One of my favorite holiday traditions is eating sushi on Christmas Eve. It started when I was a kid—my mom is Japanese and we’d always gather at my aunt’s house for sushi and a gift exchange before going to the candlelight church service. Now our own kids look forward to going out for sushi after the early Christmas Eve church service each year.

When Josh and I got married, we took time to introduce each other to the rituals we grew up with, deciding together which ones we wanted to make our own. Following his family’s lead, we hang white lights instead of multi-colored, we (after much practice) have perfected his mom’s cheese straw recipe, and on Christmas morning, one person assumes the role of Santa, distributing everyone’s gifts from under the tree to their recipients.

In addition to a sushi dinner, we carried on other traditions of my family’s, like letting the kids make pigs in a blanket while I cook the same holiday eggs that my mom cooked, and playing Mariah Carey’s Christmas album at least once that morning (a ritual I initiated in the ‘90s). Over the years, traditions evolve—since I gave up meat, some of the pigs in a blanket are made vegetarian-friendly, and in addition to watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at least once (a mainstay of the Montgomery holidays), Josh and I have watched The Family Stone annually since we saw it in the theater in 2005. We also enjoy putting our own twist on things—instead of an Elf on the Shelf, Kinder the kindness monkey visits our kids during December (and unlike elves, he doesn’t mind being hugged).

I had so much fun hearing about how other families in coastal Alabama and Mississippi will be celebrating the holiday season as I worked on “Looking Beyond Familiar Traditions” for this month’s issue. I learned about Las Posadas, Mexico’s neighborhood caroling tradition, and I discovered that Hanukkah is a celebration of religious freedom. I heard about huge family gatherings and Christmas Eve sleepovers, as well as more intimate experiences like looking through old family photos.

This holiday edition of Natural Awakenings fosters a balance of seasonal cheer and wellness with articles like “The Gift of Yum” for homemade gift recipe ideas, “Pay Where We Play”, to remind us to buy local, and “Mind-Body Fitness” to encourage mindfulness in our workouts. Our annual gift guide will help you find presents for everyone on your list, while “Reinvent the Holidays” reminds us that the spirit of the season matters more than material gifts.

To close out 2020—a year that has truly been like no other, consider adding a new ritual to your routine. It can be personal or social, silly or serious, big or small. Try broadening your horizon by seeking inspiration from cultures that you are unfamiliar with. Explore the history behind a modern tradition and how you can adapt it to complement your own family’s ways. When we enrich our lives with new experiences and fresh knowledge, we are often blessed with gifts that money can’t buy: a fresh outlook on life, a deepened sense of unity and memories that last a lifetime. I hope all of you find a renewed sense of giving and feel the warm embrace of love this holiday season.

Happy everything, and be merry always!

Meredith Montgomery, Publisher