Since my boy and I have been together, fetching the Christmas tree has been one of the highlights of my year; and bringing our vintage Christmas decorations down from the attic is one of my favourite Christmas rituals.
We have always bought a real tree and the tradition of choosing — and decorating it — is one of my favourite things in life.
We’ve collected a number of decorations over the years and I love seeing them again each December.
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Granny’s Vintage Christmas Decorations
Mix And Match
For the first couple of years, when we owned our first home, we themed the decorations.
Blue and silver the first year — just silver the second.
But as the years have rolled by the only ‘theme’ we have is a tree full of decorations we love.
I was lucky enough to also be given my Granny’s old vintage Christmas decorations too — beautiful and unusual ornaments from the 1950’s.
Each one offering memories of Christmases past; little reminders of where we were and why we’d chosen a particular decoration.
I love the fact that our tree is always bursting with sparkle and colour. It has a real mixture of vintage and new decorations.
And they work so beautifully together — never jarring — always sitting so happily side by side.
My Favourite Christmas Rituals
Decorating the tree is never a rushed affair either.
It’s often spread over two or three days.
An hour here, an evening there. Sometimes with mulled wine, other times with hot chocolate. The smell of gingerbread cookies baking…
Always with music for company.
I usually play Christmas music from my iPod but this year I’ve been listening to dedicated Christmas channels on my VQ Christie Radio.
There’s something very comforting about Christmas traditions isn’t there?
Every year there will be bets on whether it will snow on Christmas day.
It wont.
Unless you’re, say, in Sweden.
The annual tradition of tree trimming. Getting the decorations from the attic, unwrapping each little trinket from it’s tissue paper. Greeting those little balls of glass like long lost friends.
The fact that every year you’ll hear the same old Christmas tunes on the radio; ‘Fairytale of New York’ and Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas’.
Aaah Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year.
Bring. It. On.
Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
Oh, how wonderful to have your granny’s ornaments..Precious things with sentimental value. We’ve got a new artificial tree we bought in the January sales and its much taller than our first family tree. We are escited about putting it up in our extension and hopefully have some folks over for mulled wine and mince pies. We don’t have any ‘special’ decorations but I think its a tradition we should adopt…Adding something special every year.
That radio looks fab. I love radios. All of the colours and styles. Gorgeous.
Aaand I’m sounding like a broken record but I do appreciate great photography. #HOMEETC
OMG it is called Christie, I need that radio, do you know every Sunday I listen to Elaine Paige I love shows its my fave afternoon of the week, I listen to the radio loads. Any you Grannies decorations are gorgeous my Nan had decorations the same I particularly remember that green spotty one, I so wish i had them now, it would mean so much putting her decorations on the tree x
I know!!!! When I saw the name I thought of you!!!! You NEED that radio Mrs Christie!!! :)