Our family traditions during the holidays have really been all very quintessential New York City for the past three years. Starting at Thanksgiving, we get our NYC on by going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, followed closely by the Rockefeller Tree Lighting and a tour around the city’s gorgeous holiday window displays.
The kids eagerly await their annual visit to see Santa at Macy’s Santaland on 34th street, and we try every year to skate at Rockefeller Center’s beautiful ice rink, especially now that Jack and Zoe are old enough.
Our tree is unearthed from under our bed where it is stored next to our Christmas decorations, and decorate almost immediately after Thanksgiving. Buddy, our Elf on the Shelf, makes his appearance every morning in a new spot around our apartment (20 new spots in a teeny apartment? NOT EASY!), and Justin and I embark on the biggest challenge of the season: Storing presents for a full month until the special morning.
Our lives and traditions will change drastically come next year when we’re (hopefully) living in an actual house (with a garage! And storage!), with our extended family near by us. Our family was still pretty new when we moved to New York City, so many of our traditions began when we moved here. One thing that will not change, however, is the magic and love that comes with Christmas, family, and togetherness.
One of the gifts that always seems to make it to our apartment during the holidays is a case of Hickory Farms cheese and sausages. My husband especially always looks forward to this delivery, and I am always happy when someone sends yummy almonds and cheese to our door. It’s just one of those traditions, Hickory Farms will always remind me of the holidays.
For more than 60 years Hickory Farms gifts have been a classic holiday tradition that brings family and friends together. Products can be found and purchased online or in one of over 700 holiday stores and kiosks across America.
Win It
I’m giving away a holiday Family Favorites case of Hickory Farms products to one of you!
To Enter:
Leave a comment telling us your favorite holiday tradtion.
Extra Entry:
Share this contest on facebook and twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did.
Sweepstakes run from today, November 30th until Friday, December 7th at midnight EST. Winner will be chosen randomly.
UPDATE: Winner Announced
Congratulations to Kelly D, chosen totally randomly via And The Winner Is, a WordPress plugin.
Compensation and products for review were provided by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. I received a free sample of the product for the purpose of this review and to facilitate a giveaway. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms.
Every year all 12 of my grandmother’s grandkids put together one page, and we combine them for a personalized calendar to give to grandmother on Christmas eve. Now, with great-grandchildren in the mix it’s even more fun to design our pages. I think everyone starts planning their month as soon as the previous one has been opened…
OUR TRADITION IS TRIMMING THE TREE TOGETHER debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
https://twitter.com/jacksondeb/status/274653227960639489
My favorite tradition is baking Christmas cookies
tweeted
http://twitter.com/starryeyed24/status/274663929223979010
I love putting up the outdoor lights!
making chocolate chip cookies after Midnight Mass for Santa to have warm cookies.
My favorite tradition is turning on all our lights every night at dusk, and walking past the tree in a quiet house, everything glowing and alive!
My favorite tradition is spending Christmas Eve with my sisters, their kids, and my family.
We set off small, handmade rockets on christmas morning
My favorite holiday tradition is to sit by the fireplace as we play “Apples To Apples”.
My favorite holiday tradition is preparing milk and cookies for Santa. My girls are so sweet, setting the table and leaving him notes. 🙂 megancrose@gmail.com
I tweeted https://twitter.com/megancrose/status/274990598551920640 megancrose@gmail.com
Every year we make Costa Rican christmas tamales
We love to make Gingerbread Houses. We do it every year.
One of our holiday traditions is to have breakfast burritos Christmas morning when we visit my family.
Love Christmas Eve Service and the last night before the big day!
My favorite is baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve with my sons
our tradition is summer sausage on christmas day!
We have a 20 month old, so we’re really only now just starting traditions. BH it our new favorite one is staying put on Christmas morning to open presents and eat homemade cinnamon rolls!
i love decorating the tree with family, my kids get so excited
We like watching holiday movies.
Toasting marshmallows in the fireplace.
Our favorite holiday tradition is to go Christmas Caroling together as a family
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/Jennai/status/275423686138408960
I posted on Facebook about this giveaway
http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.keefer.96/posts/381339168619809
We open 2 gifts Christmas Eve (new Christmas PJ’s and a new ornament).
SweetPeonies07 at gmail
sitting with the kids in font of the tree and reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas
shared on twitter https://twitter.com/mellanhead/status/275603390766137346
I love going to nana’s and baking cookies.
dollhusecreation(at)gmail(dot)com
every year we watch Its A Wonderful Life together
We always go out Christmas Eve and look at all the beautiful Christmas lights in our neighborhood and then drive to church for the midnight service.
I shared on facebook and twitter
https://twitter.com/Ilovemybeagle2/status/275772881626099712
https://www.facebook.com/laura.jacobson.752/posts/415231055217059
I love reading the Christmas story from the Bible with my family.
I enjoy our annual Christmas Eve seafood dinner with my husband’s family.
tweet
https://twitter.com/kellydsaver/status/276091801167855616
FB share
https://www.facebook.com/KellyDSaver/posts/138470309637047
We love going to look at the holiday windows. A quintessential NYC tradition!
Our holiday tradition starts with the local electric light parade and then cocoa and cookies with Santa at the local armory. We had to skip it this year since my toddler came down with his first ear infection the day of.
shared on FB and tweeted!
My favorite holiday tradition is decorating the Christmas Tree 🙂
I love making cookies for Santa with the family.
My favorite Holiday tradition is to go out on Christmas Eve and see all the Christmas decorations and lights with my family.
shawn113(at)hotmail(dot)com
Favorite holiday tradition is the family stringing popcorn to decorate the Christmas tree.
Shared on twitter https://twitter.com/CouponArtis/status/276922549563170817