Angela’s Lab | Holiday Traditions

Christmas is undeniably one of my favorite times of the year. It’s a time for celebration, spreading holiday cheer to those who are less fortunate, eating all your favorite delectable treats, and festive fashion. Even though I feel completely and utterly overwhelmed leading up to the holiday, once it’s here I can relax with my family and just enjoy the love and beauty that is Christmas.

This year in particular I got to thinking about traditions and the huge role they play in our lives, particularly during the holiday season. My daughter had a presentation to prepare for school and needed to share one of our unique family traditions with her class. She immediately honed in on baking and the cookies we make every year (so my daughter, such a sweet tooth). One of our favorites is Spritz, a melt-in-your-mouth, almond-flavored German butter cookie. She packed up the cookie press and her apron, we found some similar Spritz at a local bakery, and she was all set. Baking is a tradition no doubt shared by a lot of families. Interesting how so many traditions revolve around food and eating! From partaking in cheese fondue and treats on Christmas Eve to the family sitting down to a big meal on Christmas Day, food brings everyone together.

Another fun Christmas tradition carried forward from when I was a kid, and my daughter now loves, is the countdown to the big day with an advent calendar. Mine was pretty basic with a peppermint candy for each day compared to the one we have now — a beautiful wooden, hand-painted Christmas tree with little compartments for a small present each day leading up to the 25th. Every night my daughter’s “Elves on the Shelf ” (we have a boy and girl of course!) bring her a new little gift. This tradition also comes in really handy when your kid is misbehaving and you need to pop out that the Elves are watching and you hope that they still bring a present tonight… super effective!

Once my daughter turned three, we added two holiday events to our must-do list — the Nutcracker ballet and the Teddy Bear Tea at the Ritz Carlton. Both are guaranteed to put you in a festive mood.