As everyone starts to trickle back into work, I’m betting there will be plenty of water cooler talk about what everyone did for the holidays, including your family’s traditions. While we,unfortunately, weren’t with family this year (we did get see them via Skype!) we made sure to keep up with some of our traditions to help the holidays feel merry. In some cases we added new activities {that I hope will become traditions!} or twists on the old that maintained our excitement of being in a new place.
My birthday is right before Christmas, making the holidays a bit of a marathon {but ensures I get everything done early!}. Usually I go shopping with my mom, then out to dinner. My husband treated us to a spa day {with an amazing view!} then out dinner {also a nice view}, a ride on the ferry, and ending with cupcakes, as we did for his birthday.
On Christmas Eve, we took a hike {a new tradition!} and ended the day with hot chocolate and something sweet {in the US I would have sugar cookies, but here we had stollen, a german rum bread that was amazing!}.
On Christmas Day we started with breakfast and presents {breakfast first, per tradition}, decorate a gingerbread house {as we started in 2010} while watching Love Actually, then we went out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants {the scallops and parsnips puree were so good!}. They gave us hats and antlers, so we took an impromptu picture {nearly holiday card worthy, no?}. And, here in Hong Kong, Boxing Day, the 26th, is also a holiday {thanks Brits, for that legacy!}, so we headed over to a friend’s house to hang out for the day {this is me, riding the subway wearing a Christmas present from my mom.}
For New Year’s Eve, after much back and forth, we decide to enjoy our new apartment and spend our first moments of 2013 on our terrace. I can’t say that we have strong traditions for this holiday, other than a bottle of nice bubbly! Some of our provisions below {champagne and the makings for s’mores with speculoos cookies in place of graham crackers}.
What are your family traditions? Did you parktake in them this year?
