You share your treasured Christmas decorations

If you're like me, you might have a box of Christmas decorations marked "old favourites." They might be a little worn around the edges, but they're sentimental treasures that make it onto the tree or in a display year after year, whether they're stunningly beautiful or of questionable taste. 

CBC asked you, dear readers, to share your sentimental favourites, and you didn't disappoint.

Here's a selection of your responses from Facebook.

Heidi Walsh Bernardi of Charlottetown, who goes by Heidi WasaWalsh on Facebook, says she and her husband bought their snow angel tree-topper 18 years ago. 

"We found out we were expecting Dec. 5 of 2002 and our baby girl was born in the late summer of 2003," she wrote. "Taking this cherished angel out of the box each year brings back the fond memories of that Christmas and all the Christmases that we've been blessed to share with our daughter." 

"In the midst of a very stormy divorce when all was still so raw and hurtful, my wonderful teenage daughters (all four!) made these four angels for me," commented Eileen Hopkins.

"Each one was fashioned according to hairstyle and musical instrument that represented them. I still tear up when they surface each Christmas."

"These little angels were placed on the food trays on Christmas Day at the old Charlottetown Hospital when my sister worked there many years ago," writes Jessie MacDonald of Stratford. 

"If the patients didn't take them, the staff could, so she took some, and they were always on our tree when I was a little girl. I am happy that I have two of these on my tree each year."

"Very early in our marriage I asked my husband if he minded that I start a collection of 'nice' ornaments," writes Norma Millar. "He thought we could afford one a year. That was 1976. Some years were easier than others, but we've managed to add one every year since then."

Memories of loved ones

"These are my favourites. Lost my folks a few years ago but they remain in our thoughts, especially this time of year," said Mark Enman of Summerside, P.E.I., sharing  an ornament that features photos of his mother and father. 

"I started the tradition of buying my oldest son Stephen an ornament every year. Sadly he passed away at the age of four but I still buy him an ornament every single year for the past 33 years," writes Oma Wendy.

"They are my most cherished ornaments. Unwrapping them and placing them on the tree in his memory is both sad and sweet."

"This ornament is very special to me. It is in memory of my nephew who was tragically killed on Dec. 15, 2011 in Claresholm, Alta.,  while he was on his way home to P.E.I. for Christmas," writes Leona Turner. Tanner Craswell was one of four who died in a murder-suicide. Craswell and his friend Mitch MacLean were talented baseball players from P.E.I. who both died.

"A gift from my son that year, I have placed this ornament on my tree every year since that tragic day. Somehow it brings me peace," Turner said.

Family favourites  

Roma Leach of Summerside comments that she has had this Santa tree-topper since her children were very young.

"Our oldest will be 61 tomorrow and youngest is 56, so it was sometime in that time period that we got it. It no longer lights up and I have tried replacing it many times but no, it's the one they want," Leach said. She doesn't remember exactly where they purchased it, but thinks it may have been in Germany.

"It ... has certainly travelled a lot in Canada," she said. 

Donna Lewis lived on P.E.I. for 27 years and her children still do.

"These shells were painted by my kids when they were little on our oyster farm, they are hung proudly every year," she said. 

UPEI student Lydia Paton's most treasured ornament is section of a tree, with an explanatory note attached.

"A piece of the tree from my grandparents house that we climbed on as children," she commented on the CBC P.E.I. Facebook page. 

"My son made me this in Grade 1 and I hang it up every year next to our tree. It's my absolute favourite," said Dawn Dawson of Hampton of her original portrait of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. 

Carla Johnston comments that this beauty was part a set of ornaments on her family's tree when she was a little girl, and estimates it is at least 60 years old.

"I loved them! My mom and dad have been gone for 25 years now but I always find a special spot on my tree for the last reindeer standing!" she said. "My oldest and most precious ornament, followed closely by all the Montessori homemade stockings and ornaments that were made by all my kids now aged 27-38."

Sara Bryanton from Kensington says her parents bought this plug-in candle display for their first home together in 1970.

"That 'Noel' decoration was their first electric decoration. They were just becoming popular in Kensington," she said.

Creating new memories

"A few years back we started collecting pieces for Lego Christmas village (they put out a set each year). [They're] a little pricey, and some years we skip if it's tight, but the kids love putting them together," wrote Sarah Jendrick of Summerside. 

"I hope they will be a family treasure for years to come."

Mary Ellen Barwise says her Freddie Mercury tree topper is her favourite ornament.

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