Our lives arc like parabolas. Just when our kids have gotten older and no longer enjoy the ritual of decorating the Christmas tree, my parents are coming to an age when they do. It occurred to me that my Mom would enjoy the toyland-wonder of selecting ornaments from our big box and — with favorite carols playing — hanging them just so on our tree.
As we shared in the creative decision-making, I took a trip down memory lane with my Mom and realized there was lots of meaning in our decorations.
There’s the little nurse and the woven Irish clover for Anne and a football player ready to throw a long bomb for Andy. A few little beach treasures and baked and painted goodies remind us of Jackie’s preschooler days. The tiny “Julens Sanger” Norwegian carol book, with its red, blue, and white flag cover, represents my family heritage. The green and red skates with the paper-clip blades were knit 20 years ago by my grandmother before her last Christmas. I remember for Grandma, Europe was as far away as the moon. Every time I packed my rucksack and headed off for Europe, her imagination would set her eyes twinkling, and she’d say, “Ooh la la…gay Pareeeee.”
There’s some artful give-and-take to our tree ritual. I let Anne crown the tree with an angel (which I find gaudy, and always seems to be being goosed by the tip of the tree). And Anne lets me drape the tree with the ancient string of popcorn I strung with an old girlfriend back in high school. (Popcorn lasts forever if you don’t eat it.) I also sneak in another souvenir from an old romance…a Japanese girlfriend gave me a kami(or god) in an exquisite little red sack that I hang as a tiny tip of the hat to Shinto on our Christmas tree. The funky cardboard “angel heads with sunglasses” struggle in their dogged battle against conformity.
From our living room, you wouldn’t know I’ve ever ventured outside the Pacific Northwest…except at Christmas, when the little treasures that hang on our tree serve as souvenirs. Two little red carved birds on a thread remind me of my early “Europe through the gutter” days. (I dropped into the trendy Marimekko shop in Helsinki, and that’s all I could afford.) And, much as I find the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop in Rothenburg a tourist trap, we dangle several delightful German-style painted wax and delicately carved trinkets from just the right branches.
We hang several little manger scenes both to keep the Christ in Christmas and, for me, to remember the politics of the Christ child…born poor in a manger under the tyranny of an empire to bring hope to the downtrodden. And, in that vein, the smallest ornament is perhaps my favorite — a tiny carved and varnished cross I picked up one Christmas season in Nicaragua, which hangs on a long black thread from the highest possible branch. It reads paz con social justicia.
Finally, my Mom and I stood back and surveyed the tree. We tweaked a few ornaments, adjusted the popcorn like the train on a wedding dress, and stood back again. Our task was done, and she said, “Good job…it’s pretty.”
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Beautifully written and speaks loudly of what Christmas really means. Thanks Rick, and may you and yours have a wonderful Christmas together as we will with ours. Keep on travelin’!
Rick, As my wife and I get ready to leave our rented room and go down stairs to eat roast suckling pig in Segovia, I think of how your books have made travel possible for us. We cannot afford to travel during the busy seasons, and watch our dollars carefully when at home. With your advice, we shun the expensive hotels and restaurants, know where to shop, eat, and stay, always ask how much something costs before we buy, and live with, and try to be more like the locals. I touched the stone columns of the Roman Aquaduct here this morning, still in perfect shape. Its 20,000 plus stones held together without any cement or mortar, and was in awe. Thank You Rick, and Merry Christmas to you, your family and your employees. Crash and Cindy Brown, in Segovia Spain, 2007
Rick, your blog makes me think now of just visiting my austrian cousins. Spending the last two nights under the 250 year old roof beams of elisabeth and walter’s home, next to the home of reinhold, renate, julie and andy, reminds of my first visit there in 1997. Aunt mary, my mother’s half sister whose mother was austrian, said I must go see my relatives there. I did, just a month before my 92 year old aunt died. But taking video of our family there and sending it to mary to see, brought her great happyness in those last days. Just now visiting the twnn Christkindl market, seeing preparation for the Dec 24th (not before!) christmas tree decoration and the gift giving right after decoration, makes me smile thankfully. So too does remembering the fun time with hot punch or glugwine by a crowded village square next to a brightly lite stand with all the locals. We’d just been to the lovely village baroque church listening to local singers and muscians in the annual christmas concert. It was wonderful, and we walked out to falling snow. Stores were not open this sunday and never are except some small cafes. This is a austrian family day. Nor do trucks operate on any sunday here, and in much of europe. Yes, people shop , but not sunday and NOT 24 hours every day including christmas like here. Bless you all, happy christmas, and as always, I am thankful for the great travel help and direction. Larry from springfield, will see you in edmonds in january. traveling on…
Rick: Thanks for the blog post of your Christmas traditions and how they are changing. Ours are very similar as our son is getting older and we are making new “traditions”. Now, about those old romances that your mentioned… Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Thanks, Rick, for the Christmas memories and the peek at your family traditions. May you and your family have a blessed Christmas and a fruitful New Year!
