The holidays look a lot different this year and we’re not entirely sure how to feel about it. In the past, we’ve cut down our Christmas tree and decorated it with ornaments that we’ve collected over decades. We decorate the house. We make mountains of cookies and share them with our friends and family. We still fill stockings with practical and silly gifts even though our kids are grown, for the simple joy of watching them be received. We eat together and play games. We watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” again and count our blessings.

This year, there is no Christmas tree or decorations, save a handmade ornament gifted to us by a local crafty friend. There have been no shopping trips and long waits at the post office to ship gifts and cards. We’ve baked no cookies and have no stockings. That feels a little sad, this loss of traditions, but we’re also staying open to the new traditions that we may create here.

This year, we’re visiting Christmas markets, sharing meals and time with friends, enjoying delicious Christmas treats from the bakeries, and avoiding the societal pressure to buy things for the sake of buying gifts for people. It’s different: smaller, intimate, and intentional. We’ll watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” again and count our blessings.

Joyeuses fêtes, dear friends, from our home to yours.