Do you collect unique Christmas ornaments as you travel?
Christmas ornaments are among my favorite souvenirs. I love Christmas, I love Christmas shops (at any time of the year), and I love to see how each destination reflects their own culture and personality in Christmas ornaments. You'd be amazed how many animals can "become" Santa!
My Christmas tree is a veritable scrapbook - of my whole life (ornaments dating back to my childhood) as well as my travels. There is no rhyme or reason to it, other than it's filled with stuff that I love and that means something to me.
I have ornaments made of fine glass, porcelain, resin, wood, fabric - mass produced or hand-crafted, it doesn't really matter to me. Some are cute and whimsical, some are truly lovely works of art.Every ornament has a story, and those that I've picked up on trips always bring back fond memories.
Here are a few on my tree this year:
This is a cloisonne egg from Hong Kong. You can get cloisonne anything in Hong Kong - I'm not even sure this was intended to be an ornament, but I often find things I like that I can hang on the tree. I like the colors and the shape of this. |
Also from Hong Kong, I love these little silk-covered "paper dolls"! Each is unique, from the clothing to the faces. They are delicate, and beautifully made. |
I picked up a couple of dried starfish in a shop on Hilton Head island, and I attached a wire loop to hang it from the tree. It's a natural thing of beauty, a souvenir, and the star shape is appropriate for Christmas. |
I love these blown glass chili peppers from Arizona. I love red in general, especially on a Christmas tree, and the way these sparkle in the lights is lovely. These are hand-made by local artists and are truly unique ornaments. |
On a trip to Kentucky, I visited a local craft fair and was so impressed by the fine woodworking I found there. This ornament is a simple example of the beautiful woods and the fine craftmanship of the area. |
One of the more whimsical Christmas ornaments, this sea turtle has a Santa hat and jacket - and an adorable face! This is from South Carolina. |
From New Orleans, this gator is makin' crawfish gumbo! There's nothing Christmas-y about it, other than it's designed to hang from a tree, but I think it's funny. |
From London, this is a simple plastic clay ornament representing the ubiquitous red phone booths that used to be found throughout the city. |
I got this in India; I'm not sure this was intended to be a Christmas ornament, but it certainly works. I love the detailed painting on the heart. These are hand-painted, not mass-produced, so each is a unique Christmas ornament. |
A hula girl, from Hawaii of course! I gotta have my hula girls! This is just a resin souvenir and not a unique Christmas ornament, but I love Hawaii and the hula girl is a "must". |
Do you collect unique Christmas ornaments on your travels?
It's an easy way to both collect and display your memories. Make your tree a scrapbook of your travels!