Family Holiday Traditions

This weekend kicks off the holiday season for our family, the days are darkening, the nights are lengthening and the worlds is getting colder. Everything is building towards the apex of Yuletide for us when we will celebrate the returning of the sun and the lengthening of the days once again.

Sinterklaas

This is the first weekend of December and with it Sinterklaas will be arriving in our town bringing gifts and holiday joy. Tomorrow night the children will leave out apples, pears and carrots for Julepukki the Yule Goat and Sleipnir Amerigo Sinterklaas's horse and if they have been good Sinterklaas will thank them with the first gifts of the season, little treats left in their shoes.

Treats for Sleipnir Amerigo and Julepukki 

Then Sunday morning, after the children have enjoyed discovering their treats we will go search our yard for supplies to make our Julebukk who will watch over our house and our festival preparations through the season up until Yuletide. Julebukk will make sure the kids behave and are good little children deserving of the presents Sinterklaas brings.

Julebukk

Through out the month we will gather our holiday cheer, find our Yule Tree and decorate it with garlands of popcorn and other treats and our families collection of ornaments, at which time the children will each receive their ornament for this year to place on the tree with their ornaments from all the years past.

Yule Tree

On the morning of Yuletide we will get up, I will begin baking our Buche de Jule to be enjoyed in the evening with our Yule  feast. We will go outside and search for the perfect Yule Log to decorate and light. Once we find it the children will help sprinkle it with herbs and spices and garnish with sprigs from our Yule Tree before we place it in the wood stove with our effigy of Julebukk signifying his departure and Daddy will light the Yule fire to warm our home.

Buch de Jule

Yule evening the children will be allowed to stay up late, sipping hot cider and eating Buche, Bukk and feast goodies. Daddy and I will celebrate by sharing a more seasoned brew and enjoying the children's merriment.

After the children have drifted off to sleep Sinterklaas will come and leave his last and greatest bundle of gifts for the year for all the good children of the house before departing from us to return back to his home until next Yule season.

Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet and Amerigo

With the new born sun of the morning will come the end of our celebrations and as we throw out the wrapping paper so too will we wrap up our holiday season.

No matter what your family traditions and no matter what holidays you celebrate this season I hope your month is filled with joy and happiness and I am a little hopeful that by me sharing a piece of what our family does this time of year you will spend a little time thinking on what your family does and why it is special to you.

Tomte, Julepukki and helper

Yuletide greetings from me and mine wishing Happy Holiday wishes to you and yours!