By 
This year the holidays felt very different for me. Maybe it was the lack of snow or the whirlwind of a year that I had but something felt different. Actually, I think it was just the fact that I was so busy I did not watch a single Christmas movie this time around! I instead spent the season out and about creating unique Christmas traditions with my friends and family. The holiday season can always use something new to make the celebrations so much better.
I really dedicated this year to creating unique Christmas traditions that I can hopefully carry-on in the future. Going away to college a few years ago really changed the way my holiday seasons went. I feel like I finally am used to the idea of coming to town just for this special time. Spending time at home is a real privilege. I learned the value of it when my family was living in New Jersey and I did not get to go back to the Detroit area for the holidays. Being in college is such a blessing because we get a whole month to spend at home over winter break and this is my last year. From now on, I will probably only get a week to celebrate with everyone. Despite that, I want to continue the unique Christmas traditions that I created this season.
Themed Pancake Breakfast
My friends and I love to go out for brunch but we thought we would save money for our Christmas shopping and eat at home this day. We decided to take our homecooked meal to the next level by decorating the kitchen with Christmas lights and reefs. This made staying in for our meal way more fun than going to one of our favorite restaurants around town. We got creative for it and spent only like $5 on the pancake batter! It was really a win/win situation. Even if you as terrible at cooking as I am you have a chance when it comes to pancakes! The recipe is pretty foolproof when you have the mix and all you have to do is give your cakes a flip. Due to the stressful aura that surrounds campus during finals week, I did not really feel the Christmas spirit up until this experience. The best way to spread Christmas cheer these days is a themed Pancake Breakfast. I definitely want to make this a unique Christmas tradition for when my friends and I reunite back in Michigan over the holidays.
Ice Skating in Detroit
Detroit has been doing an amazing job of rebuilding itself lately. I grew up a half hour outside of the city and it is great to see it developing. Ice skating in Central Park is something I miss when I am away from New York. I was able to bring that tradition of mine closer to home by skating in the historic Campus Martius park of Detroit. I have been skating since I was young and it is still one of my favorite ways to exercise. The rollerskating kick hit me hard my freshman year of college. While I still enjoy skating, I have a more relaxed approach to it than I did back then. My siblings were reluctant to skate with me but it ended up being a great way to enjoy the weekend before Christmas. I hope we add it to our families list of unique Christmas traditions.
Friendsmas
Hosting dinner parties is my new area of expertise. I celebrated Friendsgiving with a really fun group of people and had such a blast! I immediately wanted to plan the next opportunity to get people together for a homecooked meal. One of the issues with this is that I am simply not the best cook. I love the hosting aspect of dinner parties but when it comes to the kitchen I am useless! My friend and I worked together to create a simple pasta dish (about as far as my cooking skills will take me) for a Christmas themed dinner. It was a great way to catch up with friends from my hometown that I truly missed hanging out with. We had many laughs and great stories to share with each other. This was a lovely way to catch up with everybody and spend time together.
Christmas Day Hike
Christmas day is such an amazing time to spend with family. Sometimes we end up stuck in our house all day since everything is closed which makes me feel restless. This year we switched things up and took my dog out to a trail near our house. Breathing in the fresh air and watching Rocky prance through the trees was such a beautiful way to spend Christmas morning. This made the whole day better and put me in such a great mood. It was also a beautiful gift to give my dog (she is so easy to please)! Nature is such a simple pleasure in life and I am so grateful to add it to my list of unique Christmas traditions.
Reflecting in Florida
This has always been a unique Christmas tradition of my families. We spend Christmas at our home and then head to our house in Jupiter, Florida to spend time relaxing and reminiscing on the year before. We are a short walk from the beach and I love to spend mornings walking along the shore. I will always have these memories of Florida in my heart when I think about this time of my life and I am so grateful for that. I like to gather all of my thoughts on how the past year went and reflect on the changes I want to implement in the new year. It is so great to do that in such a positive place where I hold amazing memories.
I had such a unique Christmas experience this year filled with so many new traditions and experiences that I want to keep as part of my life. My favorite part of this time of year is the ability to relax and spend time with the people I care about. This holiday season has now passed but I want to keep in mind all of the possibilities that the future holds. So if you have any unique Christmas traditions, please share in the comments below! I would love to hear some ideas for next year 😀
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