As we get older, it’s hard to remember how much the holidays meant to us when we were just little kids. There were so many mysteries and questions. Why is Dad bringing a tree into our house? Why are we putting our socks up on the fireplace? A man in a red suit climbs down our chimney in the middle of the night and he gets cookies? It’s like the whole world is playing an elaborate practical joke on 5-year-olds. But, of course, the presents have a way of clearing up any misunderstandings.
We still retain those magical memories even as we take up the responsibility of creating them for our loved ones. That doesn’t mean, however, it must be a chore. We’re insiders, after all, we know who the man in the red suit is. (And we know the secret ingredient to grandma’s punch.)
Photo by Adam Finkle
This year, we wanted to help you in your quest to capture that holiday magic again. We spoke to five entertaining pros who offered their secrets to creating wonderful holiday moments with your favorite people. On the cover, for example, we have Cara Fox, who once again has the honor of decorating the Christmas Tree at the Governor’s Mansion for Utah’s first family. And while it’s perfectly understandable that you won’t go the same great lengths for your holiday decorating, she offers advice we can all use to inject whimsey and, most of all, have fun. The latter is the common denominator in advice offered by all our pros, who remind us to relax and remember why we get together for the holidays. “If I’m not relaxed my guests aren’t relaxed,” says expert Tracey Thompson. “I don’t rush to the finish line anymore. Sometimes things won’t be perfect.”
Aside from your own gatherings, there are more ways to enjoy this time of year. To that end, we offer you a day-by-day calendar of fun thing to do around the state. There’s likely no way you’ll be able to do everything on this jam-packed list (although we dare you to try), but there’s something for everyone to explore.
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