December is the time of year when winter arrives and the magic of the holidays is upon us. At plj, we’re inspired by the crisp, cold days and starry winter nights reflected in the cozy feeling of winter white textiles, and by the warmth of a crackling fire amidst a home filled with the fragrant scents of pine, balsam fir, amber, and sandalwood. We’re nostalgic for our favorite holiday traditions—classics we love to watch, spending time with family and friends, holiday greetings and carols, decorating our homes for Christmas, reminiscing over our keepsakes, and baking our seasonal favorites. It’s all of these little things together that inspire the comfort we long for and bring us joy in the light, bright and merry moments ahead.

Join us in embracing this season with a mindful, joyous perspective—as a time to gather with the people we love and honor our traditions while creating a sense of comforting serenity together. No matter our beliefs, the festive season is something we look forward to all year. It's a time to come together and celebrate joy—to express love and hope for a full life while making memories we’ll hold dear for years to come.

Let’s take a moment to check in with ourselves and make space to embrace where we are right now. Although every year may look a little different as families and friendships blossom, let’s slow down to honor familiar traditions and to take the opportunity to celebrate new ones as well. When we focus on our common humanity, we celebrate the ties that bind us as we incorporate delightful elements of midwinter into our own heartfelt holiday traditions.

Welcome the Wonder

Did you know that nearly every winter holiday festivity the world over is centered around the celebration of light? For many of us, Christmas is the highlight of the season. For some, a nativity scene lies at the center of their Christmas spirit, and for others it’s a glowing tree surrounded by carefully wrapped expressions of our love for each other. In some countries, gifts are exchanged and a special meal is enjoyed on Christmas Eve, whereas in the US, the joyous frenzy of opening presents happens on Christmas morning. In some countries, Santa Claus hides special treats in a stocking, but in others he’ll put them in your shoes. Every country—and every family—has its own beloved traditions around Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. 

For some among us the holidays are centered on the eight bright nights of Hanukkah, when families gather to progressively light the candles of the menorah. Hanukkah traditions include spinning the dreidel, exchanging gifts, and making potato latkes, jelly donuts, and other traditional treats. Kwanzaa also involves feasting together and lighting candles to celebrate the ancestors.  

In Sweden they celebrate the festival of lights on December 13th or St. Lucia’s Day, when girls dress up like St. Lucia in white dresses with a crown of lingonberry branches and a ring of candles. Saffron buns with raisins, called “Lussekatts,” are enjoyed on this day. Finally, there’s the variety of lively ways we ring in the New Year and celebrate new beginnings together.

In our exploration of holiday festivities around the world, we’re inspired by the colorful details and differences. But more importantly we’re excited by what these celebrations share: all around the world, secular or religious, traditional and newly updated—they are about light, love, delicious food, and joy. 

At plj we love the deep comfort of the familiar traditions that have been passed down for generations, but we recognize that if we want our holiday celebrations to feel alive, we must continually welcome new traditions as our lives and families evolve. Hold on to what you love but make room in your heart to embrace something different. New beginnings lend themselves to a fresh perspective— and there’s no better way to add light and love into our lives during the holiday season and beyond.

Enchanted Winter Moments 

Style a Holiday Home

The shortest days of the year mean it’s time to bring the light and the freshness of nature inside by incorporating festive home accents. We like to hang fragrant wreaths and garlands, light winter-scented candles, sip a warm beverage by the fireplace, decorate a Christmas tree, pot seasonal plants and bulbs, and fill vases with winter stems and flowers… These are some of our favorite ways to brighten our home in December. We’d love to see what you’re doing, too. Tag us in your festive style posts on IG to share with the partager la joie community. 

