I used to think that there were certain seasons that I disliked, notably Winter. As I have grown older, that has changed. Now that I have become intimately engaged with each season, as each one arrives I welcome it whole heartedly. I do believe that there are five seasons, though. They run like this throughout the year: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Holiday.
There are things to love in each season, and as each one rolls around, I think, "This one is my favorite." Then as the season ends, I start to think longingly about the approach of the next one.
I have lots of friends who are no longer fond of the Holiday Season, but I still love it. I have a few teas that I drink almost exclusively over the holidays, and some that I only offer at that time because they are labor intensive and I think they taste best when the weather is very cold and we are mostly stuck inside.
I think one of the reasons I can continue to enjoy a season that has been taken over by commercialism is that I live in such a rural area it's easy for me to ignore the rest of the world and continue to carry on my own traditions. For me the holidays are all about baking, making wreaths (we live in an area where there are lots of fir trees), decorating with ornaments that have been collected over generations, wood fires, and Chai that has been simmered on the stove for awhile leaving the house smelling like...well, smelling like the Holidays.
Last year I made a new tea for the Holidays called Coastal Comment and gave it away to all my friends and family. It was such a great hit, I have to make it again, and will offer it for sale for a short time. It's made with fresh orange zest, which I mix in and it infuses the tea with a wonderful scent and taste. I haven't made it yet this year, but as the cold weather approaches, it's calling me.
