Holiday Magic Making
Remember to include yourself in the magic
This is a quick bonus newsletter for all subscribers this month. I’ll be back after the holiday with a paid subscriber post. You can upgrade your subscription so you don’t miss a thing, or give a gift to someone you think would enjoy this newsletter!
I am subscribed to a few other Substack newsletters, and this weekend Anne is Making sent out a newsletter titled “You’re doing great”. In it she talks about being the “primary caregiver for our family” which also makes her “the magic-maker, the one who strings twinkly lights and puts up our Christmas tree and lights scented candles and bakes cookies”. She goes on to give a pep-talk to the other magic makers of their families out there, and I really appreciated her gentle approach to this sometimes overwhelming season. I’d highly recommend this read to anyone feeling even a little affected by the holiday season, even if you don’t identify as the primary magic maker of your family.
Holiday activities
Mr. Domestique and I are going to have a couple of friends over for Christmas dinner this year. We always have good conversation with them, but I’ve also been thinking about fun and easy activities we can do with them while we are chatting. For all you magic makers: I think most of them would be fun to do with kids, too, so here’s a little roundup!
Julehjerter (woven Danish hearts): Made of paper, these sweet little heart-shaped woven pouches can be filled with candy or cookies and hung on trees or given as gifts. Apparently, the author H. C. Andersen invented these back in 1861, and they have become an addition to Christmas festivities in Scandinavian households since. Here’s a YouTube showing how to put them together, and here’s a link to find a template and a TikTok of someone that 3-D printed the template. Danes really know how to do Christmas, and you can find a big list of other traditions here. The last one on this list - dancing around the Christmas tree - brings back memories of a Danish friend of mine, Gitte, and her tradition to dance around the tree with her close friends to more contemporary music like Whitney Houston or Michael Jackson instead of Christmas carols. I love that she took something that could feel a bit stuffy and traditional and made it her own.
Popcorn and cranberry garland: Mr. Domestique and I have done this before, and while it can be a little messy, it’s something easy and fun to do while watching a holiday movie. You can find a how-to here.
Pommander balls: These oranges with cloves are super festive and they smell good too! They evolved from something similar used in Europe during the black death to help clean the air. You can use them in a centerpiece or tie ribbon around them to hang on a tree or from a hook. You can find a how-to here.
That’s what I’ve come up with so far. Are there any fun ideas you have to add to my list? Paid subscribers can let me know in the comments!
Great ideas. Thank You