@BlueJean22

Isn't it glorious?

@Shelter Xmess with my grandparents worked a lot like that. Every year, those old glass ornaments were trotted out - birds, elves, Santas, etc ... and back then, they had the old glass bulbs that would easily burn your house down and certainly burn the hell out of your hands once they got hot enough. Dangerous but fun. There were glittery deep red wall decorations like bells and candycanes ... I still remember all those things and a real tree ...

@XaoslordErie
I had to get rid of real trees in I think 2012 when we finally realized that the mold spores were giving 16 a sinus infection every year.
When my grandmom was a child the tree had actual, tiny candles on it, and her hair caught fire. My ggpop banned candles until electric lights came around.

@Shelter I haven't had a real tree now in many years, but then, I also no longer decorate for Xmess. It's not so much that it's not worth it for only me, but because my beliefs have changed a great deal since then.

@XaoslordErie
I'm atheist AF.
I need the lights and colors.

@XaoslordErie
There's a good reason that festivals involving lights and colors happen in the darkest parts of the year.

@Shelter I struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder on top of Bipolar Type 2, so yeah, I understand the importance. I just have to admire from a distance, that's all.

@Shelter understood. As a non-theist myself, I get it. As to the lights, that also changed for me, personally, when diabetic neuropathy set in and my vision began to change, so I can't really do too much of that any more. That said, I do have an appreciation for the work my neighbors put into theirs. Very pretty.

@Shelter

@Shelter That sounds wonderful - I had done something similar with decor from my childhood and before I was born. Then we had a massive flood in 1997 and my house and my parents house were flooded and we lost them. I started over and it's very nice and fun but I remember many of those ornaments and wish they were still with me. 💜

@UmbaSaffire
If you have photos and your memory they still are.
And now you get to build new.
I know this sounds like nonsense, but my mom was a hoarder and so much was destroyed through neglect and like, squirrels in the house and shit.

@Shelter I do - many photos and the memories are strong - my mom made Christmas a very magical time, a lot of tradition there. Thanks for this lovely soulful post.🙏

@UmbaSaffire
Print those photos and make ornaments from them.
I'm not kidding.

@Shelter What a wonderful idea - thank you - I never thought of doing that!🙏 💜

@Shelter This made me smile. I do the same thing every year . My kids who once rolled their eyes now do stories thenselves. I have my first TEACHER ornament from student teaching... 1980!

@Elly4_

Thanks so much for teaching.

@Shelter Best job in the world if it calls you

@Shelter I put up my 6’ kitchen/dining tree today. I live hanging my kindergarten ornament on it every year, it’s a paper doily with my kindergarten pic on it (with a terrible haircut!) that was laminated with a red string to hang it up. Also have the ornaments I cross stitched when I was in middle school and those thin brass ones from the 70’s, name & year etched in. I bought the 2nd tree because I couldn’t fit all my ornaments on my main tree! Good memories…

@Shelter Yes. I get it. That's how it was for me in my younger days. Each ornament or group of them carried a story.