My Favourite Holiday Traditions

Thoughts & Musings

Dec. 12

Written By

Christmastime for me means reaching for what is comforting and familiar. I'm not one to travel around the holidays - I like being home with my family. I can't imagine being on a beach or in a sunny destination (but come January, I'm singing a whole different tune). I know that sounds crazy to a lot of people, but I spend the rest of the year in ambition overdrive, so December is a wonderful time to slow down.

I love reading about other people's holiday traditions (or traditions in general - people are weird, and unique, and awesome). I thought I'd share a few of mine today :)

Watching Nigella's Christmas Kitchen on YouTube

I don't know how this started, but NOTHING makes me feel cozier and Christmas-ier than folding myself into a duvet burrito and popping on Nigella's Christmas Kitchen. I've watched the same bootleg clips on YouTube over and over throughout the years, and can practically make her recipes from memory. Luckily, I don't need to because I've been given most of her cookbooks over the years :) She is my kitchen goddess!

If anyone has any tips on how I can watch her clips properly - besides moving to the UK and getting access to BBC - please let me know :)

Attending a Christmas show

I always try to attend a show during the holidays - Toronto has an absolutely incredible selection to choose from! Whether it's A Christmas Carol at the Soulpepper theatre, or Messiah at the symphony, The Nutcracker at the ballet, or a variety of carol performances at local churches - they are all so special.

For the past couple year I've been to the TSO's Holiday Pops, which is SUCH a treat! I highly recommend it to get into the Christmas spirit :)

Listening to this Cool Yule boxed CD set

I got my first job at 16 working at a retailer called Bebe. They're no longer around in the Eaton Centre, but I'll never forget that job. The clothes - both their streetwear and "athletic" lines - were hilariously bad. Think - if Paris Hilton never left the early 2000's. However, I still do have my BebeSPORT yoga pants and tops, so I can't diss the quality.

ANYWAY. I worked a lot over the holidays, and we'd play the same corporate-mandated Christmas mix over and over. And I LOVED IT. I wish I had stolen the CDs that head office sent because I've never been able to replicate the playlist in its entirety. My favourite tracks were lounge-y mixes of Cool Yule classics (Dean Martin, June Christy, Dinah Shore).

My dad has this great boxed CD set that I love almost as much, and play on repeat this time of year :)

Going to my bestie's on Christmas Eve

My bestie's dad hosts the most epic Christmas party on Christmas Eve every year. They are truly the hosts with the most, and I always look forward to it :) I love seeing my girlfriends, eating WAY too much delicious food, and our annual Christmas tree picture.

NOTL with my family

Although we don't typically travel far over the holidays, my family does visit Niagara-on-the-Lake every year. This year will be the first year that our spouses are joining us, and I can't wait! We have lots of NOTL traditions (I buy a new hat every year from the local shops, my mom and I have afternoon tea, we take a dip in the hot spring at the Pillar and Post, I get a migraine), but I'll wrap that up in its own post :) Here's last year's post, and the year before, and the year before that!

Thank you so much for reading Xox

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