Our 2020 Christmas Ornament Trip Souvenirs

I always love unwrapping our new Christmas ornaments each year around this time to hang on the tree. Every place we go, we seek out Christmas ornaments from special locations, landmarks or activities.  Our one big trip this year barely made it in before the country shut down! We spent a week driving through Alabama and landing in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.

Alabama to Louisiana Trip Report

These ornaments are just one of a thousand reasons why I so look forward to pulling out the Christmas bins each year!  We started collecting ornaments on our honeymoon in 2002 and this year will have 18 years of memories hanging on the tree.

I’d love to know if there is something special YOU collect on your trips!!

And, before I go, I want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to my family, friends, clients and readers that have served our country this Veteran’s Day. We are the land of the free because of the brave!

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10 thoughts on “Our 2020 Christmas Ornament Trip Souvenirs

  1. Ornaments have always been a favorite of mine as well to collect from travels. Besides ornaments, I try to look for something unique or something that represents the area. When we went to NOLA, I bought a cookbook and some creole/cajun cooking spices.

    My late great-aunt was quite the world traveler and she always brought back great souvenirs to us. I have Russian nesting dolls, posters from different countries, carved wooden face masks from Africa and even a hand painted ostrich egg from Australia!

    1. I love that! What special memories of your aunt! We also brought back some cooking spices from NOLA, come to think of it. :-)

  2. Collecting Christmas ornaments is something we do year-round-especially when we travel! Tea towels, local spices/food (if different from our norm), and local art/craft (usually not very expensive and usually functional) are also favorites. These treasured memories are especially dear during this weird period!

  3. We collect Christmas ornaments as well. They are souvenirs that make sense! You definitely use them every year, you bring them out at a special time making the memories of the trip. I wish we had started when we married, but we do it now and I love the tradition.

    When my daughter was born, I started a “forever” gift to her every year of the Reed & Barton silver bell for the year.

    Several years ago, we started gifting our daughters (daughter & my stepdaughter and now her husband) a special ornament every year for Christmas. We select a special ornament that celebrates something special for that year. For example, the year that my stepdaughter married, I had an ornament handpainted with a scene from their beach wedding. Last year, our son-in-law caught a blue marlin on our family deep sea fishing trip so I found a handmade ornament with a beautiful marlin on it. I added the date to the back. This year, Brittany & her husband had their first child so they will receive a special ornament for that, and Brooke was pronounced cured of cancer so her ornament will represent that event.

    These ornaments helped start their Christmas trees and I enjoy the hunt for special ornaments for them to add to their trees.

    Trying to decide now how I want to start our granddaughter’s ornament collection… Do I want to start something like I did for Brooke with the silver bell (ie a silver bell OR Lenox or Wedgewood or Spode annual ornaments) or do I want to do something more personal like what we do for our girls and son-in-law? Decisions, decisions!

  4. We also collect ornaments when we travel, in addition to the ones I buy each year: one each (well, 2 – I don’t want my tree void of memories when my boys leave home) for the boys and one family ornament.

    So many memories when everything’s pulled out! xo

  5. Amanda,

    We share so many of the same traditions! My husband and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary in Yellowstone this August. (We haven’t stopped living my life due to Covid) We bought some cool ornaments this year and I can’t wait to hang them on our tree. We have collected ornaments, coasters, and artwork/books from places we travel over the years.

    Have fun getting all of your ornaments out of the box. It’s the time I cherish the most when decorating our home for the holidays!

    1. Those are great ideas! Happy 25th anniversary!!! Yellowstone sounds like the perfect place to celebrate. We hope to get there next summer.

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