Readers share their favorite Christmas tree ornaments

There are many ways to decorate a Christmas tree. Some go with modern decorations, others opt for more traditional ornaments or family heirlooms to adorn the visual centerpiece of their Christmas morning celebrations.

We asked Shaw Local News Network readers from throughout northern Illinois to send in photos and share stories of their special ornaments or collections that are hung on their trees every year during the Christmas holidays.

Readers everywhere offered up their heartfelt responses, sharing some of their family traditions and sentimental ornaments that they turn to each year.

Today, we’re sharing their responses with you. Hopefully, these images and stories that go along with them help put you in the Christmas spirit.

Merry Christmas.

Vintage St. Joseph Hospital Women’s Auxiliary ornaments

During the 1950s and 1960s, my mother, Helen Rasmussen, took great pride in being a member of the St. Joseph Hospital Women’s Auxiliary. This organization dedicated itself to sponsoring various projects and services for the benefit of the hospital and its patients. As part of their fundraising efforts, the group would create a unique ornament each year. These ornaments hold great significance for our family, as they symbolize years of tradition.

Decorating the Christmas tree with these ornaments has become a cherished memory for three generations of our family. We would gather around, offering prayers and reminiscing about our beloved MiMi. - JoAnn Nahas, Joliet

A gift from Grandma

Honoring cherished memories with this Santa ornament, the last gift from my grandmother over 30 years ago. Each year, as it graces my tree, I’m reminded of her wonderful spirit and enduring love. - Tracy Skleba, Prairie Grove

Food for thought

About 35 years ago, while visiting the gift shop at the glass factory in Corning, New York, I purchased a pickle ornament for our Christmas tree. On subsequent visits, I bought several more ornaments related to food—a potato, green pepper, a raspberry – and I began to look for other food or cooking ornaments in our travels. Upon moving back to the Chicago area, I had enough of them to put on a four-foot tree in our kitchen. In a few years, we needed a six-foot tree, then finally one seven-and-a-half feet tall. The 2023 tree will hold more than 110 glass ornaments of fruits, vegetables, meats and cooking utensils. New this year will be the famous blue box of salt and a glass bag of my personal favorite snack, Cheetos.

The ornaments are organized into sections such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, fruits, vegetables, Italian, Mexican, Asian. We can’t forget candies, cookies and cakes. Cooking equipment includes a red stand mixer, slow cooker, pots, pans, blender, cookbook and wooden spoon. Family favorites include a chicken drumstick and slices of apple, pumpkin and cherry pie. A slice of fruitcake ornament pays tribute to our oldest son Matt, who bakes fruitcake with me every year and a pierogi ornament to recognize my Polish heritage. - Georgene Keim, Spring Grove

A love of dance

Our three daughters, Andrea, Chelsea and Erica, were in dance classes for several years when they were growing up. Their first year, we bought them flowers for their Nutcracker performance and spring recital. We then started buying dance ornaments. It didn’t take long before we had enough to decorate a Christmas tree. It was fun finding a variety of ornaments – from dance shoes to ballerinas to pink-and-white sparkly balls.

It’s been over 20 years since we started this holiday tradition. Standing back and gazing at the glittering tree of dance ornaments takes us back to the excitement of the dress rehearsals and dance recitals.

The girls are all grown up, but we still enjoy decorating our dance tree. Of course, we decorate a traditional tree as well. - Diane and Doug Breunlin, Sycamore

Memories of Christmas past

My very favorite part of Christmas each year is decorating our Christmas tree as soon as the Thanksgiving celebration is over and cleaned up. When I read of this challenge from the Herald-News, I hesitated because I felt I would never be able to choose one favorite when I have so many special ones that hold fond memories for me. Upon further reflection I decided to enter anyway.

My ornament collection began the first year of my marriage some 55 years ago. I still use a few of my original ornaments which include gingerbread men, candy canes, popcorn balls, etc. These were purchased from my aunt, Mary Scholari, who was a sales associate at the Carson Pierre Scott store when it was located downtown Joliet on Chicago Street. I think of her each year when these are placed on our tree.

The next array of ornaments were accumulated during the years spent raising my children. These include pictures of them growing up along with a great collection from our many trips to Walt Disney World. Many are dated or from a particular resort where we stayed. This started the tradition of picking one up on any adventure I was fortunate to be able to take. Some of these include:

• Chicago - A ball picturing the clock on the Marshall Field Building.
• The Musical Gates from the entrance at Graceland in Memphis.
• The marching ducks from the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.
• The blue church domes on the tops of the churches in Santorini, Greece.
• The cuckoo clock and Santa from Germany.
• The Waterford balls from Ireland.
• The Statue of Liberty from New York.
• A Lighthouse from Charleston, South Carolina.
• A pretty remembrance from the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
• A lifeguard chair and turtle from Siesta Key, Florida.

Many treasured ornaments were also gifts from friends throughout the years, such as the beautiful orb from St. Judes Children’s Hospital, the Longaberger candy canes and the Merry Martini from someone who knows my favorite drink. Also, each year when my children were young, a relative of my husband’s would include small handmade ornaments in her Christmas greeting to us. Probably the oldest ornament on our tree is a small cloth stocking featuring a picture of Santa that was my husband’s growing up. It must be at least 75 years old.

On a more somber note, I have a few ornaments I received from hospice in memory of friends and relatives who are no longer with us. These also, are very special as the Christmas season always proves to be a somewhat emotional time for me.

A few years back, I added a collection the the 12 days of Christmas. They are always the last ones to go on the tree and the first ones to come off because of their fragile nature. It is always such a joy to tackle this project each year and reminisce about where and when each ornament came about. This year, I had the very special pleasure of adding a beautiful red glass finial topper that I found when helping clean out the home of my dear friend, Renee, upon her passing.

Each and every one of these ornaments hold a very special place in my heart and I so enjoy seating in the dark, listening to carols and relishing the beautiful gift of Christmas each year. - Mary Kay Grace, Joliet

Read more ornament stories in Friday’s Herald-News.