December 2014
Siblings marry and disperse. Christmas day becomes a flexible date. A younger family member takes the throne at the biggest present pile. It’s more exciting to travel far and wide than near and home. There’s no time for a tree, and the nativity scene becomes more of a story than a testament of faith. At a certain point, holiday traditions face obstacles. However, these forks in the route can lead to new activities, new relationships and new traditions in the making.
Christmas is any minute now, and as this reality sunk in, I started to think more and more about how to make a day in December feel like Christmas day. I won’t be with my relatives, but I’ll be with people who have embraced me as family. I want to make homemade egg nog spiked with whiskey like I sipped in London. I want to make monkey bread because I know my sister will be doing the same. I want to decorate with close friends and listen to early 90s R&B. I want to curl up with the Urban Farmer and watch Love Actually because I can practically recite it by heart, and this movie has somehow escaped him.
As an “adult,” there have been so many moving parts and inconsistencies to the holidays, but as I reflected, these disparate bits and bobs have started to form very intentional traditions. This dose of nostalgia made me appreciate how we start to choose what’s important and what’s worth repeating, This dose of nostalgia also reminded me to be grateful for the new additions, which may or may not include this pine cone inspired almond appetizer. It is, after all, quite spectacular.
What traditions will you be commemorating and creating?
Happy Holidays!
-Quelcy
#TBT (Throw Back Thursdays) glimpse into the vintage visual feasts in my personal collection of food and entertaining books and magazines.
