Filled with happiness

Beautiful Christmas figures | Photos by Claire Salonga

Some Christmas trees are admired; a rare few are remembered. They stay with you, not because they are the tallest or the grandest, but because they hold a quiet magic that stirs something childlike within you.

For me, that magic lives in the home of a dear friend: Maite de Larrazabal-Araneta, a woman who has transformed Christmas into a love language written in lights, memories, and intention. Just like the way Maite poured her heart into every decorating task at the former school our children once shared, and turning ordinary corners into pockets of magic for everyone, her Christmas tree reflects that same tenderness, intention, and joy.

Recreating the same Christmas magic

Her story began 18 years ago, the year her daughter Tati was born. Maite told me that while she had always loved Christmas and took great joy in decorating her tree, motherhood changed everything. Suddenly, she found herself remembering her own childhood Christmases, the way the tree made her feel, the way she would gaze at it with wide-eyed wonder. And she wanted her daughter to feel that same magic.

The first tree she built for Tati was simple. She doesn’t recall every ornament she bought back then—only that she filled the branches with soft kiddie pieces so it wouldn’t look bare. But even then, she began with a handful of ornaments chosen with care. Over time, her approach shifted. Instead of changing the tree’s theme each year, a habit she had before, she made a promise to herself: She would build one tree, slowly and intentionally, so that it grew with her daughter. And so she did.

Christmas tree adorned with ornaments from Keepsake Ornaments by Hallmark

Maite gravitated toward traditional colors—reds, greens, whites—and ornaments with a vintage charm. She chose pieces that moved, lit up, played music, or simply made her laugh. In the early years, many were safe, soft plush toys for little hands. And as Tati grew older, she began investing in finely crafted ornaments that could last decades, maybe even be passed down to Tati’s future children.

Today, many of her pieces are Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments—miniature heirlooms known for their craftsmanship and storytelling. Each one feels like a tiny chapter in their family history. Some ornaments honor loved ones who have passed; others represent family members or cherished memories known only to them.

A love made visible

Her tree now stands nine feet tall, placed on a pedestal—not for show, but to give the gifts room to breathe beneath it. And when you look at it, you feel as if you are witnessing 18 years of love made visible.

You can almost imagine Tati at every age from toddler to young teen, gazing in wonder at the same ornaments she cherishes on the tree each year. Even now, in high school, she has her favorites, proof that the magic endured. And yet, there is still delight in discovering the new pieces, so Maite makes it a point to add a few special ornaments each year.

The author in front of a battery-operated fireplace

Setting up such a tree is no easy task. Many ornaments have wires, different power sources, or delicate moving parts. Yet Maite’s team—the same one who helped her from the beginning—still builds the tree with her today. She once told me they would pull all-nighters after work just to get it up in time for Christmas.

And while Tati decorates a small tree in her own room, the main one is a work of art that requires choreography, patience, and a bit of engineering.

Her husband, Santi, also plays his part. He loves watching the tree come alive each year, pressing the buttons to set the ornaments in motion so the lights, sounds, and little movements fill the room with cheer, then sitting back to enjoy the finished spectacle. And whenever he travels and finds a charming ornament, he brings it home for her. Maite calls him her biggest Christmas enabler, and I believe it.

Of traditions and enduring rituals

Behind all this beauty is a tremendous amount of work. Everything is stored away for most of the year and weeks before Christmas, her staff begins sorting, cleaning, testing batteries, checking mechanisms, and handling the most delicate pieces with extra care.

Maite always speaks of them with deep gratitude. A tree this magical isn’t built alone—it’s built with heart, dedicated household staff, and shared effort.

But what truly anchors their Christmas are the traditions they’ve cherished through the years. On Christmas Eve, Maite’s family gathers for dinner and then opens their gifts together around the tree. They have an assigned “barker”—the family member who wears a Santa hat, retrieves each gift from the tree, and announces who the gift is for. The OB (Original Barker) was Maite’s father; the role then passed to her brother and now belongs to her nephew.

Some rituals faded as Tati grew older, while others endured. All of them, Maite believes, are etched in her daughter’s heart. Even now, when the tree is set up, Tati’s eyes still sparkle with the same delight Maite hoped to ignite 18 years ago.

When I ask Maite what she hopes her daughter remembers, she says, “I hope she always remembers the love and joy that surrounded her each holiday season, all the joy she felt, that special feeling she got when December came along, and never loses that Christmas magic.”

Then she said something that stayed with me: “Our Christmas tree is my love story to my daughter. It was created for her, to make her happy.” And I felt that. Deeply.

The simple joys

Standing in Maite’s home during the holidays feels like stepping into a memory that somehow belongs to you, too. A Santa mailbox greets you at the entrance—playful, inviting, and hopeful. Above it hangs a garland of etched wooden names, representing each family member and added to with every new arrival. A battery-operated fireplace glows, whimsical marshmallow ornaments sit nearby, and delightful Mark Roberts figures peek out from corners as if sharing inside jokes with anyone willing to notice.

As I left Maite’s home that day, I realized her Christmas wasn’t about spectacle at all. It was about simple joys, moments of silliness, about love and family at the very center of it all. It was about building a world of wonder for her daughter—one ornament, one ritual, one holiday season at a time. It was about creating memories that linger long after the tree is taken down.

Being there brought me back to my own childhood Christmases: the thrill of making ornaments with my mom, the excitement my brother and I felt peeking into our stockings for the gifts we carefully wished for, and my dad holding my hand after Christmas Eve mass, making sure I didn’t get lost in the crowd.

And, of course, the joy of opening gifts around the tree on Christmas morning—a tradition my husband and I continue with our girls.

This year, may your Christmas bring back that feeling, too. May your home be filled with warmth, your tree bright with memory, and your heart light with the people you love and the people who love you back.

Wishing you a Christmas truly filled with happiness!