The Holiday Traditions I Love The Most
There is nothing quite like the magic of December. The chill in the air means snuggling up by a warm fire, baking cookies, savoring a glass of red wine, watching Christmas movies, and most importantly, anticipating the most magical day of the year. I have always loved Christmas. Let’s be honest...I love all holidays, as I’ll take any excuse to celebrate, entertain, and be around the ones that I love. But, Christmas is my favorite.
Some might say that I’m obsessed with traditions, and I have never been great with change. Yet of course, over the years, traditions change and evolve, and I find new ones that I love just as much as the ones of years past. There are a few traditions that I have found to be the most magical, and bring so much holiday cheer to the season.
Thanksgiving Night: While I usually start listening to Christmas music in early November, the season truly starts on Thanksgiving night. Once the dishes are away, the pie has been eaten, and the house feels settled, our family curls up by the fire (at this point I’m usually eating my first round of leftovers), shares a bottle of wine, and watches Home Alone or Home Alone 2 (depending on where the voting nets out in the moment).
Christmas Tree Selection: The Saturday after Thanksgiving means one thing - it’s tree time! Throughout my childhood we would bundle up, hop in the car, and hightail it to the nearest tree farm, usually with our best family friends. We’d go on a sleigh ride, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and start the hunt to find the perfect tree. As a kid, there was nothing I loved more than finding the tree that we ultimately selected - though sometimes a parent or my sister would pick the winning one. While this year looked a little different with a newborn, I can’t wait to bundle her up next year and bring back this tradition.
Baking Cookies: Every year my mom would make tons of cookies. Sugar cookies for decorating, spritz cookies to cover with sprinkles, ‘wine cakes’ - the best italian cookies EVER, thumbprint cookies, and on and on. Christmas day would be extra special as we also got to enjoy the cookies that all of my Aunts had made for us. Even as someone with no sweet tooth, baking - and eating! - cookies, is one of my favorite parts of the season.
Christmas Eve: I have always loved Christmas Eve just as much as I love Christmas morning. It has all of the magic of Christmas plus the anticipation of Santa coming. What could be better! Growing up, Christmas Eve meant spending the morning baking pies to bring to our neighbors, followed by a Christmas party with our family and friends, and ended with an evening filled with appetizers, setting out cookies and milk, and reading ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. We still read the book that I illustrated in second grade, with its faded red pages that hold a lifetime of memories.
Christmas Morning: Real-talk. I am in my 30’s and still wake up in the middle of the night to look at the tree. I would run downstairs as soon as I woke up (and it was past midnight) to turn on the brightly colored lights and look at the presents under the tree. I would find a couple with my name, and go back to sleep, excited and ready for the morning. My parents would set a time at which we were allowed to wake them up. The morning meant stockings, a big breakfast, opening presents, and then heading to my grandparents for the afternoon and evening. Even as a child, while I loved opening presents, I truly loved giving them even more. Having found the perfect present, wrapping it to put under my little tree in my bedroom, and then giving them to my family on Christmas morning was amazing - and I still love the joy of finding the perfect present to this day.
I am excited to both continue many of these traditions, while starting new ones with our new family. What are your favorite Holiday traditions?