21 In ’21: Holiday Traditions

With Thanksgiving and Hanukkah coming up quick, I’m sharing 21 of my favorite holiday traditions for the November installment of my 21 In ’21 series.

Like in 21 In ’21: Blogs To Discover, 21 In ’21: Instagram Accounts To ❤, 21 In ’21: Delightful Reads, 21 In ’21: Helpful Hacks, 21 In ’21: May Flowers, 21 In ’21: Scams To Avoid, 21 in ’21: Love, Hate, And Desire, 21 In ’21: Packing For A Road Trip, 21 In ’21: Highlights From A Road Trip, and 21 In ’21: Fitness Tips & Tricks, I’ve set out this year to publish a post on the 21st of each month that lists 21 of my top recommendations/favorites/ideas as they relate to that month’s topic. Limiting my favorite holiday traditions to 21 might seem restrictive (or perhaps excessive) however, I hope that a few will spark some inspiration for your own celebrations.

Once the sugar high from Halloween has passed, it’s time to start embracing the spirit of the season. From my perspective, the “season” runs from early November through to the start of the new year. For those who made not know, I’m Jewish as is The Husband so we’ve never had a holiday tree. After Thanksgiving, most of my holiday preparations are centered on Hanukkah but many of my favorite traditions have nothing to do with religious observances. In some years, the start of Hanukkah is nicely spaced in between Thanksgiving and Christmas but this year, it comes in hot and fast at the end of November. And while a more serious blogger might already have her holiday decor up and photo-ready, this gal does not which gets me to the start of my list of holiday traditions.

1 – Keep the holidays as separate as possible. There has only been one year in modern times, 2013 to be exact, when Hanukkah started before Thanksgiving. Even with its start just 3 days after this year, I won’t put up any Hanukkah decorations until after the turkey feast.

2 – The exception to the above tradition applies to when Hanukkah overlaps with New Year’s Eve because who doesn’t want to eat latkes and drink champagne while ringing in the new year. We hosted two such parties in the past and I’ve already penciled one on the calendar for 2024.

3 – Switch out table linens and add a few decorative items. I have several tablecloths whose color palette and/or patterns are a nod to the holiday. There was a time when my kids were young that decorate our dining room with their Thanksgiving art projects but those days are passed.

4 – Scope out holiday decorations early. Back when I was buying more gifts for young family members as well as office staff, I tried to get to stores that I didn’t frequent too often like Big Lots, Party City, and Walmart in a search for blue, silver. and otherwise holiday-neutral decor and wrapping items. Besides, how marvelous is it to see well-stocked and orderly shelves?

5 – Counting houses with Christmas lights. Even though we never had lights on our own house, my sister and I delighted in counting the houses with Christmas lights that we passed while in the car when we were little. I attempted to get my own children to play the game but I don’t think that it caught on as much with them. To this day, I still get a thrill in seeing houses decorated with those strings of light.

6 – Visiting neighborhoods with holiday displays. Back in the day, there was an area of 3 or 4 blocks that was referred to as Candy Cane Lane where nearly all of the homes put up huge lighted displays. Cars full of families would slowly cruise up and down marveling at the imagination of the various homeowners. The Husband and I took our own kids a few times but of course as time went by, traffic congestion became a huge problem, some newer homeowners didn’t care to be bothered, and we stopped going as we got older.

7 – Let’s talk turkey. With in-the-bird stuffing and gravy made from the drippings. Up until a couple of years ago, we were typically the hosts for Thanksgiving bringing together both sides of our families for a group of about 18 to 20 people. However, our moving to a new home, kids moving away, and the pandemic changed that last year and this one too.

8 – Seasonal foods like mini Gingerbread People. I look forward to seeing them on the shelves again as well as other limited-run items.

9 thru 14 – Other holiday foods like candied yams, soup, pie, latkes, and donuts. Homemade with tried-and-true recipes … need I say more?

15 – Searching for and trying new recipes. I’ve got one for green beans and a couple dessert ones to try out this year.

16 – Wearing holiday favorite clothing. Ugly Christmas/Hanukkah attire aside, my favorite item to wear this time of year is my sequin maxi skirt that I’ve had for six years. A few of its wearings in previous years can be seen in Ivory And Bronze: Color My World, Sequins: One Skirt, Three Looks, and Embellished Booties: Floral Trends. I adore this skirt and this time around I’ve paired it with a blue tweed blazer that has a dusting of sequins as well.

17 – Snowflakes. I’d have to drive at least two-to-three hours from where I live to get anywhere close to seeing snow in the event that was any nearby. But, I can collect them nonetheless. Snowflake brooches and pendants, that is. As a symbol of the season, they’re neutral and the ones with six points are quite similar in appearance to a Star of David. Many of my older pieces were bought new but more recently, I’ve found several on Poshmark. A couple of them I found at secondhand stores, the pendant above the blue flower was a thrift store find, and the larger one was a gift from dear friends. Those in the bottom row aren’t classic snowflakes but I think that they’re close enough. While I was still working, I made it a habit to wear one or more every day in December. I may or may not have bought another that is still on its way.

18 – Holiday-specific jewelry. These were easier to find in stores in the past. The bracelet with the five different charms I found several years ago at Kohl’s and I bought 5 or 6 of them because it was a rare find. I keep one for myself and gave the others as gifts to family and friends. One store to have carried Hanukkah jewelry recently is Target and I bought the two pairs of earrings at the bottom of the photo from there last year.

19 – Socks. Along with jewelry, I’ve also amassed quite a few pairs of Hanukkah-themed socks over the years although I didn’t take a photo of them. Every year I would search through the few stores where I had found socks before hoping that they would have something new for that year. I often gave them as gifts. One year I decided to search online and found Hotsox. I have more than enough to wear a different pair for each day of Hanukkah and I also have a few pairs for other holidays as well.

20 – Extended shopping hours. I probably should have put this one closer to the top of the list because I am one of those people who enjoys shopping for holiday gifts. Being able to shop past 10pm was one of my guilty pleasures of the holiday season. And preferably alone so that I can set my own pace and no one is urging me to hurry up.

21 – Gathering with friends and family. Lest you think that I wouldn’t put a premium on that holiday tradition, I saved it for last. It is truly a highlight this time. While we’ve been known to host a latke party for our non-Jewish friends, we always look forward to the annual party hosted by our friends Rob and Cathy.

There you have it, my 21 favorite holiday traditions. What are the special ways that you celebrate? the current state of your own fitness journey? And, one last question … how are you doing now that ten months and 21 days have passed in 2021?

Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.

Feature and final photos: MMPerez