Recipe for a Season That is Festive and Bright

Sometimes it seems like the older we get, the holiday magic drifts further and further away, but the truth is the magic is still there, swirling around like snowflakes falling gracefully from the winter sky. All you have to do is open your heart and believe.

It is easy to let the magic slowly drift away, and our jammed-packed days, rising prices, and overemphasis on commercialism are no help. One day, we wake up, and instead of anticipating Christmas, which never seems to arrive, we lament how few days there are left until the big one. Or even worse, we cry out that another year is already wrapping up. The excitement of putting up the tree is replaced with a subtle dread as we silently wonder if all the work is really worth it. Christmas cards are rushed out, if they are even sent at all, and looking at lights has become more of peering out the window on the way to the market than of a slow evening of warm cocoa and candy canes while the festive decor warms our souls. 

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Don’t let yourself get so consumed by the thoughts of what was or how it used to be that you let this delightful, sparkly time of year slip by without the merriment it deserves. So, put that old Bing Crosby album on the record player, set aside all the bum humbug about how the holidays have changed, and create your own cozy, old-fashioned Christmas season!

Here’s my favorite recipe for a holiday season that is festive and bright:

Sprinkling of nostalgia

A dash of new adventure

A dusting of familiar rhythms

Whisk together and enjoy with a warm cup of cocoa and an open heart.

I am going to kick it off, but let's build a list together! After all, your familiar rhythms might light a spark inside someone else and become their new adventure. And a little bit of shared nostalgia is like a tray of just-out-of-the-oven gingerbread cookies.

Here is a list of a few “ingredients” I will be whisking together this year:

Make popcorn balls.

Dry oranges for garland.

Make salt dough ornaments to tie on packages.

Play my favorite Christmas albums on your record player.

Drop off cookies or poinsettias on my neighbors’ porches.

Hang our stockings even though they will not be filled.

Watch our favorite Silver Screen holiday movies.

Make a big pot of soup and make an evening of hand-writing my Christmas cards.

Decorate my tree with all my decades-old ornaments instead of curating the “perfect” tree.

See the Nutcracker ballet.

I would love to hear what is on your list. Email me at tealrabbitbakery@gmail.com, DM me on Instagram, or comment on the post. I will compile everyone’s ideas and send out a holiday list that is sure to make your December festive and bright.

xx

Stephanie

Please send your ideas by December 7th to be included.