Hubby Tony and I try to follow the tradition of removing our Christmas decorations after Epiphany (which celebrates the visit of the three Wise Men to Jesus). The actual feast day is January 6th, but in the United States the Catholic church has moved the observance to the first Sunday after January 1st.Because of our schedules this year, we chose to put everything away on Sunday.
I enjoy reminiscing over all the ornaments when I put them on the tree, and again when I take them off. A couple actually go back to 1980, the year we got married. Tony was only a couple of years into his career job, and I was still in college.
To save money Tony went with a friend out to the friend's parents farm to get a tree. They underestimated how tall the tree was; our living room had ten-foot ceilings and the tree reached to the top. We had to use fishing line attached to the wall to keep it from toppling over. A tree like that needed a lot of ornaments, which we hadn't acquired yet. I improvised by cutting pictures out of magazines and gluing them to card stock. There may have even been a paper chain draped around the branches.
Most of those first year ornaments are long gone, but one that had survived was made by sticking adhesive letters on a large blue glass orb. As you can imagine it looked a little ragged, but held a lot of memories. This year when I took it off the tree it hit against another ornament, which cracked a large hole into the side.
|
| Can you see the hole by my thumb? |
It was sad to scoop up the shards of glass and throw everything away. I wondered if there was some type of superstition about breaking a personalized ornament, but according to the Internet I think I'm safe.
Five years ago today: A Yam Is Not Always A Yam
Very sad its time came-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteIt lived a good life. Sad
ReplyDeleteYes, we wait until the Epiphany.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
What a shame your historic bauble broke, but the memory remains.
ReplyDeleteA sad moment for a cherished ornament. Maybe buy a new similarly coloured plain one next year and personalize (and update) it? Continue the tradition!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!
DeleteThat is sad.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh about the Too Tall Tree coz one Year we couldn't afford a Tree either. The Daughter was an Infant and had been Born that October, my Roommate worked for the Officer's Club on Base and they felt so bad for us they Donated not One, but Two Trees. One was a normal size Douglas Fir. But the other was a duplicate Tree they accidentally got for their Main Ballroom, which had enormously high Ceilings. So, to get it into our Townhouse, we literally had to cut it in half and just use the Top 10 Feet of it!!! It took up almost the whole Livingroom, but, we were so broke back then, we didn't have Furniture anyway... remember the Cinderblock Days of Old? *Ha ha ha* When we'd have Company they'd have to sit on the Stairs that went to the 2nd Floor of the Townhouse we were Renting coz we had no Chairs for anyone to sit in. *Smiles* The Daughter slept in a Suitcase until she was probably 3 Months Old and the Salvation Army Donated a Crib to us... someone had told them the Baby slept in a Suitcase and we Slept on the Floor so they Donated Two Beds for Joanne and I, and the Crib for my Daughter. I have one Pix of her in the Suitcase... and used Dish Towels for her Diapers. *LOL* We didn't have Money, but it was some of the happiest of times and many Friends of our Youth, some of which are still Alive and Friends to this day.
ReplyDeleteWhat great memories you have.
DeleteThat's a great history of your Christmas past.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It was fun to relive it while I was typing.
DeleteHow I love this,
ReplyDeletehaving ornaments of memories!
Surely every year there are losses and that's good because they give way to new ornaments!!
The one you broke was great but okay!!
Thank you.
DeleteThe next ornament should metal so it will bounce.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe rubber? Or foam?
Deletesooo sorry about your lost ornament hugs You'll need to find another special one to replace I did that one year when we were first married-got a huge huge tree that barely fit haha Larry was not too thrilled being Jewish.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy our warm weather this month
Every year we buy at least one new ornament as a memory of what went on that year. I went outside without a jacket this afternoon! Can't believe that it's January.
DeleteI had an 'artistic' phase where I wanted the tree all silver or all red. then I had kids.
ReplyDelete