Every year when we got home my father would busy himself in the front room for a while de-tangling the lights and placing them in the *perfect* positions so that if you squint at the tree they are in the exact right places.
Kate Smith would magically appear through our speakers, telling us the story “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem”. Later on in my life, I would be told by Conrad that whenever I sing these songs I use Kate Smith’s voice intonation. (Perhaps not such a good thing)
After munching down on some dinner and getting terribly impatient, we would congregate around the tree. Sometimes we would all go put on our green and red clothes to be all the more festive and cheery.
Mom and dad would take out their ornaments that they bought on their very first Christmas together (35 years ago), and over some memory-fuelled glances would hang them pride of place in a central position. After their ornaments were proudly placed on the tree, the three of us would take out the ornaments we had been given when we were babies and place them up one by one. My dad has taken these pictures this evening (whilst they are decorating their tree) and sent them to me so I can post them!
This ornament is special because it has been with me since my first Christmas memory. I would place it (and all other ornaments luckily enough to be picked by my chubby baby hands) on the bottom branches of the tree, where my parents would later move it to a more appropriate resting place.
At the moment I don't really have any meaningful ornaments. (*sigh*) I have found it really difficult to find any nice ones here in England. Conrad has informed me that apprently buying Christmas tree decorations isn't as important here - they buy new ones every year and dispose of them.
So I suppose this is the perfect time to start building new traditions and collecting new memories.
8 comments:
I think it's so awesome that you still have your very first ornament! It's never too late to add some each year and build your very own collection and traditions.
Thanks for being part of this little event today. It's been so much fun.
I'm glad you posted the pics of your ornament - I get to see it this year!
Do you really still do Kate Smith??? I mean, I know you've been home every year so far, but did you listen to her when you put up your own tree, too? That's one tradition I dropped. B can't stand to listen to her, for one thing!
I love that you have your 1st ornament! Sweet! I think it's great that you are making it a tradition to hold onto all your ornaments! I have a funny one I want to mail you if I can find it, I got it for Nick and Brooke as an iside joke, but since they don't live there anymore you should have it! It's a REAL cheesy American ornament!
That truly is a very precious ornament, being your first one:-) I wish my mom had kept our childhood ornaments but for some reason they are nowhere to be found! So, when I got married 30 years ago I started buying a special ornament for my tree every year...now 30 years later I have quite an assortment:-) Merry Christmas to you and yours!!
Allie - We don't listen to it here when we're doing the tree :) Only when I'm at mom and dad's.. and we only listen to it once when we're there!! But.. Her voice still makes me happy!
I enjoyed seeing your childhood ornament. Thanks for sharing! :)
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Those are lovely. I can't imagine disposing of ornaments every year!
We have decorations that we have been collecting since we got married 6 years ago. We buy a new one every year. This year we have bought one for Emily. We hope that she will have fond memories of her first decoration - in a similar way to you.
Happy memory collecting.
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