Hey, everybody!
Welcome back to my blog! I’m so happy to have you back! This week, we’re breaking down my favorite holiday traditions. No matter what you celebrate during this time of year, I am a firm believer that the holidays are a time to give peace, spread joy, and appreciate the little things. The holidays are my favorite time of year for so many reasons, one being the overall vibe. I absolutely crave that feeling of good spirit and happiness that tags along with the holidays. I also love the holidays because of the time I get to spend with my family. Whether we’re hosting or not, getting together with my relatives is always a fun time. Being the “Cool Cousin” isn’t easy, but someone’s gotta do it. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. (I’m kidding, but not really).
In other news, I really enjoyed making Week Five’s music playlist, so I’ve decided to share my favorite holiday playlist. Shameless self-promo, but if you haven’t checked out that blog post, get on it right now!! Okay, that’s all, I’ll give you what you’re here for; Here are my favorite holiday traditions!
- Decorating the tree – Decorating for the holidays is probably the only form of housework I enjoy doing. One tradition that I think is unique to my family is our tree! Over twenty years ago, my grandma took a trip to Denver, Colorado where my dad’s family is from, and she brought back lemon tree seeds?? Anyway, she came home from her trip, planted the tree (in a huge pot?), and twenty years later, we still have a seven foot tall lemon tree. In the wintertime, we bring the tree inside and for as long as I can remember, we have been decorating that tree. The lemon tree represents unity and growth for my family, and goes to show that if you sneak lemon tree seeds home from your trip to Denver, it may just become an iconic family symbol.
- Making Christmas Cookies – One of the more tastier traditions my family partakes in is baking holiday cookies! My mom absolutely loves to force all of us to get in the kitchen and bake with her. My personal favorite treat is decorating gingerbread houses. I hate to flex, but my gingerbread house is always ~superior~ compared to my brothers’. Overall, the holidays call for lots of eating, lots of baking, and a fun time!
- Watching the Polar Express – “Polar Express Day” has been one of our family traditions for years. Every year, on Christmas Eve, my brothers and I celebrate Polar Express Day! On Polar Express Day, we watch the movie, drink hot chocolate, and feast. When we were younger, we would even construct our own trains, and make “train tickets.” The Polar Express has been a movie that will live on in my family’s hearts forever. To us, it’s a symbol of keeping our inner child alive and truly celebrating the magic of the holidays. I encourage every single one of you to drop what you’re doing and watch The Polar Express, if not for me, then for the hot chocolate scene. (You’d be lying if you said the hot chocolate scene doesn’t give you a rush of adrenaline).
- iHop – A tradition that was started more recently is iHop, late on Christmas Eve. Every year, my brothers and I go to iHop late at night on Christmas Eve. We sit, joke around, eat our hearts out, and overall just have a great time together. Although this tradition was started in more recent years, I totally see my brothers and I doing this for many more years.
- Neighborly Love – My favorite tradition of all is spending Christmas Eve with my neighbor, Brianna. Brianna and I have been next door neighbors for years, and one tradition we have is spending Christmas Eve wearing matching pajamas, baking cookies, decorating gingerbread houses, and most importantly, having a huge Mario Kart competition. Brianna and I only have older brothers, and so I feel as if spending Christmas together makes us feel more like sisters. Not only are our families very close, but we have grown up together. I love you Brianna! I can’t wait to crush you in this year’s Mario Kart competition!
Well folks, now you know of some of my holiday traditions. The whole month of December is full of such fun times and good spirits! Thanks for tuning in! Remember to check out my holiday playlist! Come back soon! To check out my holiday playlist, click here! -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/08s9XDPwISPM56fgNGz4am
Mariam