HO HO HO, Christmas Tree Traditions !!
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 6:33 pm
Years ago sometime into the first week of December my dad would take us out and we'd go find a real live Christmas tree. Once we got it home after taking 'hours' to make a selection - I'm mean - long needles, short needles - all those serious points had to be taken into consideration - we'd set the tree outside for overnight so it would open and my dad take a fresh slice off the trunk. We'd then get it inside, stood up and the decorations would come out. We had super neat old old decorations that were blown glass and very fragile but we hung each ornament and looked at them, and re-positioned and balanced 'em. They were all very traditional Christmas themed Santa Claus', bells, holly, snowmen. Was a really BIG thing to me as a child. Every year I had an Aunt who made fantastic porcelain ornaments give me one and it got added to the Christmas stash.
Over the years we moved on to an artifical tree but always kept most of the ornaments. Now 'my' ornaments are passed onto my own daughters so they can do a similar tradition.
This past weekend when I was in Canada we went to the Convention Centre to look at all the themed decorated Christmas trees there. I was quite amused to see some of the ornament cause I thought only in Canada and in British Columbia find this type of Christmas ornament for the tree.
Thought you all would get a kick out of seeing what it BIG this year in the world of Christmas ornaments....
Hand carved out of cedar First Nations fish
A real leather covered native american drum:
Seems white flocked trees are very much back in vogue:
This ornament was the most fascinating this year and there were mega styles of owls made out of real pine cones, green pine needles etc:
Not too sure how clear this photo is (now that I've posted it) is a tree totally covered with stuff wild animal ornaments. A Canada goose is the big grey black bird forefront.
Moose are always a big theme in my area and right up the alley of all the hunters now as it IS big time hunting season:
This was probably the most traditionally "Christmas" themed tree on display
All in all the trees do reflect the people of the area. I didn't get a good shot of one tree totally decorated in an ice hockey theme or the other tree that was decorated with bulldozers, gravel movers etc.
The most impressive were the owls - real feathers, real shaved cedar and pine needles.
I'd quite love to see what different areas are using as this years decorations!! Christmas is a favourite time for me to get all my cherished holiday memories out of the box and put up.
Anybody have any others to share with a story about the ornament? Love to see them and hear of the thoughts and feelings you get when you're decorating your own home for the holiday season.
Over the years we moved on to an artifical tree but always kept most of the ornaments. Now 'my' ornaments are passed onto my own daughters so they can do a similar tradition.
This past weekend when I was in Canada we went to the Convention Centre to look at all the themed decorated Christmas trees there. I was quite amused to see some of the ornament cause I thought only in Canada and in British Columbia find this type of Christmas ornament for the tree.
Thought you all would get a kick out of seeing what it BIG this year in the world of Christmas ornaments....
Hand carved out of cedar First Nations fish
A real leather covered native american drum:
Seems white flocked trees are very much back in vogue:
This ornament was the most fascinating this year and there were mega styles of owls made out of real pine cones, green pine needles etc:
Not too sure how clear this photo is (now that I've posted it) is a tree totally covered with stuff wild animal ornaments. A Canada goose is the big grey black bird forefront.
Moose are always a big theme in my area and right up the alley of all the hunters now as it IS big time hunting season:
This was probably the most traditionally "Christmas" themed tree on display
All in all the trees do reflect the people of the area. I didn't get a good shot of one tree totally decorated in an ice hockey theme or the other tree that was decorated with bulldozers, gravel movers etc.
The most impressive were the owls - real feathers, real shaved cedar and pine needles.
I'd quite love to see what different areas are using as this years decorations!! Christmas is a favourite time for me to get all my cherished holiday memories out of the box and put up.
Anybody have any others to share with a story about the ornament? Love to see them and hear of the thoughts and feelings you get when you're decorating your own home for the holiday season.