Some of My Favorite Holiday Traditions

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas… or whatever Holiday you may be celebrating at this time of the year; there are of course several. I’ve been reflecting on some of my favorite holiday traditions past and present, and thought I’d share them with you. I’m guessing many will be familiar to you!

*Picking out a live tree at a Christmas tree farm – When I was growing up, either you went to a lot locally in the city to pick out a cut tree, or you went to a tree farm and they would cut the one you chose; there were no pre-fab, pre-decorated trees. And that was of course the fun of it; the smells of the trees in the forest, getting to pick your own tree, everyone in a cheery Holiday mood.

*Decorating the tree -- My mom had a great existing collection of Xmas ornaments from her past, and my sister amassed a large collection of her own over time.?But for me, I think the most fun was the special ornaments we bought (that we picked out ourselves) -- AND the ones we made!?These included Styrofoam balls with sequins and ribbons, other times we painted wooden ornaments, and then there were ‘shrinky dink’ ornaments that you put in the oven, among others.?One of our family traditions for several years was stringing together popcorn and cranberry garlands for the tree.

*Decorating the house – We would put up wreaths, garlands, scented pine cones and candles, holiday lights, and my mom also had a really great Christmas village that we’d assemble and put out on display (including shops, houses, little people, animals, and all kinds of realistic accessories as well).

*Baking (and swapping!) Christmas cookies -- Including making and decorating gingerbread men, iced sugar cookies, soft and chewy ginger cookies, Italian Christmas cookies (ricotta), peanut butter blossoms, pecan snowball cookies, chocolate peppermint cookies, and of course Aunt Mary’s famous rum balls.

*Making and decorating a gingerbread house?– It was always quite a production but a lot of fun!

*Making Christmas crafts with family and friends – Like wreaths, special candles, holiday decorations, tablescapes, potholders, snow globes, snowflake pattern paper cutouts, paper garlands in red and green.

*Shopping for gifts at the mall (and enjoying the Holiday lights, decorations and live music there).

*Wrapping (and unwrapping!) gifts – [Anything to say here?]

*Watching Rankin/Bass Christmas classics on TV — Including Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and Frosty the Snowman.?AND others including, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and many more.

*Watching classic Christmas movies — Like White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Scrooge (Albert Finney), A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, and It’s a Wonderful Life -- among many others.

*Driving around select neighborhoods to see crazy outdoor light displays on homes

*Christmas parties – Whether hosting or attending with friends, neighbors and family.

*Listening to Xmas music – Things like Mannheim Steamroller,?“Celebrate Me Home” (Kenny Loggins), “Merry Christmas Darling” (Karen Carpenter), and many, many other timeless seasonal classics.

*Going to the Dickens Fair (San Francisco) – Featuring theaters, music halls, pubs, shops, food and gifts from the Victorian era in London. And to Santa’s Village (Santa Cruz Mountains), which was like a visit to the North Pole in our backyard. It had real reindeer, hot cocoa, gingerbread houses, fun winter rides, shops, and all manner of other themed exhibits. Sadly, it’s gone, but the Dickens Fair remains.

*Going to Union Square in San Francisco — Holiday lights and decorations, shopping, visiting the massive tree in City of Paris (closed in the early 80s - now Neiman Marcus), visiting the beautifully decorated trees at Podesta Baldocchi (closed in the early 90s), having hangtown fry oyster dinner at Cliff House (closed end of 2020) – and enjoying a scrumptious hot chocolate at Ghirardelli's.

Those are some of my fondest memories – some of which I still enjoy, but it’s also fun to try new things. What are some of your favorite Holiday traditions??I’d be curious to hear.?

In any event, during this festive season, it’s a good time to celebrate and reflect upon the many gifts in our lives like great friends and colleagues. I appreciate you, I hope that you’ll enjoy the holidays, and that the coming year brings you much joy, happiness and success, however you define it.