Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the Christmas season is officially here. If you are a Christmas-lover like me then you’re probably ecstatic. Or, if you are like scores of other people, you have already had your fill of Christmas-themed commercials and holiday music. Regardless of where you fall, I wish you a happy, healthy holiday season.
Over the past few weeks, as I have been trying to wrap my head around how it’s already November, I have been reflecting on holidays past. And I had to laugh at myself because the main theme of my memories involve food in one way or another. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense: food is central to our lives.
Whether we are cooking together or sharing a meal, food brings people together. It is a way for us to bond through a shared experience. Food comforts us, and we make it for others as an act of love. Food evokes memories and feelings of nostalgia. Food is also woven into our traditions. And for all of these reasons—and more—food is so much more than mere fuel.
We even just celebrated a holiday that revolves entirely around food. This morning, my social media feeds are full of photographs of various Thanksgiving dinners that took place around the country. Whether dinners were served family style or buffet style, tables and countertops were laden with food. And gathered around the bounteous offerings were the happy, smiling faces of friends and family. It doesn’t get much better than that.
As I reflected on all of this, I decided I may as well just roll with the food theme and blog about it. So, from December 1 through December 7, I will be remembering Christmases past as I highlight the various Christmas treat traditions I have enjoyed throughout my life. I will even be sharing a few recipes for some of my favorite goodies. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this series. It was so nice to revisit some of the happiest times in my life.
I hope you will join me on my trip back through time. If you do, I would love to hear about your own holiday traditions. Whether or not food is involved, I always enjoy reading about how other families enjoy the season. While no two traditions are quite the same, we all gather together for the same reason: to be with the ones we love, creating new memories through the act of honoring old traditions. And at the heart of any such gathering you will always find food.