The Significance of My Christmas Tree Decorations
Tags: Memories, Family, Illumination, Christmas

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Every year, the boxes are brought down from a high cupboard and unpacked. The Christmas lights all have to be checked and the Christmas tree put together. We used to have a real tree but got tired of the constantly dropping needles and having to drag the cat out from the middle of it. Also, it seemed such a waste to cut down a living, growing tree before it reached it’s prime. So synthetic rules the day now.

Not every decoration gets to be used every year. There is an informal rotation system. Some years mostly red and green, other years silver and gold. That applies certainly to the tinsel and beaded strings. Other decorations always have pride of place because each one is special in some way.

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When I was 17, I worked for a while as an au pair in Norway in a town called Drøbak, south of Oslo on the Oslo fjord. There was a Christmas shop there which was open all year round. I didn’t have enough money to buy anything then, but years later I became friends through World of Warcraft with a girl who lived quite near. 40 years later , I returned to the Christmas shop and bought the little troll with a green hat and stripy stockings. She takes pride of place at the top of the tree and forever reminds me of my love for Norway and the people I met there. The large white heart with God Jul embroidered on it comes from my good friend and always has to be found a place on the tree.

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I have a little set of wooden soldiers with wispy hair. These came from Cologne when my husband and I spent a few days visiting the Christmas markets about ten years ago. They are beautifully made and epitomize the German Christmas spirit. They bring back the memory of a great trip, particularly poignant this year when Christmas markets have not been able to take place.

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The set of cross stitched Navajo patterned Christmas stockings came from Utah. When I married for the second time, we took a road trip from San Francisco to Phoenix for our honeymoon, visiting many National Parks. While in Utah, I bought these. They took a long time to be completed, but I am proud of my handiwork. It was a wonderful trip, packed full of interesting places and so when they come out of their protective plastic bag each year, I am transported back to the amazing sights of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Park, Bryce Canyon and Monument Valley.

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The little hedgehog with a red hat made from a bristle brush came from my childhood home and would have been on the Christmas tree every year. Christmas memories from childhood are particularly sweet. Happy times with my cousins playing noisy games. I never remember my mother being stressed, but surely she was, as she cooked for 4 adults and 8 children. Camp beds scattered throughout the house. How did we manage with only one bathroom?

Every year I journey through these nostalgic memories as I place the decorations on the tree. Connecting with past times, friendships, travel and parents who are no longer with me. That is the true essence of Christmas, much more so than the frantic shopping, intrusive advertising campaigns and overeating.