By Susanna Stutler, Pie Bar Marietta
It’s that time of year again! When our homes are decorated with colorful lights, garlands, wreaths and maybe even an inflatable Santa Claus or Grinch. When we bundle up in front of the fire with hot cocoa, and rush to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones. With Christmas comes the joys and stresses of the holiday season, but my favorite part is my family’s traditions. Whether it’s with your family or friends, we all have our yearly traditions that we look forward to each Christmas.
For me, I look forward to all the delicious baked goods I make with my sister around Christmas. Every year, we make benne wafers and gingerbread men using recipes passed down from my grandmother. It started out as a Christmas eve tradition, to make cookies for Santa, but now we just make way too many cookies and end up eating them for days after Christmas! With cookies and cocoa in hand, we watch our yearly Christmas movie marathon. The line up may change slightly, but The Muppet Christmas Carol, Christmas in Connecticut, and Miracle on 34th St. are all a must watch! However, the part of Christmas Eve I used to look forward to the most as a child was when we got to open one gift of our choosing before going to bed. Now whether this tradition was encouraged by my parents when I was little or if more likely it was a sneaky plan created by my sister and I because we just couldn’t wait until Christmas morning to open a present, I can’t remember. I do know that now it's a tradition that brings my whole family together around the Christmas tree late on Christmas Eve, and it’s when we have shared some of my warmest and most cherished holiday memories.
This year will be my first Christmas working at Pie Bar and I’m so excited to experience the holiday season here! A Pie Bar Christmas tradition that I’m looking forward to is our yearly cookie swap. At our holiday party, our team members bring different cookies for everyone to try. It’s a fun way for us all to get together and spend time with team members we don’t usually work with and for all of us to show off our baking skills.
Whether your holiday traditions involve lots and lots of cookies, holiday movies, or trips to visit family, we hope your holiday season is filled with good company, yummy food, and warm memories!