One of our favorite parts about the holidays is pulling out our Christmas decorations and unwrapping beloved ornaments. Every ornament, whether it's a family heirloom or newly purchased, tells its own unique story. The ritual of opening up boxes of Christmas decorations and carefully removing the contents is a tangible way of bringing Christmas past into Christmas present. Today, everyone on the BuDhaGirl Team reveals to us their favorite ornament and what it means to them.   

Chuck

I first discovered Jeffries Glass at the Sawdust Winter Festival while living in Laguna Beach, CA.  I have purchased various ornaments from him over the years for myself and for gifting to others. I love them as the pieces of art they are, each a unique mix of color and design, and I can leave them out all year round.

Twyla

One of my favorite ornaments is one that I acquired last year. Last December was my first Christmas season in my new apartment, and I thought it was a great occasion to start my own collection of Christmas decorations apart from my family's. In hopes of avoiding that dreaded Christmas clean-up, I kept the decorations quite minimal. I bought a three-foot tree, four stockings (one for me and each of my three dogs), and one ornament from Anthropologie. That's it. The bird ornament I chose was not very "Christmas-y" but that's why I liked it. Since my apartment is a relatively neutral color palette with pastel hues here and there, the bird was able to stay even when the tree went. Throughout 2016, I left the ornament out, perched on top of the window frame. While the bird was a subtle décor detail to those who noticed, it was a strong reminder to me of independence, new beginnings and personal traditions.

Cathy

When my sisters were young, they had a babysitter named Mrs. Quinn. When my mother had twins Mrs. Quinn promptly retired, however, every year she made our family Christmas ornaments. It was with great anticipation that we went to her house for hot chocolate and a dozen new ornaments. They were spectacular and carefully crafted from eggs with various dioramas inside. They were so special because they were handmade and no two were alike and she never duplicated a design.

Caryn

The German Pickle Ornament is a favorite of mine.  I know it may seem a bit silly, but it makes my family smile and laugh every year when we unpack all of our ornaments.  This tradition started when my husband and I were given the pickle ornament as a gift from a family friend who is German.  

Traditionally, an ornamental pickle is placed on the tree when decorating. On Christmas morning, the person to find the pickle on the tree would receive an extra present from Santa or would be said to have a year of good fortune! My son gets very excited and we all take turns hiding and finding it year after year. Sometimes the best traditions are the ones that makes us smile!