WINTER FESTIVITIES IN WASHINGTON DC
What makes enduring the bitter winter cold worthwhile for me is the cozy and festive holiday season! My family’s Christmas traditions ever since I can remember have been to decorate the tree together while listening to carols, go all out on our homemade-from-scratch feast, watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, open some presents in the evening of the 24th and stay up til midnight for Noche Buena. And in recent years since moving closer to DC, I’ve been able to enjoy some of the city’s annual festivities that make the holidays feel merry! This is what Christmas in the city looks like, from outdoor activities to cozy at-home celebrations.
CityCenterDC Holiday Lights
Cozy Christmas Home Decor
Our mini Christmas tree from a few years back, featuring handmade ornaments crafted by my mom! Many nights, we would also set up the projector in the living room to play movies while we enjoyed peppermint hot chocolate and holiday sweets.
Christmas Dinner at Home with the Family
My mom loves setting the table for fancy dinners, and it looks even better with all of our delicious food plated on top. And the meal is not complete without my dad’s famous brown sugar ham, the recipe is from my grandma! Also in recent years, we’ve been playing mahjong on Christmas morning while enjoying yummy leftovers.
Homemade Christmas Gifts
Something about wintertime sparks my creativity and I usually like to experiment with other crafts besides my usual art forms. A few homemade gifts for friends were hand-woven beaded purses, clay jewelry dishes and little hot chocolate mixes.
Christmas Baking
If there’s one thing that warms me up and brings me joy during my least favorite season (haha), it’s absolutely going to be baking! Some cozy desserts I’ve made include cranberry almond coffee cake, Christmas cookie boxes and ube cinnamon rolls for a few holiday bake sales, raspberry and cream puff pastry tart and gingerbread reindeer cookies. My mom made that gorgeous candied cranberry cheesecake. :)
