The Christmas Tree

[5ft Diva]

How do you all decorate your Christmas tree? Do you have any traditions that you've started in connection to your Christmas tree? How long do you leave it up? Is there a story behind one of your favorite ornaments?

[runamyrun]

Our tree does not match and is not one of those fancy, beautiful trees, but I love it. Each year we buy at least one new ornament. The ornament goes with something that we did that year. For example, this year we took our two oldest children to Disneyland, so we have a fun ornament from there. A lot of years our ornament has to do with camping because that is how we spent a lot of our free time that year. And each time we have a new baby, we buy them an ornament for their first Christmas. I also have candles on my tree (of course we don't light them). My dad served a mission for the LDS church, in Germany. When he served there, the Germans put candles on their trees. So he brought some home with him. Growing up, it was always my favorite thing about decorating the tree. A couple of years after my hubbie and I were married, my parents bought some candles for me! We also have some small German ornaments. Also, when we were first married, I decided to make some cinnamon and applesauce ornaments. Our tree didn't have many ornaments, so I thought it would help. After several years the yummy smell faded away (and they were starting to break), so last year my kids helped me make new ones. Underneath the tree we have a red, green and white striped tree skirt. My Grandma crocheted it, and after she died it was passed on to me. Whenever I look at our tree, it makes me happy! The kids and I love to look at each ornament and talk about why we have it.

[sunrisegirl]

A lot of the ornaments on our tree were given to me as a child from a great Aunt and Uncle that went to great efforts make us an ornament each year. I was always excited to see what the new ornament was each year so they mean a lot to me. My children love to look at them and ask about them. We try to pass the tradition on by getting or making a new ornament each year for our children and our nieces and nephews.

[5ft Diva]

I have what you'd call an eclectic tree. There's no rhyme or reason to it. My mom passed a lot of ornaments on to me when she finally decided to get new ornaments so a lot of them are ornaments that I remember growing up with. I do enjoy that. I also hand painted about 1/4 of our ornaments. I enjoy those. I have a "vintage" ornament that I made in Kindergarten. It's a playdoh one and I was living in Hawaii at the time so it's a hula snow woman - if there was ever such a thing. It is probably my favorite on the tree and my kids have to be extra careful w/ it because it's so fragile.