These Ornaments Are the Perfect Representation of Pop Culture in 2023

2023 saw AI or artificial intelligence come into the mainstream, thanks to programs like ChatGPT. AI also took over our feeds with AI-generated photos like old-school yearbook pics and new shiny headshots. Represent the takeover (well… we hope it’s not a takeover) of AI with this super cute Santa robot.

Retro Santa Claus Robot, Amazon, $23.

Before wrapping up his “Love on Tour,” pop star Harry Styles stopped by the Grammy’s to pick up some awards. He was nominated for six awards for his 2022 album “Harry’s House” and went home with two — including album of the year and best pop vocal album. Hang this Harry-themed ornament in honour of the Harry Styles’ fan in your life.

Have Yourself a Harry Little Christmas Ornament, Amazon, $16.

It was brother versus brother as Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles faced off in Super Bowl LVII. Rihanna stole the show with her captivating half-time performance, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was crowned MVP and in the end, Travis was the victorious Kelce as Kansas City won the game 38 to 35. Show off that you’re a member of Chiefs kingdom with this Kansas City ornament.

Kansas City Chiefs Ornament, Amazon, $18.

It’s not about the pasta as Vanderpump Rules’ star James Kennedy would say. But it did seem like every TikTok, reel and social post this spring was about Scandoval. If you missed it – Vanderpump Rules’ star Tom Sandoval was caught cheating on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Maddix with her (now ex) best friend Raquel Leviss and the scandal went viral (and appropriately got the name Scandoval). As a result, we got so many already iconic quotes from this reality TV show such as “Worm with a mustache,” “Send it to Darrell” and “Any last words before we never speak again?” But perhaps nothing is as iconic as this ornament with a quote from a Vanderpump Rules’ season 6 episode, perfect for your 2023 Christmas tree.

It’s Not About The Pasta Ornament, Bravo Shop, $19.

Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty was the theme of this year’s Met Gala, which happened on the first Monday in May (as it always does). And there was no shortage of celebrities on the red carpet as big names such as Nicole Kidman, Phoebe Bridgers, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Rihanna and Asap Rocky showed up. However, it was an insect that stole the show. A cockroach made its way onto the carpet and caught the attention of journalists and photographers as it moved to the top of the famous steps. Variety posted about the insect and it went viral. The cockroaches’ ’15 minutes of fame’ was very short-lived though because not long after it became famous, the cockroach was stepped on.

Cockroach Christmas Tree Ornament, Etsy, $9.

After Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022, her son Charles III took the crown. In May of this year, he was celebrated as the new King in an extravagant coronation celebration full of royals, politicians and celebrities alike. Plus, there was no shortage of royal drama this year thanks to Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, which was released in January. Although Harry did attend the coronation (Meghan was not in attendance), the tension between him and the rest of the royal family was clear.

King Charles Christmas Ornament, Amazon, $51.

Every few months, a celebrity dominates the internet thanks to a new role, interviews and fan edits. This year, a stand-out was when actor Pedro Pascal won the hearts of the internet. It was a big year for the actor with leading roles in two major series — The Last of Us and The Mandalorian (as seen in this ornament with something else that has won the hearts of people all over the internet — Baby Yoda), a Saturday Night Live hosting gig and a stylish appearance at the Met Gala (we wonder if he brushed elbows with the previously mentioned cockroach?). We have a feeling 2024 is going to be a big year for Pedro but commemorate his 2023 with this super cute ornament.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian ornament, Amazon, $48.

It wouldn’t be a 2023 round-up if we didn’t mention the biggest movies of the summer — Barbie and Oppenheimer, known together as Barbenheimer. Both movies were released on July 21st and fans found humour in the fact that these two very opposite movies were being released on the same day. Some people even went the extra mile and saw both movies in one day (which would take them five hours). The clash of black and pink carried on throughout the summer and both movies were a huge success with Barbie making over $1 billion and Oppenheimer making $890 million. Celebrate the summer of Barbenheimer, or take it one extra step and make a full Barbenheimer tree — with one pink side and one black.

Barbenheimer Ornament, Etsy, $32.

Over the last decade, Disney has been making live-action versions of their popular animated movies. In 2023, the 1989 movie The Little Mermaid got a live-action revamp thanks to director Rob Marshall. Halle Bailey swam into the role of Ariel, and brought us into her world perfectly. It also stars actors like Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina.

Disney The Little Mermaid Ariel Christmas Ornament, The Bay, $13.

It’s no doubt that Beyonce is a queen when it comes to music, videos and performances… she is called Queen Bey for a reason! But in 2023, she reminded us with the Renaissance Tour to support her album of the same name that was released in 2022.  She performed over 50 concerts across the globe in 2023 and each one seemed to be better than the last. Her daughter, Blue Ivy, joined her on stage for a number of shows, dancing alongside her superstar mom. And for the fans who couldn’t see the concert in person, it is now available in a stunning film so you can sing and dance along to all your favourite Beyonce songs.

Beyonce Renaissance frame Christmas ornament, Etsy, $57.

When it comes to different eras of music, Taylor Swift is a mastermind (pun intended). Between 2019 and 2022, Taylor released four new albums (not including the four re-recorded versions of some of her old albums) but was unable to tour for them due to the pandemic. So when it came time to put together a tour for 2023, Taylor thought why not perform all her albums? And the Eras Tour was born! The concert takes fans through all 10 eras of her iconic music from her debut self-titled album to her most recent album “Midnights.”  The show is quickly becoming one of the highest-grossing tours of all time and tickets are next to impossible to snag. But fans are able to relive all of Taylor’s iconic eras thanks to the concert film (which was released in the fall of 2023).

Taylor Swift Eras Tour Ornament, Amazon, $8.

Taylor Swift dominated the news for more than one reason in 2023. After breaking up with her longtime boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, in early 2023, Taylor was looking for a new love story. She had a brief fling with The 1975’s Matty Healy but that ended as quickly as it started. In early fall, Taylor Swift was spotted at a Kansas City Chiefs’ game with Travis Kelce’s mom Donna. The internet went wild and started speculating what was going on between the two stars. She has continued to attend some of his games and he attended her concert in Argentina where she changed the lyrics in her song “Karma” to “Karma is a guy on the Chiefs.” After the show, a video went viral of Taylor running into Travis’ arms as she came off stage. One thing is for sure — we love this couple and want them commemorated on our 2023 Christmas trees.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Christmas Ornament, Etsy, $28.