Holiday Traditions
I love traditions to make the season bright. They come with oodles of nostaligia and are a lovely way to stay grounded and find joy in simple comforts.
I’m excited to share my holiday traditions with you and hope that you might adopt some of them as your own!
They’re simple, inexpensive and can be enjoyed by kids of all ages.
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
With Holiday Sprinkles
I have yet to meet anyone who shares this first one, but I also have yet to meet someone who doesn’t LOVE it! These are a fun no-bake treat to make with family or to give out to in those nostalgic tins that your grandma used to bring filled with treats.
All you need is:
A bag of salted pretzels
A bag of chocolate chips
Holiday sprinkles
Parchment paper & baking or serving tray
Simply melt your chocolate, place pretzels on parchment paper, dip them or drizzle them with chocolate and then sprinkle! Let them cool (ideally in the fridge) and package up to give away or enjoy later.
The best part of this is getting to dip the broken pretzels in the melted chocolate and eat them on the spot. They’re the perfect salty-sweet treat and are sure to be enjoyed by all!
Oven Baked Orange Slices
Decorative + Smell AMAZING
Most of us have seen these before, but few of us realize how truly versatile they are in your holiday arsenal. They remind me of Christmases long ago when times were simpler and you decorated with what you had on hand in your home. Here are a few ways I like to use them:
Add them as ornaments on your tree, wreath or garland
Use them on your holiday spread to add colour to a special dish, charcuterie or plate settings
Add to a mulled wine or cider recipe
Use as a drink garnish (we love gorgeous cocktails in our home)
Use as a final touch on gift wrapping
Simply have them baking for the dreamy aroma. I like to add rosemary to the baking tray to add an earthy and comforting balance to the bright citrus scent, just like our rosemary spruce candle!
You’ll want to do your best to slice the oranges uniformly and then bake on a low temperature such as 175 for about 5-6 hours. Turn them every couple of hours and watch them during the final hour to ensure they don’t burn (although a little browning on the edges gives them some character).
You can use them right away or keep them on hand for when you need something special in a pinch when the season gets busy!
German Christmas Pyramid
Weihnachtspyramide
I can’t even properly explain how happy this thing makes me. Talk about nostaligia! These decorative pyramids exist in several cultures but my tradition originated in Germany. If you’ve been around for a while you’ll know I lived there for several years as a child and this is where my family first bought our pyramid. My dad gifted one to me when I kept mentioning it and asking him whatever happened to our old one. They’re also known as Weihnachtspyramide (in German) or Erzgebirge Pyramids.
“Weihnachtspyramide decorations have their roots in the folklore and customs of the Ore Mountain region of Germany, but which have become popular internationally. They comprise a decorated pyramidal outer frame with candle holders and a central carousel with a rotor at the top which is driven by warm air from the lit candles. The carousel is decorated with nativity scenes and other Christmas figures such as angels and wise men, as well as worldly motifs such as mining folk and forest scenes.”
I’m a bit of a science nerd and I love that I can use this to share a fun fact with the kids about how it works. Once you light the candles the warm air rises and the pressure causes the top part to start spinning. The kids love helping me put it together each year and watching the top start spinning as the candles are lit. Its magical and educational all at the same time.
Eggy Crumpets
Simply Delicious
One of the best things about traditions is that you can decide to start them anytime! When we were first married my husband and I started a tradition of our own, and a very delicious one at that! I am not ‘a natural’ when it comes to cooking, but my husband is, so every Christmas morning we make Jamie Oliver’s Eggy Crumpets recipe to enjoy as a family.
I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about my favourite holiday traditions and I’ve inspired you to start some of your own. You’re more than welcome to steal some of mine, the more the merrier as they say!