The Holiday Season: Collections For Once A Year.

As a tradition that most of us share, it’s the holiday season that has me driving in circles from house to house, on what is known as a round robin. Old friends gather at one home for hors d’ oeuvres and a beverage of choice, exchange token gifts, chat about the past year, compliment the host on the décor and view their collections. All couples then travel to the next house for more goodies to eat, another beverage and a similar review of the past year of collecting. We continue to each home and end the evening with dessert and coffee at the last home in the circle.

At each home we have a discussion of the latest additions about where and how they were acquired. Whether it’s pictures of the latest members of the family or the year’s hottest new music playing in the background, a new “toy” or an antique teapot, the additions of each collection are examined and approved by all. Naturally, we all go gaga over the holiday décor, and ornaments are a favorite collectible this time of year.

Hand made ornaments from one’s own children, grandchildren or friends always have a prominent place on the tree. Old ornaments are quite collectible, and we have purchased some from antique stores to augment the few handed down from Wifey’s and my families. Ours were German made and date from the turn of the last century. These very delicate objects are always wrapped separately at the end of the holiday season and carefully placed in storage for next year. Snowmen, snow babies, Santa’s and other figurines all are displayed with the spirit of the season.

This year the gifts underneath the trees tended to be packaged in extravagantly decorated boxes that replaced the small colorful shopping bags with handles from years past. While I understood the popularity of these bags (I was always accused of a poor wrapping technique), I now prefer to leave my gifts unwrapped. I am now being accused of being cheap for not even buying a bag!

Each of our hostesses served their treats with decorative holiday platters and bowls, on special holiday dish sets that add to the already festive mood. Colorfully decorated with holly leaves, Christmas trees, or red cardinals, you can be sure these will be the collectibles of the future.

Our contribution to the festivities was toward the end of the tour, so most of the guests were well fed and were afraid to fill up before the desserts were served further down the proverbial yellow brick road. That left us with a lunch of shrimp and veggies. I’ll probably have that for supper and a late snack as well.

The one overwhelming delight in collecting almost any and all holiday décor is in the wonderful displays they produce. All too often collections are boxed and hidden away, not fitting into the owner’s decorating style, or stashed in a room where guests never get to see them.