15 Things I Am Looking Forward to This Holiday Season

Until yesterday I wasn’t really sure if I’d be the Grinch or the happy elf this year. When I went grocery shopping in the evening, I could not pass by the odorous fir wreath and just had to buy one for my table. Just in case, I also watched “The Grinch” on Netflix last night and decided that I am more excited than annoyed about this holiday season. Although this is going to be the first year for me in the U.S. that I won’t have a Christmas tree. There simply isn’t any room in my studio – or I’d have to forgo watching TV for a few weeks. But it is time to bring up my Christmas decorations and all my lovely ugly Christmas sweaters from the basement. And I have my headband in the shape of reindeer antlers somewhere, too … This is how I realized there are quite a few things I am looking forward to this holiday season:

  1. The Rockefeller Christmas Tree: This is the one tree that I love almost as much as Kevin does in “Home Alone 2”. I even took a personal day to go to its lighting two years ago.                                                                           
  2. The Rockettes: Their show at Radio City Music Hall has been on my list for some time. I think this year might be the one to make that dream come true.
  3. Ice skating: And talking of cold. I love ice skating – it is probably the only exercise I sometimes do in winters. We already went ice skating on the Frog Pond in Boston Common this season, but I really want to try all (yes all!) the ice skating rinks in Manhattan.
  4. Christmas lights: I now have two cities which I can admire all the beautifully decorated houses in – Boston and New York City. I esp. like the big parks where trees are equipped with thousands of little lights.
  5. Cookies: I heart cookies. Always. In previous years I made almond cookies and cranberry macaroons for instance.                         
  6. Candles: I have a vast candle collection and the holiday season is the time when I burn most. It is so lovely to have candles lit when it is dark so early every day.
  7. Christmas music: I started listening to it on Sunday by simply asking my Alexa to play the Holiday Favorites play list which contains all the famous songs. Yes, I still listen to and still like “Last Christmas”.
  8. Mulled wine: I had my first cup last weekend and it always reminds me of the crowded Christmas markets in Germany.
  9. Snow: Since winter started early this year, we already had some snow. But white Christmas would be even better.
  10. Ugly Christmas sweaters: I think I have a fine selection of amazingly ugly sweaters and T-shirts that I only get to wear during these about four weeks.
  11. Time for reading: I wrote yesterday that I am re-reading all the Harry Potter books, but there are many more books on my reading list, like Räuberhände* (which I saw as a play on stage in Hamburg this fall), The Red-Haired Woman* or Crimes Against Magic*.
  12. Vacation: It is only another two and a half weeks and I can hardly wait.
  13. Christmas foods: I am happy that I don’t have to drive to Aldi anymore because Trader Joe’s has loads of German Christmas foods, too. Gingerbread, stollen and spice cookies for example. But I also love potato salad and frankfurters (esp. on Christmas Eve). Oh, and eggnog, although strictly speaking this is not food.
  14. Christmas movies: There are so many of them that I watch once more every year, e.g. Love Actually, Home Alone 1 & 2, and The Holiday.
  15. Decorations: Even without a tree, I am sure I have enough decorations to transform my studio into a Christmas cave.

© janavar

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1 thought on “15 Things I Am Looking Forward to This Holiday Season”

  1. Hallihallo,

    ich möchte dir die besten Wünsche und Grüße zum neuen Jahr hier lassen! Ich lese nicht mehr so oft herum, aber ich habe dich nicht vergessen.

    Alles Liebe aus Apulien für dich und das Katerchen!
    Corinna

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