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Family History Holiday Decorations

© Virginia Marin

Holiday decorations inspired by family history and lore is a unique way to entertain, teach and bring a family together during the holidays as no other Christmas decorating can. Vignettes, charming table top scenes, are wonderful used at Christmas and serve as ideal story starters. Below are some holiday ideas using vignettes which have come to me from several of my readers...

...Grandpa Henry was a lumberjack as were his father and grandfather before him. He was born in a log cabin in 1877 in the Wisconsin woods. I have transformed a long shelf in my kitchen into that forest. I have collected miniature pine trees and turned small branches into oaks and maples. A mirror is a little pond with cattails made from toothpicks and a dab of clay. There are little figures that represent the family. Grandpa Henry is just a little guy, hiding behind a snowman. Twins Jack and Jane roll large snowballs and great-grandpa Arthur walks his dog through the woods. This gives our grandchildren an idea of what our family looked like so many years ago. (Sharon).

Well, isn't this a wonderful idea?! There are no limits to what one can creatively display to feature their progenitors and a way of life. And what marvelous story starters! This next one comes from Jennifer in California.

I am of Spanish and Native American descent. One of my "ancestors" was a Catholic priest who walked the 650 miles from mission to mission along the El Camino Real (The Royal Highway) from San Diego to San Francisco, California. All of our Christmas decorations are of a religious nature, but it is the recreation of life along the El Camino which holds a special place in our hearts during the holiday season. By the first Sunday of Advent a three-dimensional scenic display against a painted background parades across a long table depicting each of the missions and life as it was known to each particular area's 21 missions. Little story cards reside along the way telling tales through the eyes of our Padre Ricardo.

Very interesting and what a wonderful idea! Having visited each of the missions along the El Camino, I can envision how lovely this unique decoration must be! And the wealth of Native American folklore preserved at each mission is supurb. The first mission was founded in 1769 at San Diego--the last in San Francisco in 1823.

John M. in Greenville, South Carolina is a direct descendant of Clement C. Moore (The Night Before Christmas). John has collected every printed edition of this famous poem along with photographs, lithographs and art work which he displays in a marvelous fashion on the family Christmas tree. And, of course, he has his family history chart to document his poetic lineage. Along with reading the poem every Christmas Eve to gathered family and friends, this holiday group also enjoys the folklore surrounding the life of John's famous progenitor. No parodies for this family!

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