Create a Christmas Market Night

European-style Christmas markets are an unforgettable tradition—a simply magical experience! When the city center is dressed for the occasion, the twinkling hum of the holidays sweeps us up in a wave of nostalgia. Beautiful artisans’ stalls are graced with crafts and handmade treasures along with tasty snacks and cozy sips, all nestled in a picturesque, festively adorned square. Even if your town doesn’t host a Christmas market, you can create your own excitement at home. Attend a tree-lighting ceremony or visit a local tree farm to choose that perfect one for your home. Bundle up and take advantage of an outdoor fireplace and heaters to host your own Christmas market-style gathering for close circle friends. Steaming cups of mulled wine or Christmas punch, holiday music, warming snacks, and good conversational cheer is all you need to set the tone for this winter celebration. 

Host a holiday baking day

A longstanding tradition in our home is to gather as a family and bake our favorite holiday cookies. Over the years it has become a moment for each generation to anticipate and adore. We don our plj aprons, sip eggnog, and connect through the art of baking. Every funny story we share, recipe we try, and cookie we bake has become part of our living tradition, a sweet stack of loving moments filled with Christmas joy. 

Trim the tree

If a Christmas tree is part of your family tradition, get everyone involved. We love to incorporate a few smaller trees throughout our home—a tree or pine bough in a family room, entryway, or patio may just add that little decorative touch you’re looking for this year. Young children love to enjoy some holiday-themed snacks while they spend an afternoon crafting new ornaments, stringing popcorn, or decorating gingerbread cookies to hang on their tree. Handmade ornaments and the stories that go along with them become family “heirlooms” as they get handed down year after year.  

Get out in nature

During the winter months we tend to spend more cozy time indoors, but outdoor activities with family and friends can help everyone stay healthier, feel energized, and more cheerful. Exposure to daily sunlight boosts our Vitamin D levels, too. Plan a sledding or ski day, go ice skating, take a walk in the woods, or plan a semi-outdoors sunset cocktail gathering with plenty of steamy sips and toasty treats! Celebrate Winter Solstice on December 21st, the shortest day of the year, by reconnecting with nature—and your loved ones. The best parts of being outside in colder weather might be the rosy cheeks… and indulging in a delicious hot cocoa, mulled wine, or a hot toddy afterwards.

Let the Season Shine in You

 A Winter Glow-Up

Taking good care of yourself during the holiday season is essential. With colder temperatures outside and our inclination to get lost in the frenzy of festivities, it’s important to keep things in balance right now. Savor this precious moment when nature is dormant and time slows down. Enjoy a few of your favorite festive indulgences but also try to maintain healthy eating and exercise routines as well. Making time to be active and time to rest, relax, and enjoy your family helps to keep things in balance. A regular yoga practice and taking brisk walks embodies mindfulness and does wonders to boost your energy. 

Our Gift-Giving Guide

A thoughtful gift creates a unique kind of joy. At partager la joie, we celebrate the art of thoughtful giving, whether it’s a special experience, travel, homemade treats, or a beautifully wrapped special package. Here’s our seasonal gifting suggestions. Looking for something cozy? Pair our super-soft comfortable loungewear with a Winter Woods, Fireside, or Coconut Vetiver candle. For a jet-setting friend, choose a cozy travel scarf or our must-have travel essential pouch, which comes complete with an eye mask and soft blanket. Beautiful home accents, throw blankets, woven accessories, timeless linen napkins and tableware, bedside carafe with glass set and kitchen refresh essentials make perfect gifts for the home enthusiasts on your list. Wellness is always top of mind for us—sleep essentials, lavender eye pillows, lip love, beauty elixirs, hydrating spray, agave cloths, cleansing bars, and our signature Calm and Refresh bath salt and oils are go-to favorites. Shop our collections anytime for curated style, home, and wellness finds.

