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There’s something about the holidays. Perhaps it’s the fresh, crisp air or clear starlight nights. Perhaps it’s the scent of warm gingerbread cookies and simmering hot chocolate on the stove. But, there is just something about the holidays that make it an ideal time to celebrate and revel in with a special somebody. We contacted relationship advice expert Rhea Khona for some suggestions on how to make this time of year even more unforgettable and romantic.
See the Holiday Lights
Rhea recommends hopping in the car and taking a drive to see the beautiful (and garish) decorations put up around your area. If you live in the cities, storefronts can often have festive, stunning decorations perfect for capturing the Christmas spirit. Sip hot chocolate as you walk to heighten the magic of starlit nights and festive sights and sounds. You can even take turns rating the houses or storefronts.
Make Holiday Treats
The holidays are all about baking! Cookies, pies, gingerbread houses all create the perfect bonding experience, even if your creations don’t quite turn out as planned! Rhea shared with us her experiences studying in France. She recalls, “My study abroad mom made a buche de noel, a traditional French Christmas cake meant to look like a Yule log.” In place of the original recipe, she recommends following this recipe for a close approximation
Rhea also recommends gulab jamun, a recipe from her Indian family. She describes it as “an Indian version of holiday rum balls. Deep-fried and flavored with a sugar syrup, they are completely addictive!” She provides us her family recipe below.
Ingredients
- 1 cup and 2 tbsp milk powder
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp soda bicarbonate
- 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
- 4 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Mix milk powder, flour, soda bicarbonate, green cardamom powder and 4 tsp of ghee in a mixing bowl
- Add water to milk powder mixture to form a dough
- Knead into a soft dough
- Divide into small balls
- Let sit for 15 minutes, then deep fry the balls in ghee on low heat until they are golden brown
- Drain them and add to the sugar syrup
- Heat sugar and 1 cup of water in a pan and cook to make a syrup
- Transfer syrup to serving bowl
- (Can be served hot or room temperature)
Holiday Movie Time
Movies and the holidays go hand-in-hand, whether it is tried and true favorites such as It’s a Wonderful Life, or those holiday Christmas specials you watched as a child. (Who couldn’t love A Charlie Brown Christmas?) Rhea says “this is the perfected time to whip out all the funny, sappy, and romantic holiday movies.” She particularly recommends Santa, The Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life (of course!) as great movies snuggle up and watch with a bowl of popcorn. Even better, make it a movie marathon!
Decorating the Tree
For those who celebrate the holidays with a Christmas tree, decorating the tree together can be a wonderful way to bond and enjoy the holidays as a couple. You could pick out the perfect tree together, pour some mulled wine or hot apple cider, and decorate. Consider picking a theme for the tree such as Star Wars or the Nutcracker. Or how about a tree personalized with each individual favorite things?
Ugly Sweater Parties
Finally, for an activity that can span all types of holiday celebrations that happen during this time, how about Ugly Christmas Sweater Decorating Parties? Rhea claims that a friend got her into this activity, and she recommends trying to make the “tackiest, cheesiest Christmas sweater and ever” and wearing it to the bar. For decoration ideas, consider glitter, snowballs, puffy paint, tinsel, pom poms, felt, fabric, glue and pretty much “anything else you can think of.” Endlessly entertaining, this activity is sure to prompt laughter and wonderful memories for years to come… especially when you hit the town sporting your (fantastically) ugly sweaters.
Whichever activities you choose, the holidays can easily be one of the most special, memory-creating time of the year. Take some time to revel in the season with the one you love!
In addition to serving as contributing editor for Vagabond, Rachel Khona has written for Cosmopolitan, Inked, Treats, Richardson, Your Tango, Penthouse magazine, Ask Men and has been consulted for her dating knowledge on radio shows such as “Poundstone Power” and “Broadminded” on Sirius XM, “Love Zone USA”, “Los Originales”, as well as How About We, Coed Magazine, Sex Lies and Dating, The Grindstone, What’s Wear and Gloss Magazine. She has performed at the Word Bookstore, Inner Monologues, Standard Issue, and Speakeasy Stories.
For more information, please visit www.rachelkhona.com.
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