♪♫ Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree... ♪♫

A symbol of both Christmas and Yule, Christian and Pagan tradition, of what we hold dear throughout the year...a place to display treasured holiday memories - and like a snowflake, no two are exactly alike! Each year, the tree trimming tradition unfolds just a little differently, ornaments hung and garland strung in a new way; familiar, yet unique to that particular year...

Yesterday found us trimming our own tree. Lights...


Ornaments...

And finally, beaded garland...

Unwrapping and hanging the ornaments always brings back memories, and at the same time feels a bit like a new discovery. The "Cup of Christmas Tea" ornament, a gift from my Mother one year, with the book of the same name...


The woodland gnomes (elves?) and the tiny wood burned stag ornament, a gift from an artist friend...



The mercury glass moons, found a few years back at Strawberry and Co, a favorite downtown Lancaster shop...

The sparkling bird's nest with gilded walnut "eggs", purchased at Sheldons, a gallery where I once worked weekends...

Courtney's kindergarten milk-carton ornament...

And my own very first ornament, purchased by my parents sometime in the early 1960s...


Yes, I know, the tree is artificial - something in younger days we swore we'd never do. And it's a bit smaller than in years past, more easily manageable. As we age, we find there's a lot to be said for convenience. ;)

But large or small, real or artificial, there's that moment when it's finished, when the boxes are put away, the cocoa is made, living room lights are turned off, Christmas carols are playing, and we just sit back and enjoy...Such a priceless moment...

How about you? Do you decorate a tree? Does it hold special meaning, invoke memories of Yuletides past? Or perhaps your tradition is Chanukah, or Kwanzaa, or Ramadan, which have their own treasured symbols and memories? Please do leave a comment and share...

And finally, Happy Holidays from our house to yours! I say Happy Holidays, knowing full well it rattles those who feel "Merry Christmas" has been lost. But I like "Happy Holidays" just fine - it says whatever holiday you observe, whatever beliefs and traditions you hold dear, I wish you a blessed and merry time of it!

Until next time,
♥ Carolee