“A little to the left … no, right … hold it … there!” Once the tree is perfectly positioned, it’s time to hang the ornaments. This fun holiday tradition is something families have enjoyed together for generations. But do you know what’s best of all? We all have own ways of decorating the tree and appreciating the ornaments that adorn it.
Winter Wonderland
Some prefer a wintry white ensemble. With this approach, all bulbs and ornaments appear as if recently plucked from a fresh snowfall. Items may include snowy icicles and sparkly crystals. Once the tree is fully decorated with these dazzling delights, a winter wonderland is revealed right there in the living room.
Merry Mélange
Other the other hand, some prefer to decorate the tree with a merry mélange of characters, bulbs and whimsical wonders. There may be no rhyme or reason to the décor, just that each ornament is unique in its own right. Some items may be childhood creations that have long since weathered. Others may be random oddities from a fast food restaurant.
Mystery Ornaments
Then we have the mystery ornaments. These bizarre entities always spark the question: “Where on earth did this one come from?” Usually no one knows. Perhaps Grandma may say, “oh, that’s a nice one,” but the story ends there. Maybe Mom has a feeling she got it from an office gift swap one year. Whatever the case may be, the origins of these ornaments are unknown.
Favorite Ornament
When it comes to decorating the tree, I grew up with a merry mélange. Most of the ornaments were given as gifts through the years, some even from my mother’s childhood. And among those wonders was an ornament I made in middle school. It’s a raggedy red and green yarn figure with a packet of lifesavers for the body. The packet is barely intact, (clearly not for consumption) and wrapped tightly with electrical tape.
On numerous occasions, I’ve shown this ornament to friends and the response is always a baffling, “oh.” But you know what? That’s quite alright because that’s the beauty of ornaments. You never know which one is destined to become your favorite.
