The Draper James team has been all about spreading holiday cheer this month.
We recently had an office bake-off (a biscuit recipe won), a festive Christmas party with more Southern dishes than you could ever imagine, and Christmas carols are on repeat at our desks.
It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year, y’all.
And before we head off to our homes to celebrate all the festivities, we wanted to share a little bit of what makes our holidays so special…
Jessica Epstein, Senior Merchant
My husband and I watch movies all day on Christmas Day. It’s the one day of the year we are super lazy, guilt-free.
Tiffany Knapp, Associate Technical Designer
My husband and I started our own little tradition 8 years ago that every holiday season we go to a Christmas fair, get hot chocolate, and surprise each other with a Christmas ornament that best represents our past year, and the year we are heading into.
Katherine Brodie, Director of E-Commerce
Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, y’all!
Ashley Perkins, Digital Brand Marketing Manager
I love putting up my Christmas tree every year! Every time I go on a trip I always pick up a new ornament, so I always enjoy reminiscing about fun memories while trimming the tree.
Lydia Mansel, Social + Editorial Manger
On Christmas Day, my mom makes homemade yeast rolls, my dad fries up oysters, and we make the most delicious po’ boys in the world.
Helen Nightingale, Analytics Manager
All of my grandmother’s tablespaces include traditional festive crackers that each have a little trinket, a paper crown, and the world’s worst, lamest jokes inside. We pop our crackers when we sit down to Christmas dinner, don our paper crowns, and take turns reading our ridiculous riddles allowed.
Telicia Bunch, Manager of Technical Design
My favorite part of celebrating Christmas in the Bunch household is a tradition that has been going on for as long as I remember. After everyone wakes up and gathers together, Dad goes downstairs to see if Santa came.
When he comes back upstairs with the report confirming Santa’s visit, we are allowed to all go downstairs to see what Santa brought. Over the years there have been amazing gifts like Western Barbie and Ken with both of their horses on a farm. Once, in my teenage years there was a box of rocks (with hidden money taped inside the top). In our adult years, we draw names and buy for just one person. That way “everyone has something under the tree”.
This year, 10 adults and 1 child will wait patiently to see if Santa came…
Taylor Rettig, CEO
I always read the same Christmas stories every year with my family on Christmas Eve.
Donna D’Aponte, VP of Production
My favorite holiday tradition is Christmas eve and our traditional Feast of Seven Fishes. This has been a family tradition since I was a child and now has become my children’s tradition. I love having my son home from college for a month to reconnect and watch him and his sister bond. It is a time to celebrate our blessings and enjoy our family and friends.
Elizabeth Mayhew, Brand Editor
Our family tradition is to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol together sometime over the holiday. By this point we know most of the lines but our favorites are those spoken by Rizzo the Rat and Gonzo, the narrators. It’s Dickens with a splash of 20th century Muppet humor.
Renée Sundén, Assistant Account Executive
There’s a Swedish holiday tradition called Sankta Lucia. It involves a crown of candles, little red tomtes (Santas), gingerbread cookies, a procession, and singing. As kids we always would dress up and sing for my Grandma in Sweden. Every year in Sweden there’s a competition show to pick Sweden’s Sankta Lucia. It’s a super big deal!
Melissa Gordon, Director of Planning
My best friend and I have baked cookies together every holiday season for the past 10 years. We block off a whole day together where we will make 5 or 6 different kinds of cookies, along with a healthy dose of girl-talk, cocktails and Christmas music.
This tradition started while we were roommates right out of college, and has survived us moving to different states, each getting married, and now having babies. It is something to look forward to each year as it becomes increasingly harder to get quality time together!
Melissa Baird, VP of Systems & Procedures
Before daylight, cozy pajamas, fireplace raging, HUGE cup of coffee, and watching kids open presents. Sometimes the gifts hit, and sometimes they miss… but it’s always entertaining.
