Aloha! My holidays celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. Right now we're planning a Latke party on Sunday for the 5th night of Hanukkah. On Christmas Day I'll be making my Norwegian Christmas Rice Pudding called Riskrem. All holidays here on Kauai include an ocean swim and no snow or ice.
Favorite Book Tradition: For the past three years I've started each season reading, A Little Fruitcake, by David Valdes Greenwood. I'm giving away a free copy on December 5 (international entries accepted). The book reminds me of my own childhood growing up in the 1960's.
New Tradition: I started playing flute this year after a 35 year break. It began as a way to honor my late mother who always wanted me to play in an orchestra. Thanks to music lessons and lots of practice, I'm performing tonight with the Kauai Wind Symphony. That's right...TONIGHT! I'm nervous and will be practicing all day.
Cookie Tip: Form your cookie dough but instead of baking, freeze instead between layers of waxed paper. That way you can bake as needed and always have cookies on hand for guests.
December 5! That's our official gift-giving day of Sinterklaas, which is much bigger than Christmas in Holland (as far as presents are concerned). Actually, Santa Claus was based on Sinterklaas (or Saint Nicholas)!
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing us into the X-mas spirit with this nice post! :)
As I'm typing this I'm in my house freeezing and dreaming of taking a long vacation to Hawaii. Thank you for bringing a little island warmth to my Thursday morning. Good luck tonight. What a great way to celebrate your mother.
ReplyDeleteWow. I love how this post seems to be a real cultural mix. I like the idea of an ocean swim on Christmas Day too.
ReplyDeleteHope your concert goes well tonight. What a lovely way to feel close with your Mum's memory. x
Congratulations on going back to the flute! And good luck with your concert.
ReplyDeleteSo there are festivities all through December for you! Have a great month. I was hoping for the recipe of the Rice pudding.... Will it be forthcoming? :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays!
December sounds like a wonderful month for you with such a variety of traditions. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your performance tonight! Thanks for joining in with the tour again! Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking of going back to piano (after decades will have to learn all over again). I think its wonderful for you to do this. All the very very best. Break a leg!
ReplyDeleteNo snow for us either! You are very brave picking up an instrument afte all that time and performing in public. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for participating in the tour again!
Hello, nice to meet you! I'm checking out the Virtual Advent tour. What a fun mix of holday traditions you have! In Nova Scotia where I live, a dip in the ocean on Christmas day would take more nerve than I've got.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you have blended all the holidays together and spread them out for the whole month. Sure makes for a fun month.
ReplyDeleteLove your Mountie ornament.
ReplyDeleteI remember one year we didn't have much money and we decorated the tree with red ribbon tied in bows and then a garden glove on the top of the tree with the fingers tied into a peace sign.
My new tradition is to get to all the advent blogs and to leave a comment.
ReplyDeleteso far so good
thanks for sharing yours
Jane of Australia where it's meant to be hot but isnt
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Life @ Number 8
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Excellent cookie tip. I've been doing this for years and the cookies taste great.
ReplyDeleteHappy Hanukkah and Holiday Season Rob!
ReplyDeleteHope the flute playing and concert went well, too.
I love your blog!
So nice to meet you at this special time of year - your Christmas swim sounds like a wonderful idea (I'm sitting here looking out at snow in sunshine). Starting a new tradition for Christmas is a lovely idea!
ReplyDeleteI love your post and your items. The ornament is super cute, and wow - congrats and best of luck tonight in the symphony!!
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent cookie tip. I'll be doing that this year for sure. And I second the above commenter's request for the recipe for the Norwegian rice pudding--I'd love to try that!
ReplyDeleteI hope all went well with the Wind Symphony. Thanks for sharing with the Virtual Advent
ReplyDeleteWe have a non-snow and warm Christmas as well :)
ReplyDeleteHope all went well with your first performance - good on you for getting back to it :)
Thanks for all the nice comments. I think this is the most I've ever had!
ReplyDeleteThe performance went better than expected. One small mishap but otherwise okay.
I plan to post the Norwegian Christmas Rice pudding recipe this weekend for those of you interested.
Tonight we had another tradition: Kauai's Lights on Rice holiday parade. Our 99 year old Auntie was on one of the floats. She had a blast.
Happy Holidays and A-L-O-H-A,
Rob
So glad to hear the performance went well. I played the flute all through junior high, high school, and part of college. I miss the camaraderie of the band.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of freezing preformed cookie dough. I may just give that one a try this holiday season.
Hi Rob--Dave VG here (the not-little-now fruitcake whose book you began your post with). Thanks so much for sharing the book with others. I love the idea that my book full of snowdrifts get an annual read on your sunny island. Hope your holidays are merry!
ReplyDeleteI love the tip about the cookie dough. Very clever. Helpful.
ReplyDeleteWe share the same fate. No snow here in my place, too.(I live in Philippines.) But I think everyone here are still able to enjoy Christmas without the snow just like in your place. Happy Holidays, Rob!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to look for a Riskrem recipe! Happy holidays and thanks for taking part in the Advent calendar. I'm way behind but trying to catch up a bit each day.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate both Chanukkah and Christmas at our house, too.