My Ancestor Christmas Tree

Years ago I had an epiphany listening to the SBMX Christmas Podcast about ancestral Christmas trees. The idea was simple: have a theme tree dedicated to your ancestors.

My first impression was “Why didn’t I think of this?”

After all, I’m a family history freak. This idea is just a natural for me. Before the episode was completed I decided I was going to do it.

Of course, it’s not an original idea to have a nod to the past on our Christmas trees. Many people carry forward to new generations the ornaments of the past. Mom and Dad’s old bubble lights, a cherished hand-made treasure from grade-school or even things that have been passed down have long been on our trees every Christmas.

One of our classic Christmas stories from the past here on MyMerryChristmas is the true tale of the Angel Twin and it features an old family heirloom that carried quite a secret.

I also recall researching a video we produced about Christmas trees and why “the tree” is such a fitting symbol of Christmas. Our “family tree” is a natural celebration of Christmas and all it represents.

So, no, this isn’t a new idea. But for me it hit at just the right time and it gave me a new Christmas pursuit that fit in nicely with an otherwise year-round passion.

It was already early November when this hit me. I quickly ordered some fresh prints of old family photos and obtained from Amazon some cheap photo ornaments. We have several Christmas trees we put up every year but I was anxious to put this one together. I did not even cared what it looked like because in my heart what I was creating was a monument of love.

This is one of those ornaments:

Taken around 1888 this photo shows my great-great grandparents Albert and Sophie. Their story is precious to me. He was born in 1802, in the state of New York. She was born in Denmark, in 1824. They were married to others early in life and only got married in 1856, after she had crossed the plains pushing a handcart with her four youngest children – all under the age of 7.

They have a beautiful and tender love story. It’s a story I have struggled for years to teach to my children.

I had no idea my “Ancestree” – what I call my Ancestor Christmas tree – would tell the story for me.

I filled the tree with as many old family photos as I could, especially with pictures some of our children were not familiar with. I had pictures of my parents and my wife’s parents as children. So when they came over for a Christmas visit and saw this strange new Christmas tree it became an instant curiosity.

“Who is that, Dad?” they would ask. “Look closer,” I said.

Of course, peering into the faces of the past only helped my now-adult children to see themselves and to see each other. They marveled at the images of familiar faces they new in their grandparents.

But then they came to the faces they didn’t know. These were faces like Albert and Sophie – whose names they had heard but whose images they could never tie to a story.

“Who’s that??”

I was literally shocked at the time we spent on the ancestor Christmas tree. They stood in front of the tree, going from ornament to ornament, asking questions and hearing stories. That alone made my Christmas.

But then another flash of inspiration hit me.

Our grandchildren, all between the ages of 1 to 11, started pulling ornaments off the tree and I let them because these ornaments could be touched. They are not breakable and I wanted them to look close.

As we talked and told stories, one granddaughter pulled a photo ornament and hugged it to her chest. It was of my mother and clearly this sweet girl could see how much that picture meant to me.

Without thinking, I told her, “you take that one home and put it on your Christmas tree.”

And from that simple moment a new Christmas tradition was born. Every time they come to Grandma and Grandpa’s house at Christmas each grandchild gets to take an ornament off the “Ancestree”.

Naturally, being a Christmas freak and prone to being really late all the time in taking down Christmas, I let the Ancestree stay up year round. It has now gained a permanent place in our home, lit year round and I’m steadily replenishing ornaments and photos that end up traveling.

The tree gets talked about by whoever comes to our home to visit. Sometimes it might be in July and we’re smoking something on the grill but even then the conversation centers around the tree and those pictured on it.

Oh, how I wish my parents were still alive to participate in this tradition. But they are here – on my tree – at different ages, still present for us at Christmas and still having an impact for good on my family.