Great to hear about your Christmas traditions – wishing you and your family a wonderfully merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
I love your blog and look forward to reading a new one. It is a little gift to me when I see a new one. Our tree has similar Christmas treasures. This year new ornaments include a Swiss cowbell purchased in Murren in June, a copper gecko from AZ, and a copper ornament of the Tumacacori Mission from AZ. Travel memories keep on giving. Have a joyous Christmas with your family!
Your Christmas traditions are sweet. Merry Christmas!
Rick, Thank you for spreading the true Christmas spirit throughout much of the world all year long. Hope you have the happiest of holidays!
What a nice story. My husband and I too, decorate our tree with mementos from our travels, and remember finding them in Europe. I remember the bus driver in Edinburgh who laughed at us for asking to be let off at the Christmas shop – in June! Many of our ornaments aren’t actually ornaments — the cow bell from Switzerland, the miniature ceramic pitcher from Budapest, the tiny amber boot from Krakow. Every year when we decorate is like reliving all of our trips over again. http://www.travelingmcmahans.com/
This is what Christmas is all about! Don’t think the changes end here. We are a little a head of you and had our first Granddaughter this year, and now all my kids feel like kids again and are back to decorating our house their house and everything else. I just hope that in this world we could all except everyone’s differences. Merry Chirstmas to you and your family and all fellow Rick Steves Bloggers! Judy
Most of the mementos from our travels, such as a hunk of lava from the top of Mt. Vesuvius, would not fit on the tree in my daughter’s house, where I now live.At last count, in the den where I sit at my computer, there are over 125 collectibles including copper and brass pots, pans, trays, and scales from Europe, anchor chain from Saipan, my cane collection, chunks from the Berlin Wall with the hammer that did it, and on and on.But my daughter insists that in addition to a photo of my Beautiful Sweetie and her Mother, on her Christmas Tree she also hangs the hood ornament from the 1978 Cadillac that we owned for 22 years.On a Christmas tree? Well it is different.
Thanks again for all your hard work and the blog. I got my copy of Dancing With Europa II the other day. It’s a great little Christmas present and a wonderful reminder of how much fun it’s been reading the blog this year (without having to take my desktop computer to bed to read it). Merry Christmas to you and your family-both at home and at the office. Peace on Earth remains the hope and prayer!
wow! I thought I must be having Deva vue! I also collect ornaments from my travels, and I shared this with my 13 year old daughter this year as we decorated the tree. Taking the time to tell her about each one. My purpose was a bit more than nostalgic. I am taking her on one of your family European trip this summer and I wanted her to collect some ornaments along the way, too. So nice to see you also have this same sort of mindset. Makes me even MORE excited for the trip this summer!
Great post. Interesting that our daughter and her husband,in their 30’s are back decorating the tree and remembering the ornaments many from foreign countries and our travels. In fact now we have ornaments from 3 generations of our family and their travels. Decorating the tree is a trip down memory lane.
Thanks Rick for sharing your travels and Christmas with all of us. We are planning a trip in May with my wife’s niece who is going thru chemo and the trip and your tapes are keeping her spirits up. Our tree and the trees of my children are decorated with ornaments from our travels. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
This is the first time I realized that someone decorated their tree like I do mine. There is not one ornament on my tree which is not a memory. It is great to hear that others do the same. In our family it has become legacy. Merry Christmas to all!
Merry Christmas Rick! Great Post. Fred in Atlanta
Travel souvenirs cover my little tree too. Many of them were gathered on your tours, and bring back plenty of fond memories. One of my favorites is a tiny pair of hand-knitted mittens from our guide Meli in Turkey…to remind us of Mehtin, our driver. I’m starting to plan an itinerary for a first trip to Europe for my brother, and it makes me once again appreciate the work that goes into planning your tours (and being the guide). It will be a challenge to get Stonehenge and the Porsche factory in the same three-week tour, but I’m looking forward to it! Merry Christmas!
We too have many memories on our tree – from our various travels and from several years of living in Germany(USAF). Some came from Katie from way back when they were rather cheap(er). Some from a Czech community in Iowa. All have a story. Thanks for sharing your memories. Now that it’s almost a new year let’s all make plans to go out and make some more.
Please accept with no obligation, implied or express, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious/carbon neutral, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the locally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, political or other opinions, or sexual preference of the wishee.
It was a great pleasure meeting you here in the Bay Area, Rick. One of my favorite Christmas tree decorations was the origami Cranes that I folded and were decorated on the entire tree. It was beautiful. And now I put the cranes inside the clear class ornaments, and they look magnificient. It symbolizes peace. Merrry Christmas and Peace on Earth to you and everyone.