Emily PerezChristmas is such a magical time of the year. Even if you’ve had a rough year personally, or because, well, 2020 (need I say more?), it’s possible to feel joy regardless of what you’re going through. For some parents, this might be your first Christmas with the new member(s) of your family, or it might be just one of many. That in and of itself can be a reason to celebrate; a new beginning with your adopted kid(s) or a continued tradition that will be remembered as your kids get older.
With that in mind, you may be wondering how to incorporate the adoption story into Christmas. A great place to start could be looking at ornaments. Ornaments are usually a beautiful memento for special events (baby’s first Christmas, first Christmas as a married couple, etc.), so why not look for one that has to do with the openness of adoption? There are so many beautiful choices out there to represent your family and the unique adoption story.
This ornament can be a perfect way to commemorate the official adoption date. It features the month the child was adopted and has a heart over the specific day. Below the calendar has the child’s full name and the phrase “Cherished – Loved – Adopted”.
This ornament involves the whole family. The top has “Christmas 2020” with handpainted lights making a border between that and the rest of the ornament. The middle says, “Our First Christmas as a Family of ____” with all the kids’ and parents’ names on the bottom.
What a simple yet wonderful way to incorporate the important dates of the adoption story. The first date is the child’s birthday, the second date is their homecoming day, and the last date is when they were adopted into the family. The bottom of the ornament has the child’s full name in a beautiful array of colors.
Any color of glittery paint can be chosen for this ornament, with a colored bow on top and with the phrase “Love Makes Us Family” in the middle. Honestly, this could be a great gift for the birth family, as well. In most open and even semi-open adoptions, the birth family and the adoptive family have a relationship with each other. Even though they relinquished their parental rights to the adoptive family, they can still be a part of the child’s life. If it weren’t for them, the child wouldn’t be here. This ornament can celebrate the openness of adoption by connecting the family triad (adoptee, adoptive family, and birth family) as one big family.
This ornament is definitely unique as it is a wooden puzzle piece with the words “We Have Found Our Missing Piece 2020” laser engraved. Regardless of adopting a child or having a child biologically, they tend to make parents feel as though their family is complete, hence the metaphor of a missing puzzle piece. What a lovely way to commemorate a family being complete.
The phrase “For this child, I have prayed” actually comes from the Bible. Hannah was barren for a long time and always prayed fervently to have children. She made a promise to God that when she would become pregnant, she would give the child back to Him by letting her child serve Him in the temple at a young age. When she realized she was pregnant after all those years of waiting, she said “For this child, I have prayed”. This verse is usually quoted when a couple go through a long season of infertility, but it can also go well with adoption. Typically, a Christian couple prays for every child that comes into their home and that they get the privilege to adopt. It can be very fitting for an adoption story. This ornament also has the child’s full name and the date they were adopted on the bottom.
This ornament is another beautiful representation of the openness in adoption. It is a crystal snowflake which has multiple hearts engraved together with the phrase “The Journey of Many Hearts Now Beat as One”. What an inspiring way to look at adoption. Not only are the hearts of the adoptee and adoptive family involved, but so are the hearts of the birth family.
Featured on this ornament is the phrase, “Every Adoption Story is Beautiful, but Ours is My Favorite” and the child’s name and date adopted on the bottom. The phrase can be so accurate for adoptive families. Each story is beautiful and unique in its own way but their story is likely to be their favorite most of all.
Quoted from Kari Kimmel’s song “Where You Belong”, this ornament has a couple of lyrics on it. “It’s not where you come from, it’s where you belong” covers the top half of the ornament, while the name of the child and the phrase “Gotcha Day” are on the bottom. On the back, you can even have a picture of your child on there. If you’re wondering why this song sounds familiar, it’s actually the theme song to the hit Freeform show “The Fosters”, which is about foster care and adoption. I totally recommend listening to this whole song. The chorus tends to ring true regarding how adoptive families feel towards their new child(ren):
“It’s not where you come from
It’s where you belong
Nothin’ I would trade
I wouldn’t have it any other way
You’re surrounded
By love and you’re wanted
So never feel alone
You are home with me
Right where you belong”
Simple yet elegant, this ornament has the phrase “Officially Ours” on the top, while a heart with wings borders that and the rest of it. The first name takes up most of the ornament with the year of adoption at the bottom. Thanks to the cute fonts, it could really stand out on the Christmas tree.
Another ornament choice that includes the whole family, this stunning, engraved ornament is on an optic crystal. The top says “_____’s Forever Family” with the names of the rest of the kids and parents in the middle. The bottom has the family’s (and the new adoptee’s) last name with the year of adoption.
Just like the ornament with a puzzle piece, this ornament includes the whole family as a puzzle. The ornament itself is in the shape of a heart, and each family member’s first name is on one puzzle piece. In the middle of the heart is the phrase “Together we are a family”. This can be a great way to see how the family is complete by having everyone be part of the puzzle.
Did you know that there is a special symbol that represents adoption? It’s a triangle with a heart. The triangle represents the family triad (adoptee, adoptive family, and birth family) and the heart is used to show that the triad is being surrounded by love. Similar to the “Many Hearts, One Beat” ornament, this one also celebrates the openness of adoption by incorporating all the members of the triad together. Your child’s name and the date they were adopted will be on the bottom.
This ornament can be great if your child was from another state (or even a different country). It features your home state with a heart in the middle, and you get to pick the color of both the state outline and the ornament itself. Surrounding the top and bottom of your home state are the words, “My 1st Christmas Home.”
This ceramic ornament has a gorgeous floral background with the words “A Blessing from God – Adopted 2020”. Even though it’s very nice, it can’t be personalized. If that doesn’t bother you and you like the words being used, it can make a great gift or addition to your Christmas tree.
Foster parents, this one could be for you. This ornament features your child’s new full name surrounded by colorful banners. It also says, “I was in foster care for ___ days, but today I was adopted” with the adoption date at the bottom. What a beautiful way to incorporate the hardships of being in the foster care system to the new beginning of being adopted.
- Make Your Own
If you’re feeling crafty, another option you could do is to simply make your own ornament. You can look at tutorials online or ask for help from someone you know and make an ornament as a family or on your own. This could be a great way to have a personalized ornament about openness in adoption that everyone can love.
Ornaments About Openness in Adoption
There are so many options for adoption ornaments out there, it may be hard to pick just one. Honestly, it’s up to you how you want to incorporate the adoption story with the holidays. Another thing to consider is getting an ornament for the birth family if your relationship with them is close. Not only will they feel included, but it may also even ease their minds as they walk through the post-adoption process of grief and maybe even shame. Christmas is supposed to be a holiday about giving, so why not give to someone who really needs it? Odds are, they may be extremely thankful for letting them for being a part of the adoption story.
Christina Gochnauer
