Christmas
This is my favorite time of the year — the five weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when our calendar is filled with parties, cookie making, tree decorating, caroling, and whatever else we can squeeze in.
If you love to entertain, here’s some inspiration for celebrating with your loved ones.
Christmas Eve
I host Christmas Eve at my house every year. It’s the pinnacle of the holiday, more so than Christmas Day. My family, my sister-in-law’s family, my in-laws, plus friends, all arrive by noon for a day of celebration.
There are some recipes I must prepare to avoid a riot, but I like to rotate the main course yearly to keep the meal interesting. Since we start so early in the day, the menu is heavy on appetizers that I can replenish as people come and go.
Advent Calendar
Over the years, I think I have had three different advent calendars for my kids, including one my mother-in-law and I made that I treasure. Last year I saw these sweet linen bags, which are the perfect size to fill with goodies. We love National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, so each day we laugh looking at the images.
Cooking Making Party
A few years ago, I invited my brother’s family to make Christmas cookies for the weekend. We started with all our favorites, including Grandmalina cookies and a cookie named after a neighbor growing up, Jackie Forzaglia. The dessert sections has lots of options.
Carolers
I can’t help getting teary-eyed during Silent Night. Locally, you can find carollers every day of the week at The Fort. It’s a fun night out!
Favorite Things Party
I’ve been to many versions of this relatively new tradition. For large groups, bringing inexpensive gifts for everyone is nice. You leave with a lot of treats. But over the last few years, just a handful of us have gotten together at a favorite restaurant, bringing two gifts a piece. Each of us leaves with two more very personal gifts. The presentation of the gifts has almost upstaged the actual gifts at this point.