Ornament(s) of the Day: The Church

Given how much I love Christmas ornaments (and love seeing other people's ornaments), I thought I'd take some time over the next few weeks to share with you some of my favorite ornaments that hang on our tree.

I mentioned in my last post that I collect Old World Christmas ornaments and have been since my youth. I get this tradition from my mother who also collects the ornaments and has been purchasing them for me - a few at time - for many Christmases.

There are several things I really like about the Old World Christmas ornaments:

1. They are just beautiful. All hand blown glass and beautifully painted.
2. There is an endless variety of ornaments in every size, shape, and theme imaginable.
3. Each ornament comes with a little tag that explains the tradition and reason behind creating that particular ornament - I keep all of these tags in addition to the ornaments.

To start these series of posts, I'm going to share with you 2 of my favorite ornaments from this collection - both being churches.

According to the ornament tags: Churches and Cathedrals, nestled in quaint little villages, represent the heritage and culture of the people. Glassblowers and artisans frequently created images that reflected their day to day lives. Therefore, church ornaments were proudly styled after the lovely churches in which they worshiped.

1. The Glass Cathedral Ornament


I love the tall steeple on the cathedral and the mostly white and bronze color scheme.

And look at the detail of the little wooden door on the side of the ornament - so pretty.



2. The Country Church


This church is a smaller then the cathedral, and as the name implies, it's a little "country" looking. I like the red and white color scheme of this church as well as all the glitter that makes it sparkle.

Here's an example of the tags that come attached to the ornaments to explain their meaning...



These church ornaments mean a lot to me given how much I love our local church. Not to mention the fact that the universal church began after Christ entered the world that first Christmas. So much meaning in a little a ornament.

So, what are some of your favorite ornaments?