The Annual Ornament Tradition: One Ornament for Every Year

Here's a tradition that starts small and ends with a whole tree. Each Christmas, from a child's very first year, a parent or grandparent chooses one ornament to mark something that happened that year. When the child grows up and moves out (many families choose 18 or 21), the whole collection is handed over: a box full of memories, and enough ornaments for their first tree of their own.

It works just as well for a grandchild, a niece or a godchild as it does for your own kids, and it's one of the nicest reasons we know to visit a Christmas shop every December.

How it works

1. Choose one ornament each year that sums up that year: a new hobby, a big trip, a first pet, a first day of school.
2. Write it down. Note the year and a line about why you chose it. Every Edelglas ornament comes wrapped and boxed, so the note can live in the box with the ornament.
3. Hang it on the family tree each Christmas, and take a minute to remember the year it stands for. Kids love finding "their" ornaments.
4. Hand it over when they leave home, boxes, notes and all. Their first Christmas away will come with a tree already full of stories.

Milestone ornament ideas

• Baby's first Christmas: start with something from our babies range or our gifts for new parents.
• First steps: a tiny pair of shoes, like our glass sneaker.
• Starting school: a scholar owl on books, or something from our teacher gifts range.
• A new hobby: a grand piano for the year of piano lessons, or something from our music, sport and hobbies collections.
• The first big trip: a set of travel suitcases, or a landmark from our travel collection.
• A new family pet: find their breed (or near enough) among our pet ornaments.
• Getting their licence: a car from our vehicles, ideally in the right colour.
• Moving house: a little glass house from our buildings.

Tips for keeping it going

• Keep the boxes. They protect the glass and keep the notes with the ornaments. Our guide to storing glass ornaments has more tips.
• Take a photo of the child holding each year's ornament. Eighteen years of photos makes a lovely gift on its own.
• Let them choose once they're old enough. Half the fun is watching what they pick.
• Don't worry about missing a year. Two ornaments the next year works just as well.

Looking for ornaments with a meaning built in? Browse our A–Z of Christmas ornament meanings.

Updated November 2026