This wreath is now approximately 43 years old, and though it has some wear and tear, we will likely put it up until it disintegrates. We bought this wreath for our first apartment door when we lived in married student housing at Notre Dame. I am guessing we spent about 79 cents on it, as that was the going price for most of the cardboard decorations at G.L. Perry, a "variety" store in South Bend, Indiana that has gone the way of so many little stores in so many towns. We have a lot of "holiday decor" that originated there for times throughout the year. 😊
Now, you may say to yourself, why would we go out of our way to save this particular item, given all of the times we've moved, and the fact that over the years, we could certainly afford nicer decorations. Well, I have a tendency - and have had it ever since I was a kid - to take really good care of things that I love, and among our various possessions, I really love Christmas decorations, so this has always been packed away with the same care that everything else has been. But unlike the rest of the decorations, which live in containers in the basement, this lives in a large, acid-free folder stored upstairs where our stationery-type things live. So it is easily grab-able on December 1st, and the rule is that Christmastime starts in our house officially when this goes up.
This morning as I took down a cardboard turkey decoration to put this one up, The Tim remarked, "Ah the official Changing of the Holidays."
Sometimes 79 cents is worth more than you think.
9 comments:
I love this tradition of yours. I would have kept it, too, since it was a First Christmas Together kind of decoration.
How sweet! I have old, old decorations also that I love to put up as they bring memories of happy holidays when I was little! I have many items that my Mom put up back in the day that are treasures to me!
I love it! The decorations that have some meaning are the best. I just went online to buy some fun lights for my front window since I can't even begin to dig out what I already have and gave up. I hated everything.
We have a few ornaments that my Tim made as a child (he's now 62) that are what you would expect a 5 year old to make and they're up on the tree.
Love it!
We need more care like that in our world
I got the first box of our Christmas decorations down yesterday, and thought of your wreath. So good to see it again.
That is no 79 cent cardboard wreath, Bridget! That is a priceless vessel of holiday memories right there . . . on your door! And those are the very best decorations to have, to display, to cherish . . . in the world. XO
LOL, what a great tradition. I have a dollar store wreath that I LOVE. It is THE tackiest, gaudiest thing you've ever seen but I love it and have proudly displayed it for about 10 years. Sadly, the wreath frame broke in storage this year... but the tacky, gaudy fake metalic garland that was wrapped around it survived and is now decorating my office area.
that wreath is a treasure! I am the same way with decorations I try my best to keep them in prime condition. I have ornaments my mom made that are beloved and do not put up while I had a kitten. But because of Holly the cat who is four years old and is behaving this year I might put them up on the tree next year! I would be so sad if she destroyed one!!
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