Merry Monday, all! Tis the holiday week, and Kori and I wanted to celebrate by letting you book witches take a sneak peek at some of our holiday favorites and traditions.
Grab your favorite festive mug, some hot cocoa, and we're off!
What's your favorite holiday song/music?
Jordan: Anything by Loreena McKennitt or Enya is great for Yule, but I also find myself nostalgically drawn to the Skyrim soundtrack.
Kori: Lately I've been really into Peter Gundry and the soundtrack for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. My classic favorites are the Harry Potter soundtracks and "Once Upon a December" from Anastasia.
Favorite holiday treat?
Jordan: French toast bake!
Kori: Peppermint bark.
Favorite Yule tradition?
Jordan: Cookies and eggnog while I enjoy the movie Scrooged with my family on Solstice Eve.
Kori: I have never really celebrated Yule, beyond reading A Court of Frost and Starlight for the last few years.
Your favorite symbol of the season?
Jordan: Besides the tree, I love snowflake patterns. They're so ethereal and almost fantastical.
Kori: I also love snowflakes for the same reason. My second favorite would be reindeer. I loved Rudolph as a kid, and deer are one of my favorite animals in general.
Your favorite movie(s) to watch this time of year?
Jordan: Scrooged, The Grinch (Jim Carrey version), and pretty much every mushy Christmas romance I can get my hands on. Yeah, I'm that person.
Kori: Any Grinch movie, Anastasia, Rise of the Guardians, Frozen II, the old Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the Harry Potter series.
Do you have any books you read for the season?
Jordan: After reading Dash & Lily's Book of Dares this year, I'm thinking it could become a tradition. Otherwise, I reread The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa and try to get my hands on any other winter-themed book I think I'll enjoy.
Kori: Besides reading A Court of Frost and Starlight, I will sometimes go through Harry Potter again. Though after reading Serpent & Dove, I believe that will be a holiday reread in the future. I've also been feeling drawn back to The Sleeper and the Spindle lately.
Favorite holiday drink?
Jordan: Vanilla spiced eggnog. It's probably a good thing I only have it once a year; I could drink my weight in that stuff.
Kori: Peppermint mocha! Especially with a whipped cream! I hated coffee until I had one.
Favorite mythical winter creature?
Jordan: It's so hard to choose between dire wolves and ice dragons. They both get first place!
Kori: I would have a hard time choosing between a wolf and a stag.
Favorite winter-themed fairytale/folktale?
Jordan: My favorite winter tales were covered in our Norsevember Q&A, seeing as much winter-themed folklore is Scandinavian, so I'll add that my favorite Russian winter tale is "Father Frost," which you can read here or listen to my favorite version on the Spotify podcast Tales.
Kori: I really like the story of "Sian and the Winterwife," where a little girl must travel to ask the Winterwife to bring the snows to her village so that everyone will stop working and be home with their children. I love the themes of rest, balance, and cyclical/aligned living.
Favorite mythical winter figure?
Jordan: I've always had a fascination with Snow Queen figures, but I'm equally intrigued by Father/Jack Frost (both from older folktales and the modern versions that make him more of a trickster than a deathly force).
Kori: I had a crush on Jack Frost as a kid! He/this movie are still one of my favorites!
Favorite Yule/winter scene from books?
Jordan: The closest winter scene I can think of is a slightly romantic scene at an ice palace between the main characters in The Iron King, the first chip in the armor between the enemies to lovers. It wasn't much, but it was cute!
Kori: I adore the scene in Serpent & Dove where Reid is watching Lou twirl in the snow, catching snowflakes on her tongue. It's so sappy and cute!
Favorite Yule/winter scene from movies?
Jordan: Well, if you haven't seen Frozen II yet, there's a certain musical number . . .
Kori: I mean, just go watch Frozen II if you haven't! I also love Harry's first Christmas at Hogwarts, the moment Jack knows what his center is in Rise of the Guardians, and Anya's iconic musical vision/memory.
Jordan: *Happy squeal, maybe dying noises* Okay, okay, now I have to add the scene where Anya sings "Journey to the Past" in the snow.
Thanks for reading and please share your favorites in the comments! We love hearing about others' holiday traditions.