This year was the eleventh since I first tried on what would become tradition. Now Christmas Eve is just another day and “The Holidays” are what I have re-learned to celebrate alongside my son, who is of course rapidly aging out pyramids of presents, only not just quite yet, to my accommodating delight.
I am discreet about my reasons for wishing to redefine family customs, but in late 2025 there’s no hiding that it’s all about a nervous system shifting from tension to ease, from anxiety to safety, from masking to authenticity. Some things I now do differently include just about everything.
Here are glimpses of all the Advents I constructed for Anker over the years. Missing is the virtual-like one that announced its daily manifestation via text message each morning, which had its treasure-hunt moments but ultimately got a giant thumbs down, relatively speaking. Oh and lest you think I’m advocating for consumer culture, divide your disdain by two at the very least—a bunch of these presents are utility items or coupons for experiences or sets of things split into three.
For a closer look at a few prior Advents, check out my posts An Advent Adventure and Advanced Adventing.
For some old thoughts on gift giving (and not giving!) go to A Gift of Ease, an early post on this blog.
For some relevant food writing that explores my need for new traditions, I recommend Poppy Seed Tart (not to mention the tart in question, which is truly amazing).