This one should be entitled, "The Year I Learned Peach is NOT a Christmas Color." Oh yes, peach. My family moved around quite a bit growing up, and while we lived in Michigan we had an annual tradition of going to Frakenmuth, Michigan a Bavarian town that had Christmas everything- I would only go to that Santa as he was the only one who had a legit beard, thus, he must have been Santa. I L-O-V-E-D this place. I even pushed through a stomach flu once so we could make our pilgrimage to this town; which my mother oh so appreciated when I threw up chicken noodle soup all over the bathroom floor of a lovely Bavarian restaurant. But, I digress.
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Because Frankenmuth had Christmas everything there were tons of beautiful, high quality ornaments you could purchase for your tree. One year my mother found this beautiful angel for the top of our tree and she bought it. Unfortunately that angel 'inspired' her to make our Christmas tree more, 'designer' like what you would see in a catalogue or on display in a store front. Now, to be fair, I'm down with themes and color schemes for a tree, but, what horrified me the most about my mother's inspiration was that she was going to decorate the tree in ONLY sage green and peach decorations and a few neutrals that would not conflict with the main colors.
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Thus, the Christmas of '88 none of our traditional, much loved, and some [poorly] handmade ornaments were not permitted to be on the tree. I was angry. Like, really, really upset. Sage green balls, peach ribbons, [peach and green themed] floral pattern bows??? Seriously, I think the word that would best describe my state of mind was disgusted. That wasn't Christmas at all!! How could you have a tree like that and call it a Christmas tree?? Oh people you have no idea how I suffered that Christmas because of my mother's themed tree. Me, a Christmas junkie already at the tender age of 7 could not even look at that tree with any sense of magic and wonder. And folks, I loved me some Christmas magic and wonder. I still get that feeling even at the hardened old age of 29 when Christmas season comes again. Even my grandfather's much anticipated annual Christmas visit (I adored that man) was marred because of that tree.
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Mercifully, we never repeated the designer Christmas tree look again. Oh my mother still persisted in using the green and peach stuff, but, over the years those decorations broke, got torn, lost in moving etc. I still to this day will never forget 'The How NOT to Decorate a Christmas Tree Christmas.' Today my tree decorating ritual must include nostalgia, hot chocolate and marshmallows, and sometimes old and loved decorations (the few that I have).
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Not that I have an opinion on the matter or anything. ;-)
8 comments:
Nostalgia is a GOOOOOOOD thing, especially when it comes to Christmas trees. Plus when you have kids you get to share all the stories that go with it!
Sarah- Exactly!! That is what it should be about. Anyone who says different can suck it. ;)
And so, now that you are all grown up and have free rein to celebrate Christmas in your own way, what does your tree look like?
Don't ask me about mine because I have no tree!
Very nice series of posts on Christmases Past.
The Pliers- My tree has a mixed of ornaments I've recieved as gifts, some passed down from Jon's mother, and then some shatterproof ornaments from Sam's (kinda embarassed about that one, but, with two young dogs and cats, it is rather neccessary).
I'm glad you're enjoying these posts! I didn't want to keep talking about how tired I've been because it's that time of the year where kids go cuckoo banana nuts. lol It has been nice to reminince
I don't think I'd be down with a peach and green Xmas either. BLAH!
Sara Louise- Exactly!! In her defense, it was the 80s so take that as you will. That said, it wasn't right- At All!!
12 Christmas memories is a great idea! Good for giving this a try. I guess in the end, the peach and sage green tree was beneficial if only for blog fodder ;-) hahaha. I don't like theme trees in general though--I like a good mess of colour and ornaments.
Caitie- LoL I should write my mother and thank her for doing that so I could have something to blog about!
I agree, a mess of color is best. I usually have the balls a few colors, but, that's the extent of it. There must be lots of fun ornaments of every style!
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