree. We didnt bother last year cause we had moved over Thanksgiving and decided not to bother cause this place is so small. We wont be able to put up a big tree or my Dickens Village that we used to put up every year. Makes me a little humbugish. LOL.

Every year on Thanksgiving, my mother buys all her kids and our kids a new Christmas tree ornament. It is our Thanksgiving present. I love the idea because when I got married and moved out I had many nice ornament for my own Christmas tree. This year my 19 yr old moved out and he has at least 19 ornaments for his tree. I am going to do the same thing for my grandchildren when they are born~ hopefully many years before that!

We have many ornaments that we have collected over the years. Some that my children and grandchildren have made over the years. For a few years I made all my grandchildren a wood ornament for Christmas. I had to stop a couple of years ago because my hands wouldn't handle the knive and paint brushes. They always looked foreward to getting one for them selves. Buying the ornaments just wasn't the same.

We have a few special ornaments we've gotten over the years too. And even a couple that I've had since I was a child. But we don't have a regular tradition of them. Though for years up until this year I've bought ornaments and put them on Christmas gifts - mainly for decoration.

Our family tradition has for years been a new ornment each year. I don't have my tree up yet, on the list to do this week, but last week I happened to spot an ornament that is a beagle - I bought it as just 2 weeks ago we adopted a beagle from the human society :) Everyone loves it particularly my 5 year old grandson who right off spotted the ornament in my bedroom and yelled 'it's Shilo' the dogs name :)

not really, but i do buy the girls one every year and i also put up the ones that i made the year that they were born. my older daughter has a cross stitched one and my younger daughter has a painted one that i made and i do have a few favs that have to go on the tree every year.

We usually buy lucky charms during the Chinese New Year. The Christmas ornaments usually get recycled year after year.

I don't really have any ornament traditions yet. Although, my ex's parents send an ornament for our son every year. It's really sweet, and those ornaments are so special. I'm hoping to start a new tradition this year. Getting a new ornament every year, something that's special to us. Whether it's a character that we love or just something that we think is really pretty.

When I lived alone I did the ornament-a-year thing too. I now have many and love my tree. I dated each and put on them where I lived. Since my tree was always glass and silver, I have a few that were given to me on it too. Now I am living with and caring for my mom, so my own tree is in storage. My mom's tree is a hodge podge of ornaments made by children, grandkids and greatgrandkids, with multicolored plain bulbs. Since the bulbs are somewhat old and beginning to chip, this past summer we redecorated them so they are new again. My mom is a Snoopy Christmas type, lots of colors.. We use multicolored lights on the tree also. The tree is up and looking good. Our angel is an antique handed down from my grandmother, who bought it on my grandparent's honeymoon to go on their first tree together. I love that tree, so many memories. We have a ceramic nativity which my uncle made many years ago. My brother built a lovely manger table for it. We got straw from a neighbor to complete the look. This year we even dragged out our old color light wheel, almost old as me. I am amazed it still works, and they are back in style, so we are oh so cool lol. Have a great Christmas, Blessed Yule to you nd your loved ones.

OH wow so glad to hear others have this traditon too! we usually get new ones each year - kids pick out one they like for themselves each year to add to the tree - hubby & I got one year before last that was for OUR first christmas together lol some years we make ornaments others we buy! last year we made *icicle* ones beaded some one heavy gage wire then wrapped with fuzzy *yarn* then curled the ends to hang on the tree. sent 6 to each family we knew.. they loved them! year before we found great Disney ones that we got for each of the kids in our family and this year we have a new one so well be looking for Babys first christmas of course... and making some Clay ones as well! with family names on them! :) Cant wait will be working on them soon actually :) XX

Every year mum puts away the ornaments for the trees, ornaments that have been in the family for years including ones she treasures, the ones I made at school! I am 36 now and mum has still got the decorations I made at school when I was 6, she won't get rid of them and they are well cared for and loved. Unfortunately some of them actually disintigrate over time. They bring back fond memories, mum loves her tree and ornaments, each ornament is a talking point.

That is such a wonderful idea. I do have a few I brought my children in the last couple of years to help remeber that year.... I do like to think like that and I try to buy something special each year to add memories... It is a excellent gift idea too- having things engraved helps add to the memories (remembering).....

we have one that was my grandmaothers and now the grandbaby gets a new one every year with her name and year on it so i hope she will keep it going for her babies when she has some

When I was growing up my mother bought an ornament for me every year. I now put them on my tree. I have this one ornament that looks like a wooden Miss Piggy Angel that was always my favorite when growing up. I still have it and my 11 year old son makes fun of her because she does look a little worn since I have had her for over 25 years. My son sets up the tree and always makes a point to set my Miss Piggy up next to his Star Wars Darth Maul ornament so it looks like he is attacking her. Since my mother bought me ornaments every year I have been doing the same for my son. I try to buy him something that has to do with what he he interested in that year. Like one year he really like airplanes so we got an airplane ornament for him. This year he really likes Ferraris but I can't find a Ferrari ornament at all. My mother would buy ornaments for my brother as well. The funniset ornament she got for him was a pig on wheels. She got it at a lcal farm we went to for pumkin picking. While we were at the farm a large pig got loose out of the petting area. My brother who was only about 5 saw the pig run straight for him and froze. Evryone tried to steer the pig away from him but it knocked him over. He was fine but just a little stunned. After when we went into the gift shop there was an ornament of a pig with wheels. We got it and now we always remember teh day he got run over by a pig.

My Mom started this tradition and when I moved out on my own and then got married, I too began giving my Dad and Mom an ornament each Christmas. I love doing that. It is specail and the ornaments are special too.

When my two daughters were growing up each year I let them pick a new ornament. When we would decorate the tree they put on their own ornaments. They would look forward to it each year.