Holiday Traditions 2017

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. I love everything about it — the decorations, the lights, the parties, the food, the movies, the gifts. I think that I love giving gifts even more than I like getting them. Ok, maybe it’s a tie. I do really like presents. But what I truly love about this time of year is the holiday traditions.

My mom did (and still does) go all out at this time of year. Our house was always bedecked and bejeweled. This is one of the holiday traditions that I definitely emulate. Another is the food. Christmas Eve is our big dinner and though the main course may change, there is always caviar and smoked salmon to begin and Bûche de Noelle to end.  For my Dad, the holidays were all about music. He had a singing group that performed Christmas favorites, and though I can not sing a lick, the holidays truly kick off for me when I hear Frank Sinatra’s “Jingle Bells”. It was the first song that my Dad would play when we started decorating the tree. It always make me think of him.

So, in the spirit of the season, I thought I’d share some of my favorite holiday traditions with you. Who knows, maybe you’ll adopt one or two for your own.

Feathers, Feathers, Feathers

I adore anything with feathers. I think that there may very well be a Vegas showgirl living inside me somewhere. So, you can imagine my joy when I discovered Angel Wreaths a few years ago.

The wreaths come in every color imaginable so they can match any decor. They are even making feather trees now. Since I am allergic to pine, I have a red feather tree that sits in my fireplace. It’s fantastic. Just looking at it make me happy.

Arks: One of my Mom’s Holiday Traditions

In our house, Noah’s ark is a Christmas decoration. Don’t ask me how something from the old testament made it into a celebration of Jesus’s birth, but we aren’t really religious anyway so there you go. My Mom has quite a collection and over the years, she has passed some on to me.  One of my favorites, which was actually a gift, is similar to this one from Etsy:

Everyone loves playing with the ark – men, women, children. It’s fun. But these arks are also hand crafted and really beautiful. I like the idea of supporting this kind of art form.

Bubbles Are Just Delicious

I am the only person in my family who likes champagne. And I don’t just like it. I love it. My favorite for the price is Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut. It runs about $50 a bottle, but tastes like a much more expensive champagne. I also love their Demi Sec. It’s a fantastic balance between acid and sweet. But if you don’t want to cough up that kind of change for bubbles, you can always buy cheap prosecco (I love the one at Trader Joe’s for $7.99) and mix it with a bit of unsweetened pomegranate juice. Float a few pomegranate seeds on top et voilá. You have a delicious, festive cocktail that you can even convince yourself is good for you thanks to the magical powers of pomegranate.

Christmas Music

I am my father’s daughter. I love Christmas music. The old stuff, the new stuff and everything in between. This one is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy and that you and yours have a fabulous holiday.