Yes, the title of this post is a Stevie Wonder song – a truly joyful anthem of the holidays. The song begins, “Candles burning low / lots of mistletoe / lots of snow and ice / everywhere we go. / Choirs singing candles / right outside my door. / All these things and more / that’s what Christmas means to me my love.” It’s a really fun, upbeat song, that to me, captures the spirit of the season. (Give it a listen as you read this post!)
The song reminds me of all the traditions I love during Christmastime. This is the only time of year in which I still do many of the things that I have done since I was little. What about you? I am sharing some of my favorite traditions, in hopes that you will share some of yours as well! With just a little over a week until the day, let’s make the most of this time together with what’s really important:
Bake Sugar Cookies
Every year, for as long as I can remember, my mom and I have baked her famous holiday sugar cookies. They are crisp and buttery. We make them from scratch: first creating the dough (the photo above shows some store-bought dough that I got this year, but we do always make fresh dough together, too) and chilling it overnight, then rolling out the dough and cutting out shapes, next baking, and finally decorating them with homemade frosting and sprinkles. Do you bake over the holidays? I just love the experience!
Watch Favorite Movies
Do you watch holiday movies in the same order each year? Our family doesn’t do this with every flick, but we do watch certain ones at certain times! The first film we watch every year is Meet Me in St. Louis (in which the song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” originated) – it really gets us in the mood for Christmas.
The past few years, I have gone to Home Alone at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center (above). The symphony screens the movie and performs the score as it plays. It feels so festive and fun!
We have also started going to the Belcourt Theatre to see It’s a Wonderful Life a few days before Christmas. We used to watch it at home on Christmas Eve, but going to the theatre is truly a magical experience. Viewing that meaningful, moving film on the big screen really gets us in the spirit of the season.
A few of my other favorites to watch at home include Elf, Love Actually, Holiday Inn (in which the song, “White Christmas,” originated), White Christmas, and more. This year, I have also been watching The Great British Baking Show: Holiday on Netflix, and it is such a joy!
The Nutcracker
For most years since I was little, my family has gone to see Nashville’s Nutcracker ballet at TPAC. The Nashville Ballet always does a lovely job! Do you ever see the Nutcracker, or any other Christmas performances, live? Also, I have to know: Act I or Act II? (For me, Act I all the way.)
Cheekwood Holiday
When I was little, Cheekwood would display grand, beautifully decorate trees in each room of the mansion, and there would be a different theme each year. Now, they still do some trees, but their main attraction is the Holiday Lights. Every night of the week from 5:00 – 10:00, stroll the gorgeous gardens and view the thousands of lights! Pro tip: Go after 8:30 for Late Night Lights, when ticket prices are cheaper! I just love going to Cheekwood each December.
Hot Apple Cider
When I was growing up, every Christmas Eve after church, the adults would begin cocktail hour. During this time, my grandmother would always serve my cousin and I hot apple cider out of a crock pot. We just loved this tradition. To this day, I still drink hot apple cider on Christmas Eve (before moving on to champagne)! Note: We love the Trader Joe’s brand Spiced Cider!
Christmas Crackers
It really wouldn’t be Christmas without the crackers. Each Christmas Eve (which is really our party night; Christmas Day is more low-key), we pop open crackers after dinner and go around the table reading the jokes while donning our paper crowns and silly toys.
Celtic Christmas Music
I grew up with my mom playing these Celtic Christmas cassette tapes all during the season, but especially on Christmas morning. I associate Christmas morning with this album, and my mom still plays it every year. Which holiday music do you most strongly associate with childhood memories?
Christmas Breakfast
And finally, a tradition I especially love is our Christmas morning breakfast. My great uncle sends us these spectacular grapefruits every season, and we pair them with a Christmas Kringle (especially love the almond and raspberry flavors) and sausage. What do you eat on Christmas morning?
So tell me: Do we share any of the same traditions? What do you love to do each year during the holidays? Please share in the comments!
My favorite Christmas movie, The Grinch, didn’t make your list. It’s ALWAYS part of my family’s celebration because the book was my dad’s favorite Christmas story when he was a kid. We’ve all moved away from the town I grew up in as a child, so our traditions have changed a bit as far as parties and who we celebrate with. But the Grinch has managed to stay! And then since we are a crazy dog family, dog presents (and hyping the dogs up while they open them) is a big thing Christmas AM. The dogs know all of the presents wrapped in tissue paper are theirs so it’s nearly as good as having small children in the house on Christmas morning. So much joy and chaos!
I think it’s so cool that the symphony does that! I bet it’s incredible to hear the music in person. And I’ve never done Christmas crackers but have always wanted to! We also watch movies, bake cookies, and look at holiday lights. Hope you have a great holiday!