holidays

December is a special time of year. The days may be shorter and colder, but there’s a lot to like. College and pro football start to get really interesting as rankings and playoff hopes take shape, and most of us aren’t too tired of the weather (yet). Christmas music can be heard everywhere, and for those of us who love it, especially the deep cuts or new songs just being released, it brings a lot of positive energy to the season. I look forward to discovering new Christmas music each year and love listening to favorites I haven’t heard for the last 11 months.

Visitors to the Nutcracker Village encounter just about any character they could imagine in nutcracker form — from whimsical storybook heroes and cartoon characters to real-life movie and television stars; from historical legends and religious leaders to first responders and service members from the various branches of the military.

For those who need a getaway

A stay in Utopia

An Airbnb gift card could translate into a stay in the luxurious Utopia cabin at Paradise Lake, a private lake near New Philadelphia in Amish country. Utopia promises a relaxing haven for nature lovers, with peaceful water views as well as opportunities for kayaking, fishing, or simply relaxing by the shore. Utopia boasts two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a hot tub. Other Paradise Lake cabins sleep as many as 14 or as few as two. All are available year-round.   

Like the Christmas celebration itself, hanging mistletoe in your house is rooted in ancient tradition. But before we get to that, it’s worth noting that mistletoe has no real roots — it’s a parasite, making its way in life by living off of rooted trees. “Mistletoe makes its own sugar, but poaches water from trees,” says Savannah Ballweg, who manages the Miami University botanical conservatory in Oxford.

According to Ballweg, Ohio is home to one species of mistletoe: American mistletoe, also known as oak mistletoe, found mostly in the southern part of the state.

This past year seems to have gone by in a blur. Families and businesses have been faced with many challenges here in the U.S. — primarily from much higher costs for many of the things we need most in our daily lives but also from the challenges of simply getting what we need, when we need it because of supply chain snarls that stretch around the world. 

Bess Paper Goods & Gifts, Cincinnati

At her West Benson Street shop, Kristin Joiner not only designs the artwork and composes witty messages — for example, “Happy Ugly Sweater Season” — for her Christmas and Hanukkah cards, but she also prints them one at a time on an 1882 letterpress named Bess. Joiner uses paper sustainably made from recycled cotton, and her repertoire of handmade goods includes ornaments and miniature paper trees. 
kristin@besspapergoods.com; 513-748-6955

Featuring traditional Yuletide activities such as a parade and visits with Santa, the Candlelight Walk attracts about 50,000 people every year. With genuine candlelight charm and a picture-perfect setting, the event exemplifies the glad tidings of small-town America, and it’s easy to imagine George Bailey shouting “Merry Christmas!” to folks on the square or the Gilmore Girls joining in the caroling at the gazebo. Indeed, says Sam, “Visitors often tell us, ‘I feel like I’m in a Hallmark movie.’” 

Although Questel is unsure when the tradition of trimming Imgard’s tomb-side tree began, he does know why the ritual is unique to Wooster: In 1847, Imgard was a 19-year-old immigrant from Germany living at his brother’s house in Wooster and grew homesick for his native country’s customs, especially around Christmastime. So, he went to the woods near Apple Creek, cut down a spruce tree, and positioned it in a window, adorned with nuts, apples, sweets, and candles. He even had a tinsmith make a star for the top of the tree.