Embracing the Sentimental Christmas Decorations to Celebrate the Year End

Christmas is my favorite season for decorations, and I eagerly anticipate it as a way to conclude the year. The cozy atmosphere of staying in, accompanied by a brightly lit tree adorned with cherished ornaments, fills me with gratitude for all that has happened over the past year.

The infamous Cost Cutters Christmas tree in it's final 2021 season.

The 7 ft Christmas tree in our dining room in 2024.

The same 7 ft Christmas tree in our family room this year.

A battery operated window candle in my bathroom window in 2021.

Throughout the years, I have always had a Christmas tree in every place I have lived since turning 25. My journey began with a 5.5-foot artificial tree purchased from a Cost Cutters in New Jersey, which remarkably lasted for 14 seasons. I added ornaments received as gifts, along with those I bought myself, to establish my own Christmas tree tradition. I cherish the idea of having a curated tree filled with sentimental memories. Interestingly, the final season for the Cost Cutters tree was in 2021, coinciding with the time when John and I started dating, with more than half of its lights no longer working.

Fast forward less than two years, John and I got married and began merging our belongings, which included his Christmas decorations. My in-laws share a similar philosophy regarding ornaments: they value older pieces and those with sentimental significance. My mother-in-law had kept John's ornaments stored in the basement for years, so it was a delightful experience to open that box and rediscover those treasures. When we upgraded to a 7-foot Christmas tree, I was thrilled to find that our combined ornaments filled the tree beautifully, eliminating the need for additional purchases.

A significant reason for my extensive ornament collection is because of my grandmother. Starting when I was 8 years old, she began a tradition of gifting me one ornament each Christmas, ensuring that I would have a collection by the time I had my own tree. Her love for Christmas shines through in these gifts, and each year as I hang those ornaments, I am transported back to my younger days. Although she stopped giving me ornaments around 2006—when Hallmark ceased production of many commemorative pieces—I cherish these gifts even more now, especially as she is 92 and living with dementia. Each year, I remind her of the ornaments she gave me, and thankfully, she remembers gifting them to me. This practice fosters meaningful conversations, as she recalls more about her life from over 20 years ago than recent events.

To promote sustainability in Christmas decorations, the best approach is to refrain from purchasing new items each year. Yes, you heard me correctly: resist the temptation of commercials and advertisements from various home décor sites urging you to buy a new tree or trendy ornaments. Instead, focus on acquiring only what you truly love and make thoughtful choices rather than indulging in bulk purchases. This is especially relevant when considering trends from 6-7 years ago, such as the all-gray and white Christmas décor that was once popular and is now incredibly boring.

While I have occasionally bought new decorations, I always put considerable thought into each purchase. Often, I will walk away from an item and give it 24 hours to see if it lingers in my mind. If I still think about it after that time, I take it as a sign that it is worth purchasing, as it will likely remain significant to me for years to come. Although I have treasured ornaments from decades past, there are other decorations I hold onto each year because they possess special meaning. Among these cherished items are the Charlie Brown Christmas tree that John has owned for years, the embroidered "Joy" pillow made by my grandmother 30 years ago, and a red vase that has been swapped out in the dining room with existing faux flowers.

This year, John and I added just two new items to our décor: personalized stockings from West Elm. With our names embroidered on them, we can bring these out year after year. Although I would have purchased more decorations if I had found others I loved, I didn’t come across anything that resonated with me. Many of the decorations available this year appeared cheap and did not seem like items I would want to keep for the long term.

Finally, I am in the camp of keeping the Christmas decorations up until after New Year's. It helps keep the holiday going before the new year officially comes into play.

How about you? What are your favorite Christmas decorations?