The Sweet Truth: Holiday Traditions and Stress

I love baking cookies at Christmas. As a little girl, my mom and I shared this baking time together each year. Maybe it’s that memory that makes it such a joy for me now. When I was young, we stuck to the classics: cut-out sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and the crowd favorite, whoopie pies. One year, we even split the whipped icing into two bowls, adding red food coloring to one and green to the other, creating festive whoopie pies with colorful icing. Sweet memories.

One cookie I always loved, but we didn’t bake at home, was the popular peanut blossoms. As a little girl, I called them Hershey Bud cookies. I’m not sure why we didn’t make them, but what a treat they were when they appeared at others’ celebrations. I still love them.

Here’s the thing about Hershey Bud cookies (I still prefer that name!). I was well into adulthood before it hit me—I could bake them any time I wanted. Until then, I thought they were “Christmas cookies.” A friend and I laughed about this realization at a holiday party. We giggled as we declared, “What a revelation to bake these whenever we want!” It was as fun and freeing as maturing and realizing we were allowed to wear make-up and high heels.

Sometimes, we let life’s unwritten rules dictate what we have to do—and those rules can add unnecessary stress. Letting go of them can open the door to more freedom and joy.

Boundaries, routines, and life rules are valuable. We need them to feel grounded. But when those rules cause stress to rise and joy to fall, it’s worth asking, “Is this really necessary?” or “Who said I have to do this?” These questions can help us decide which rules to keep and which to let go.

At the holidays, especially, we can overwhelm ourselves with self-imposed “rules”: every cookie recipe from Grandma’s collection must be baked, every decoration perfectly placed, every gift wrapped just so—and don’t forget to buy the perfect amount of gifts for everyone on the list! But do we really need to follow every one of these traditions to have a meaningful holiday? When we loosen the grip of perfection, we can reduce stress and make room for what truly matters.  And discover more joy along the way.

I still reserve certain cookies for Christmas. I cherish the traditions—they bring back memories and make the season special. But I’ve learned not to let those traditions turn into rigid rules that drain my joy.

So when I want a good Hershey Bud cookie, I bake it. Even if it’s July.

Because, you know, I’m mature now.