My great grandmother came to this country from Sweden during the Great Depression, and she married my great grandfather who came to America from Finland Norway. It being a depression and all – they were very poor, and they couldn’t afford any ornaments to put on their Christmas tree. Later in life when they had their four children, they decided to buy an ornament for each of their kids every year – so when they had their own families they would be able to decorate their tree. (Every year I hear this story, and I’m pretty sure that’s how it goes.)
2009 Ornament - a Swedish tomte (Christmas gnome)
Giving ornaments has become a family tradition because my Mor-mor passed this ritual to her three girls, and my mom continued it with my sister and I. Every year since I was born my mom gives me a new Christmas ornament, and on the bottom she writes my name and the year she gave it to me.
Decorating the Christmas tree is one of my favorite traditions because every year I dust of the box storing my ornaments and unwrap them, looking at each and remembering the story of why this tradition was started so many years ago.
God Jul – Merry Christmas
One Response
February 17th, 2010 at 12:32 am
I love this tradition! I still have all my ornaments from mom and dad and Mor-mor too. I now do this with my boys and they look forward to it every year.
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