Show Me Christmas

Growing up, I always had the opportunity to decorate two Christmas trees. One in my own home and one in the home of my best friend who lived around the corner. It was such fun to see the different traditions my friend’s family observed.

You see, my friend was raised in a Greek Orthodox household. Her mother and her maternal grandparents, who also lived in the house, emigrated from Greece in the 1960s. It was important for them to carry on their traditions in this new country. I think explaining to me, as we trimmed the tree, the significance behind various Greek Christmas ornaments they’d brought with them gave my friend’s parents and grandparents a lot of joy.

My daughter just graduated college in May, and much to our astonishment she was hired for a job in her field within a few weeks of leaving academia. It was a cause for much celebration in our family, but we had to cope with the fact that she would be leaving the house and living thousands of miles away on the East Coast. We continue to talk on the phone several times on the week, and she recently informed me that she won’t be making it home for Christmas.

I immediately felt awful because she won’t be able to spend the holidays with her father and I – or the extended family members that only get to see her once a year, if that. Still, there was no getting around it. She had to work every day except Christmas itself, which made traveling impossible. In an effort to cheer her up, I purchased a holiday gift basket online filled with handmade Christmas ornaments. I’ll be sending it just before Christmas so that it arrives at her door just when she needs it most.

For many families, decorating for Christmas is one of the best bonding experiences to come around all year. Dressing the evergreen tree with elaborate ornaments – both stores bought and homemade – is an activity that brings back happy memories from another place and time. In some neighborhoods, the competitive spirit of the season manifests itself through exterior decorations.

Electrical bills rise exponentially as rival households try to outdo each other by offering onlookers the most spectacular display of lights for the Christmas tree ornaments. Thanks to the advent of solar string lights, it’s no longer necessary to use dangerous extension cords or to place lights in close proximity to electrical outlets. Solar power cuts electrical costs and provides decorators with even more creative freedom than they thought possible.

When people think of snowmen, they almost always think of Christmas or winter decor. But that’s not necessarily the case. The adorable and innocent appeal of snowmen can be used to decorate and accent your home any time of the year. To that end, look into as the perfect addition to your other entire holiday decor. Look around, and you’re sure to find snowmen that are perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, and all other major holidays.

These dolls also make great collectible Christmas ornaments as well as gifts. For example, if your kid wants to give their teacher a gift on the last day of class, have them take a twist on the standard teacher gift of an apple. Rather, have your kid give them a teacher-themed snowman doll. Snowmen make surprisingly versatile decorative tools, and it will certainly be something that the teacher can cherish for years to come.

It’s been said that the hearth is the most important part of the home, and when it comes to decorating the hearth, it’s good to have an idea of what kinds of objects represent individual tastes. For example, a wood mantel clock is a classic piece to have on a mantel above the hearth. Most traditional mantel clocks have a wide face, and some also ring or sound on the hour and half-hour.

Photo albums are another great piece to have set atop the mantel, though in the last decade, digital photo frames have become a more practical option. Other mantel ornaments include ceramics, statuettes, figurines, and art. With a well decorated mantel, the homeowner expresses their own individual tastes and personal ambitions to the world. There’s no reason not to have a well-decorated mantel, and homeowners shouldn’t be afraid to purchase all kinds of polish ornaments and express themselves through their home!

One of my kids’ favorite family-time arts and crafts projects is decorating glass Christmas ornaments. I order plain, clear glass ornaments online or purchase a basket-full around the holidays from the local craft store. When we get home we adorn the ornaments in whatever way we want.

The smooth exterior of glass Christmas ornaments makes them easy for painting. Acrylic paints work the best for creating intricate designs. Applying frosted glass paint makes the ornaments appear seasonal. Another way to decorate glass ornaments is by filling them with colorful objects. This can be glitter, confetti, marbles, beads, or even small toys.

Since the Soviet Union fell, Christmas has become an important holiday once again in Russia. The holiday is marked with 10 days of celebration extending to New Year’s. Traditional elements, such as decorating Christmas trees, have thrived.

Russian Christmas ornaments are absolutely stunning. While you can easily find plastic Yuletide Russian Christmas décor, it is still possible to find hand painted ornaments made from wood or glass. Some of my favorite Russian ornaments are ones that are patterned after the famous nesting dolls or the Snow Maiden of Russian literature. The domes of Russian Orthodox churches, often described as onion-like, are also a popular shape for ornaments.

Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite childhood stories. The re-imagining of the classic tale in a film by Tim Burton was very well done, I think. At the Academy Awards this year the film won for Art Direction and Costume Design.

I believe the Academy was spot on, as the visuals from the film were absolutely captivating. They brought to life all the colorful characters just as I had envisioned them. In fact, I have several Alice in Wonderland handcrafted ornaments which I display year round on my coffee table. I think the White Rabbit ornament in particular invokes the strong imagery that Tim Burton’s film put forth.

Some people can’t function in the morning without a cup of coffee. For me, tea is my addiction. I’m not partial to one particular brand or another; I truly enjoy trying out different flavors and brews. I’m also a collector of decorative teapots- the more ornate the better!

This Christmas, my kids bought me teapot ornaments by Tannenbaum Treasures. The collectible holiday ornaments are really exquisite. The two inch tall ornaments are handcrafted in Europe and each displays a different theme. My three favorites are the blue bonnet, clover, and silver teapots. Don’t you love it when people actually put consideration into holiday gift giving?