It's no secret that Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year. Ever since I was little - everything about Christmas made my heart flutter, and... well, I'm still little....... just older. Whenever I see trees for sale outside the grocery store, the first shipments of clementines and egg nog, and kids visiting Santa Claus - I turn five again. Of course, everyone has the generic holiday traditions, and everyone has more specific, varied traditions within their family or amongst groups of friends. My favourite of all has to be Baking Day. This event over the years has created quite a following with my friends, and I love how it brings people together.
How'd it all begin? It was during the time I was home schooled, so maybe when I was thirteen or fourteen-years-old. I went with my Mom to her friends' Christmas cookie exchange. It was a weekday morning, with a couple of her close ladies. I loved how happy everyone was, not to mention the abundance of wonderful Christmas sweets. I wanted to have an event like this too! But obviously like, fun, and like, hip, and like, for adolescents, and we'd play like, Simple Plan's 'My Christmas List'.
My first year back in school, I was fifteen-years-old, when the first Baking Day came to be. Over the years, more people started attending, we threw in adding old school Christmas specials on VHS, complete with early 90s commercials (since not everyone could fit in the kitchen!), and the recipe for 'Esther's Special Hot Chocolate' was created. This has become a Baking Day favourite, and the recipe to this day still remains super top secret!
.....And now here we are - eleven years later?!? Which boggles my mind - how crazy to think that a tradition has carried on this long! Old high school friends still attend the event too!
Along with watching 'Muppet Christmas Carol' on Christmas Eve, and decorating the tree, this is my favourite holiday tradition. As Baking Day is tomorrow, I'd post some photos of Baking Days through the years. Take a look, maybe you'll see your very own wonderful self!
Baking Day 2005, Jenni, Heather, and Katherine
circa 2005, Miriam, Jenni, Steph, Candance, Meaghan, and Allie
Famous chocolate chip cherry cookies... that still get made every year!
Cassie and Kristen... these lovely girls still come every year! And holy crap, this is actually from seven years ago.
Baking Day 2009 with Steph Seaton!
circa 2009 - Kristen and Steph at Baking Day four years later
Sssshhhh... we're hiding from the gingerbread house monster? I don't know.
Baking Day 2010... the first one living downtown! With Amanda.
Baking Day 2011 - Cassie smashing some candy canes!
Baking Day 2011 and Kristen is still here! Along with the awesome Simon.
Baking Day 2011 post chocolate attack.
Baking Day 2011 - Phil, post icing attack
Baking Day 2011 - watching Muppet Family Christmas while the rest of us are in the kitchen
.....excited to see what photos shall surface this year! Baking Day tomorrow!
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