18 Dec Fluent’s Favorite Holiday Traditions
From festive gatherings and Secret Santa exchanges to sweet treats and laughter-filled moments, learn about our team’s favorite holiday traditions that bring us joy and connection during this special time of year.
Aeliya Ahmed – Associate Project Manager
My little sisters and I love baking, so we’ll spend time making cinnamon rolls & chocolate chip cookies together for the rest of our family!
Charlotte Beatty – User Experience Researcher
My favorite holiday tradition is starting the day with having cinnamon buns with my family on Christmas morning and ending it with watching a fun movie. We tend to pick something long and epic — like “The Lord of the Rings,” “Stars Wars,” Ridley Scott’s “Alien,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Marie Antoinette,” and “Diehard” have all been some popular selections in the past. There are a lot of film buffs in my family, so it’s our favorite way to unwind and relax after a busy day of celebrations.
Farrah Bresinger – Senior User Experience Researcher
With my husband’s family, we enjoy a special Christmas breakfast every year. At the end of the meal, there is always the “candy cane bread.” No actual candy canes are involved, but the bread is made to look like a candy cane with cranberry filling and white icing. It’s tradition to grab a slice of the bread and then head over to the tree to open presents!
Stefanie Cousins – Vice President, Marketing and Communications
We have several holiday traditions in our family. We celebrate Hanukkah for eight days by lighting an additional candle each night on our menorah, making potato latkes, playing the dreidel game, and exchanging gifts. On Christmas Day, we watch Elf first thing in the morning. Then we like to go to the movies and get takeout from a Chinese restaurant. Eating and movies continue to be the theme throughout the holidays as I cook and bake a lot and we make our way through old and new classics.
Heath Cozens – Director, Productions
It’s winter cleaning for me. A huge chunk of my life was spent in Japan, where it’s the local custom to do the big spring clean in winter, before or around New Year’s. It’s really therapeutic and sets the stage for all those ambitious plans and resolutions in the year ahead.
Tom Fuller – Vice President, Business Development
The only tradition my wife and I have been able to maintain without fail is watching “Love Actually.” We pretty much know it by heart. I make popcorn, my wife drinks half a glass of Prosecco and then we repeat the procedure while watching Notting Hill on New Year’s Eve. Sometimes the popcorn has gone stale and the Prosecco has gone flat by then, but we persevere.
Mary Meyn – Director, Research
I have always loved decorating the Christmas tree. I love looking at the ornaments we’ve collected over the years: one with a dated picture of my parents’ first married Christmas, handmade ornaments from preschool, and ornaments we’ve received as gifts from friends and family over the years. We all gather together to decorate the tree, enjoying the present moment together, while each ornament reminds us of special moments in years past.
Sofia Polo – Director, Research Strategy
Secret Santa with my family!
Dan Warren – Director, Youth Development & Education
Going to my Dad’s house on Christmas Eve and eating Nana Jo Jo’s meatballs. Watching Elf!