Looking for a touch of personalized curation to make the gift-giving season extra special this year? We’d love to assist in creating a customized selection for you! Reach out and let us inspire you: kristin@partagerlajoie.com

Holiday Design Notes

Make Your Moments Merry

At partager la joie we like to design with simplicity in mind— fresh, comfy, and understated elegance is the perfect backdrop for this season’s sparkling festivities. We love to elevate our basics by using seasonal elements from nature. We incorporate winter whites in various textures, especially luxurious blended throws, faux furs, potted paperwhites, white amaryllis in woven containers, and simple twinkling lights. Fresh winter boughs like pine, juniper, magnolia, olive, birch, green oak, and holly all complement each other in wreaths, vases, or simple, elegant garlands to create a seamless design both inside and outside the home. Ready to trim the tree? Simply hang garlands adorned with selected winter greens—strings of clear bulbs, silver and gold ornaments and keepsakes, and a luxurious velvet ribbon. Infuse your home environment with warmth—earthy scented candles, soft and cozy throw blankets, and a welcoming basket of warm slippers or oversize socks at the door for guests to don when entering your home.

Shop our winter home collection

Winter Blooms 

Bringing in elements of nature is a welcome touch during the cold weather months. Freshly scented wreaths and garlands, in addition to trees big and small, add natural beauty to a winter home. We like to keep our focus on seasonal simplicity with our florals—lots of winter whites and fresh greens, including magnolia, pine or pepperberry branches, paperwhites, and amaryllis to name a few. Force some of these bulbs in your favorite containers (they take a couple weeks to open) and depending on the timing, they will last well into the New Year. 

Set a Festive Table

Layer and texture is the name of our game with holiday table settings. Incorporate the winter elements in your table design as well. Drape a beautiful seasonal green garland along the center of the table, then adorn with personal touches—charger plates, etched glassware, small wreaths around each place setting, personalized place cards with a seasonal green sprig, a small gift, an ornament, or a wrapped cookie or holiday chocolate for each guest. Incorporate warmth by using cozy touches such as faux fur accessories draped along the back of dining chairs,  plenty of candles, string lights, or tea lights, and gorgeous potted winter plants to create your own magical winter wonderland. 

Time to Toast

Epicure: A Holiday Feast

Whether you’re looking for a holiday dinner showstopper, small bites to complement the craft cocktails for a midwinter apéro party, some festive cheer to perk up a midweek meal, or simply to indulge in some seasonal comfort food, we’ve got it all covered in our December epicure.

Cranberry Bread

Coconut Date Smoothie

Coffee with a Splash of Egg Nog

Winter Salad

Seafood Pasta

Baked Brie with Cranberries

Potato Latkes

Lentil Soup

Classic Chicken Soup

Spiral Ham

Salmon Fillet en Papillote

Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Reduction

Poached Pears

Roasted Pineapple

Favorite Pie Dough  

Caribbean Rum Cake

Gigi’s Scotch Crescent Cookies 

Peanut Butter Blossoms 

Rum Ball Cookies

Rum Raisin Bread Pudding

Cheese Cake Tartlets

Festive Ice Cubes

Aperol Spritz

Traditional Christmas Punch

Cheers to the New Year

In nearly every culture under the sun, midwinter marks a time for the fading out of the old and the welcoming in of the new. On December 21st we celebrate the Winter Solstice, when the tide turns and days start getting longer again. It all gets brighter starting now! Before we know it, New Year’s Eve will be here —time to say goodbye to 2025 and make a joyous toast together about our wishes and intentions for 2026! Host a gathering to ring in the new year, or a festive brunch on January 1st. Let’s look forward to the end of this year as a gift to ourselves to welcome a fresh start. 

With the turn of the year, whether you choose to set resolutions or not, it’s a timely moment to reflect on life—especially what you’d like to keep, going forward, and what you chose to let go. Focus on the positive and customize your intentions to what you want for your life, not what you think you should want. We believe that if you find fulfillment in what you do and focus on doing something that makes you happy, you’ll find more success doing it. As you transition into 2026, think about how you’d like to make small, positive edits in your life to create goodness around you—and we’re sure you’ll find success, not only this new year but for many years to come.

Be good to yourself during this time of transition. Taking notes in your journal reflecting on positivity and gentle thoughtfulness will serve to guide you in the coming year. The end of the year is the perfect time to take stock of what we’re grateful for and especially to share our hopes and wishes for the future, and above all, express our love for those who bring us joy.