THE FIRST WORD
Find the “pickle” ornament and other holiday traditions
Twinkling lights, festive cheer, joyful kiddos, crowded department stores …
it must be December! Like many other Starbucks red cup-giddy individuals,
(Even though each movie has the same plot, we still can’t get enough!)
it’s my favorite month of the year.

It’s these special traditions that make me love this holiday the most. If you’re
Growing up, we didn’t waste much time gett ing into the Christmastime
extensive “Holiday Happenings” guide on pg. 32. There you will fi nd the
spirit. The day after Thanksgiving, the autumnal décor went down and the
best local festivals, performances, light shows and more! For more seasonal
house instantly got sparkled and tinseled up. And fi nding the perfect tree
inspiration, we have a list of children’s holiday books on pg. 24, some tasty
was at the top of our list.

holiday eats on pg. 36, a holiday gift guide on pg. 39 and tips on gett ing your
Each year, my family and I would head to a local Christmas tree farm to fi nd
our perfect piney match — and to kick off the holiday celebrations. It was a
yearly tradition that I always looked forward to. We’d take a fun hayride out
looking for some more family traditions to add to your lineup, we have our
kids involved with hosting a festive party on pg. 45. Plus, there are many
other parenting resources inside! For even more holiday events happening
around the DMV, go to washingtonFAMILY.com.

into the farm, singing songs along the way and pick out a tree. Then, we’d
From our FAMILY to yours, we wish you a wonderful holiday season full of
come back to the main area to play with animals at the pett ing farm, drink
traditions, memories and endless Hallmark movie marathons.

hot cider, eat delicious Texas-style barbeque and take our annual Christmas
card photos. It was truly a full day of festive family fun. And even now, it’s a
Happy Holidays!
special memory that I always cherish.

My family has continued to accumulate many other holiday traditions over
Britni Petersen
the years — hiding the “pickle” ornament in the tree, drive-through light
shows, watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, eating German stollen on
Christmas Eve and baking “monkey bread” on Christmas Day. More recent
traditions include hiding the “Elf on the Shelf” for the kids in hysterical
locations and binge-watching every Hallmark Christmas movie we can fi nd.

Managing Editor
Washington FAMILY Magazine
bpetersen@midatlanticmedia.com washingtonFAMILY.com
December 2018
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