The month leading up to my son’s first Christmas was a total frenzy.I was on the search for tradition.
It was like, hurry up, make it meaningful! I had visions of wintry walks, carefully chosen stories, handmade gifts, and lovingly prepared meals. The very first holiday season for our little family not only had to be super special but it would undoubtedly lay the foundation for every single Christmas of his life (talk about pressure!). And since, in my childhood, my family wasn’t huge on tradition, I thought that I must make it different for my child. I wanted him to one day say, “Every year my family…” And so I created quite a bit of mania searching for these elusive traditions. At midnight on Christmas Eve I was still stitching away on his handmade ornament–feeling the weight of something he’ll keep forever. It was exhausting. Surely I was missing something. And eventually it became obvious. I should’ve focused on giving. That’s what my family had grown up doing after all; even with the little we had, my mom always taught us to give. One year, while in high school, my little brother and I baked an insane amount of cookies, bundled ourselves up, and drove downtown. We handed them out to every homeless and hungry person we saw. And we did it nearly every year after. It just wasn’t something I thought to call a “tradition.” It lacked the polish for that I thought. But traditions don’t have to be doing the same exact ultra-special thing every single year. Tradition can mean cultivating a spirit, a feeling, a wish.
Together, with Stephanie Fizer, we’ve decided to share the spirit of giving. She’s created woodland holiday printable with gift tags and a recipe card for my favorite Sparkle Ginger Cookie recipe.I hope you will make them, enjoy them, and most of all, give them. 