Afternoon Drive with Jeff & Carly

There are many Christmas traditions that I enjoy and look forward to every year, but with the crazy pace of modern life, it has become more difficult to fit them all in.  I probably haven’t done any Christmas baking in five years or more, yet I used to really enjoy setting aside an entire day to make gingerbread and shortbread cookies, all the while listening to carols on the stereo.  It’s a relaxing activity and the cookies make a great hostess gift for holiday parties, not to mention the scrumptious scents that linger in your kitchen.  It’s no wonder people trying to sell their houses often burn candles that smell like apple pie or chocolate brownies to trick you into feeling at home, never mind the pet pee odours those candles are attempting to mask, but I digress… 

I moved in the fall, so cookies Sain’t Happenin’ this year.  (I haven’t yet unpacked the box with the baking sheets.)  If Christmas cards are going to make it out the door, they need to be written and addressed by this weekend.  (I don’t like their chances.)  But one tradition I’m definitely partaking in - because it requires no prep on my part, let’s be truthful - is attending Handel’s Messiah, performed by the TSO and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at Roy Thomson Hall.  The music is beautiful, the lyrics are accessible (it was written in English) and even if you don’t have an extensive knowledge of or appreciation for classical music, you’ll at least recognize the Hallelujah chorus because of its frequent use in pop culture.  It’s truly an inspirational way to kick off the holiday season.

What are some of your favourite traditions?  Feel free to post a reply in the section below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is TRADITION.  You have until December 17th to score 100 points by entering it at www.925jackfm.com.