Here are a few of our favorite things to do during the holidays.
Bobby:
- My family makes me wear a santa hat and MC while everyone is opening gifts.
- We also dig through old pictures and my sisters always find an embarrassing one of me and post it on Facebook.
Carl:
- Opening one present on Christmas Eve.
- Watching the kids tear into their presents.
- Kwanzaa candle ceremony.
- Bing Crosby and Perry Como Christmas songs. (We only let my mom bring these out on Christmas day.)
Carrie:
- Cooking with my mom.
- Morning trail run with my brother at Rancho.
- Hiding my mom’s Mariah Carey Christmas CD.
- Wassail
- The infamous Christmas Eve Crab casserole (made with a quart of milk, a stick of butter and half a pound of cheese).
- Oh, and the dogs “helping.”
Erin:
- Every year we make a big pot of chili and hot cocoa and drive to the snow for sledding.
- We also take a family hike which includes dogs and then spend the rest of the day in jammies.
- We get snow about once a year and last year it happened to be when we were all home for the holidays.
Glenn:
- I usually do a Solstice Burn where I write down on a piece of paper what I’m grateful for and what I would like to come to fruition in the new year and then burn it.
Greg:
- Going around and looking at Christmas lights is a favorite activity. (Sadly, there aren’t as many houses with lights near me in SF.)
- This is the light display at SF City Hall.
Jason:
- Turkey Bowl football for Thanksgiving.
- Sledding (or now skiing) with my nephew Owen.
- Family outing to the movies.
- Nap by fireplace at my parents; house with Louise.
- Clean-up of to do list and archiving my inbox.
- Reflecting on the people I’ve interacted with over the last year and imagining what they’re doing for the holidays.
Jonathan:
- Thanksgiving in Yosemite National Park; either skiing or biking on the Valley Floor the day after Thanksgiving.
- We light the candles of the menorah each of the 8 nights of Hanukkah and talk with our kids about how we celebrated when we were their ages. (Our boys eagerly anticipate receiving gifts every night, too.) This year we were able to celebrate Thansgivakkah in Yosemite since Hanukkah started the day before Thanksgiving. This won’t happen for another 75,000 years.
- Christmas Day is spent skiing in the Sierras, followed by a cozy dinner by the fire.
Team Favorite:
Greg’s Apple Cider
- 100% apple juice
- 1 whole orange covered in cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
Simmer for 3+ hours.
Happy Holidays from Zipongo!
