For so many people, Christmas ornaments are a big tradition. They are a timeless tradition that can take a lot of forms, but despite the different variations, one thing is universal: people love these traditions because it’s all about making and preserving memories. Each year, when the Christmas decorations come out of storage, families get together to pour over the ornaments they’ve been collecting for years. There’s usually laughter, smiles, and lots of sharing when it comes to the ornaments that have special significance behind them.
So what are some of these special pastimes? Here we will discuss the traditions behind the ornament as well as why they are celebrated and cherished by so many people.
The Family Name
One of the biggest traditions among Christmas ornaments is to deck the tree with custom keepsakes that carry the family name. This is a tradition that takes on many different forms. Some families have custom ornaments made each year while others make a tradition of donating to nonprofits who offer customized gifts for donations. Some of these ornaments simply display the family name while others list the names of individual donors or volunteers based on achievements, donation amount(s), or just for posterity.
Something to Mark the Years
For a lot of families, ornaments allow them to celebrate an annual tradition or achievement. It’s similar to those who gather with family each year to pick the perfect Christmas tree. However, what’s different with this tradition is that many people are looking for the perfect ornament to mark the year. Depending on each family’s specific tradition(s), they may be hoping for a nonprofit keepsake that marks the organizations they supported that year or that captures the essence of their work, achievements, or donations that year. Regardless, dates can be used to commemorate these ornaments so recipients can refer to them later on.
Remembering the Major Milestones
Another version of the ornament collection tradition involves ornaments based around major milestones. In some families, they might receive ornaments to commemorate a new baby, a marriage, or the purchase of a new home.
It’s also common to commemorate with nonprofit keepsakes. This is especially true in families who pride themselves on volunteer work or other large achievements. If your nonprofit broke ground on a new housing project, then volunteers would love ornaments designed to commemorate this achievement. This way, they can remember the work that they did, the things they learned while doing it, and all the fun they had on the job!
Creating a Collection of Heirlooms
Most families enjoy creating and passing down heirlooms for future generations, and custom ornaments are a favorite among collectors. There are so many reasons for this. For one, small items like ornaments often make better heirlooms than, say, a curio cabinet or a massive piece of furniture. Not all generations will want to decorate their entire homes around large heirloom pieces but almost everyone can find a place on the Christmas tree or another display piece for heirloom ornaments. This way, these custom keepsakes become a part of family history and tradition.
Celebrating Affiliations
In many families, there are lots of traditions surrounding affiliations. For example, firefighters, law enforcement, and veterans – and their families – often honor these affiliations with collectible ornaments that commemorate them.
If you’re part of a veteran’s organization or a first responder organization, offering yearly ornaments to mark their service supports recipients in a few different ways. For families, this is a way to collect a new keepsake each year in celebration of their family member’s service, and for your organization, it’s a great way to help raise funds.
Celebrating Anniversaries
Celebrating anniversaries is another common tradition. Since Christmas coincides with the end of the year, it’s the perfect time to look back and reflect on the year. Christmas ornaments that mark anniversaries serve as not only a tradition, but also something of historical significance.
Let’s say, for example, that you’ve been a member of a charitable organization for the past decade. New ornaments each year to reflect how many years you’ve been a member make for a special keepsake that will put a smile on your face each year.
Getting Back to Cultural Roots
There are lots of symbols associated with Christmas – angels, doves, stars, candy canes, and even the Christmas pickle. For cultural organizations, embracing the symbols traditionally associated with Christmas can lead to lots of creative design ideas for custom ornaments (which members will love to collect as a way to honor those cultural roots each year!). There are so many different celebrated traditions based on culture, affiliations, and even family traditions. This means there is a lot of creative room when it comes to creating custom keepsakes. Brass ornaments from Beacon Design will last a lifetime – or many lifetimes in the case of heirlooms – so they can be handed down and cherished by families for years. If you want to design a family Christmas ornament tradition among your patrons, choose Beacon Design to create memorable custom ornaments.
