The first year we started dating, I decided (very randomly) that Monika and I would have a 'Christmas Anniversary'. Simply because I love Christmas, I love anniversaries, I love any occasion to shower her with gifts, and because even then, the number five had such an important meaning to us. So December 5th became our official Christmas anniversary, where we would head to a festive play, grab a glass of champagne at the Fairmont, exchange small gifts, and just enjoy ourselves. Over the years, this Christmas anniversary has become a lot more important than just an excuse to get in the holiday spirit and buy presents.
Since moving across the world twice, we use the beginning of December to make a conscious effort to spend time together and make each other a priority. With work, friends, family, and all the other obligations that seem to come around at this time of year, a Christmas anniversary is not only nice to have, it's sometimes a necessity.
We were so fortunate to partner with The Tourism Partnership of Niagara, in order to celebrate our 2018 Christmas Anniversary, and today, I am sharing some of the reasons why I think it's important for you to consider adding this tradition into your December calendar as well.
"Christmas gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us." -- David Cameron
- food, but festive -
Everyone needs to eat, and sometimes at Christmas, it seems there is an over-abundance of holiday feasts. This is why we are obsessed with afternoon teas - it forces you to slow down and just enjoy the atmosphere, wait for your tea to steep, devour little pastries and treats. It is these slowed down moments that lead to the best conversation and connection.
We enjoyed the Afternoon Tea at the Prince of Wales, and we also were invited to the Dickensian Feast (put on in conjunction with the theatre).
- moments, not things -
Over the years, we stopped buying each other Christmas gifts to open on our anniversary, and instead started using it as an excuse to create something together. Whether it be tree ornaments or a holiday carol, this time together now signifies finding a way to make a moment special.
While in Niagara-on-the-Lake, we popped by many of the beautiful boutiques and picked out an ornament to add to our collection of other December 5 ornaments. There are so many beautiful (and inexpensive!) options, it is the perfect way to capture the memory.
- the arts at the holidays -
We always say we want to go to the Ballet or catch a live performance of something, but truthfully, we rarely make time for this. So we started using our December 5th anniversary as the perfect excuse to book tickets to something! Since 2011, we have been watching a theatre performance of A Christmas Carol or a ballet performance of The Nutcracker.
This year, we were thrilled to score tickets to Shaw Festival's A Christmas Carol - and it literally blew us away! Such a magnificent performance in such a creative way to tell a classic story. And again, Christmas is the perfect excuse to go ahead and book it!
Even though we've Christmas-ed in Paris and in Prague, in Berlin and in Glasgow, in Calgary and in Toronto, this initially 'silly' tradition of celebrating a Christmas anniversary has become an incredibly important tradition. It reminds me that no matter what other hustle and bustles go on, my number one priority is building a life with my life partner. This is why I would encourage you to also consider adding a special celebration with your significant other in this sometimes stressful, sometimes expensive time.
