Parenting & Family

Season of Comfort – Family Dinner Program

My neighbor across the street won the “Earliest Day Off” award this year. By the second week of November, their home is filled with colorful lights, the porch is filled with holiday characters and greenery, and a Christmas tree is clearly visible through the front window. Shortly after the lights came on, I overheard them talking to another neighbor on the sidewalk: “I just think we need it this year.”

This seems to be a common sentiment. On social media, people are sharing photos of their early Christmas lights, holiday movie marathons, their new fluffiest socks and softest blankets, or their commitment to comfort food. “It’s just pie and gravy for the holidays this year,” one person declared. Another posted a photo of her and her sisters planning to eat the entire chocolate cake in one sitting, “no plates, no slices.”

The vibe right now seems to be “anything that makes you happy or brings you comfort.” Whether you call it an extremely common case of hygge, a bit of backlash against an unusually late Thanksgiving (thus delaying the “official” start of the winter holidays), or — don’t despair — a collective reaction to Thanksgiving Feelings of fatigue and frustration, it seems that seeking material comfort will become the norm for some time to come.

Honestly, who are we to argue? Nowadays, it’s very tempting to lean into places where it’s difficult to get comfortable. So, here are some cozy hibernation mode ideas to help you and your family feel closer this holiday season:

  • fall back. Topsy-turvy and backwards, that is, it’s time to turn dinner into a slumber party, eat dessert first, then break the rules and have a little gentle fun.
  • Try “book flooding”. In recent years, the “book rush” tradition of Icelanders eating chocolate and reading new books in bed on Christmas Eve has attracted attention online. Turn it into a family dinner event with some of Dr. Anne Fischer’s fun literary ideas, or turn it into a “book deluge” with some chocolatey recipes like Chai Hot Cocoa, Stone Bay Brownies, and Old Fashioned Hot Fudge Family Desserts,” shared at a family read-aloud session.
  • Have dinner and watch a movie. Our list of holiday dinner and movie ideas — inspired by themes of gratitude — is as relevant in this season of comfort-seeking as it was when we first created it during the coronavirus lockdown. Get cozy and enjoy good food, fun, and conversation with classic family movies that, at their core, are about finding the highlights, even when they’re hard to find.
  • Share some delicious food. Giving others a homemade treat is one of the most comforting and easiest ways to comfort yourself and your loved ones. Check out these homemade gift ideas and get in the kitchen!

Of course, there are many ways to celebrate the season, and our holiday hub has even more ideas. But this year’s big idea is: You Do You. Love pillow forts and twinkling lights? Go for it. Fancy moonlight walks and midnight hot cocoa dates? Perfect. Let us spend the last few weeks of 2024 seeking, giving, relaxing and joy for ourselves and others.

food

Clam chowder in a cup with cookies on the side

Nothing says comfort like a steaming bowl of soup—and this chowder recipe from our friends at Military Special Operations Family Partnership has “comfort” right in the name!

City Slickers Comfort Slickers

pleasure

Staying home and watching some holiday movies with the family is pretty much the definition of cozy. For those of you who’ve been saying “I don’t have this on my bingo card this year,” we’ve created two new sweet holiday bingo games that are perfect for your family bingo day.

Holiday Bingo Card

dialogue

Enjoy these conversation starters about holiday traditions, family history, and special recipes.

Holiday Conversation Recipes



Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button
×

Adblock Detected

*We Appreciate Your Visit!*

To enjoy all the features and content on our website, please consider disabling your ad blocker. Our site relies on ads to provide you with quality content and a seamless experience. Thank you for your understanding!