Often, in the short weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m called upon by family members to help decorate their trees. While I didn’t end up assisting in any evergreen adornments – aside from my own – this year, I do truly enjoy finding and hanging each ornament in its temporary holiday home.
In years past, I’ve helped my parents, grandparents and great-grandmother decorate their trees, and I never get tired of it. Admittedly, having control over the placement of objects in order to create something aesthetically pleasing feeds my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, but it’s also a treat to reunite with symbols of Christmases past and adds to the nostalgia and sentimentality of the season.
When I was in elementary school, it was a yearly tradition to make ornaments ahead of Christmas break. Over the years, mice snacked on various candy cane, popcorn and dog treat creations I’d made, but a few Milk Bone reindeer and pipe cleaner critters survived and proudly hang with red noses and googly eyes as a reminder of how uncrafty I’ve always been. I can still feel the glue gun burns when I look at their lopsided features on my parents’ tree.
There are also little, Christmas-themed picture frames with photos of my brother and I when we were small, and a metal teddy bear with a drum and engraving on the back from one of my best friends growing up.

They hang with stuffed Santas, a rocking horse, miniature wreaths, red bows and a large, ornate ball, which, as mom reminds me every time I help, “needs a big branch”.
The vast majority of the holiday décor, however, is handmade ornaments my great-grandmother created every year for everyone in our (large) family. Hundreds of snowmen, Santas, bells, snowflakes, angels, stockings and more dangle from trees across Goshen County and beyond as a representation of grandma’s talent, faith and love.
This year, I decided to buy a fake tree for my little family of three. Before, my husband and I would make due with a small version, or simply not put up a tree at all and plan on enjoying family members’ trees for the holidays.
Now that I have an infant daughter, however, I have a strong desire to make the holidays special. I did not plan on hanging any ornaments this year, as I assumed between my daughter and my cat, there would be too much temptation to tear them down. I did browse the store shelves for an angel to place atop the tree, however, but found only stars.
As fate would have it, I visited my grandparents recently, and they happened to have an extra box of great-grandma’s handmade ornaments. They let me pick out a handful, including a knit angel tree topper.
I will treasure my grandmother’s ornaments always, and, over the years, my daughter can add her own creations. While the symbols may vary, one thing’s for certain – our Christmas tree will reflect love.