Romanticizing Winter

The snow hasn’t quite made it to my little piece of the word, but I’m all anticipation for the white, shimmery blanket to finally grace my lawn. My house is warm, my kettle always ready to boil water for tea, and my oven is constantly rotating between dinner and dessert.

I’ll admit that I’ve always loved winter. The world quiets down in the cold, and invites me to participate in a stiller, slower, more intentional season. Because I am naturally inclined to spend cozy days indoors, the slow, grey days do not bother me. They invigorate me. I find no difficulty in romanticizing the winter season. I can spend countless hours inside, writing, baking, tackling small projects around the house, without ever feeling guilty that I’m wasting a beautiful day outside. Except of course, when there is fresh snow to be played in. Here is a rondelet that I wrote a few years ago, attempting to capture my love for snow:

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Rondelet

The softest snow
falls gently on the frozen earth.
The softest snow
turns all the world like stars that glow,
all shimmering in winter’s birth,
and all the cold, though deep, is worth
the softest snow.

Maybe my favorite part about winter is one that is a little bit abstract. That the sleepy, frozen earth is not the end. We will, in a few short (or long) months, see the new buds of springtime. To take it a bit farther, in the context of our faith, the winter season is a chance to reflect on the promise of a savior—the long, sometimes difficult darkness points us to the hope of spring, of redemption. As Christians, it might not be easy to slow down and let the seasons remind you of the truth of the gospel, but I think that embracing them instead of resisting allows us to reflect on our faith. And every season holds a different beauty for a follower of Christ. Springtime is new life, summer is the glory of creation, autumn is traditionally harvest (reaping the bounty of God’s blessing), and winter is a time to reflect and prepare our hearts to receive his grace.

Photo by Gino Castillo on Unsplash

All that being said, this year the prospect of winter has taken more of a toll than I expected. The chaos of a toddler and the fatigue of pregnancy is forcing me to be much more intentional about how I slow down and embrace the season. So I thought I would share a few things that help me romanticize winter and live my best Hallmark Christmas movie character life.

The first thing I do is prepare for “hibernation.” I clean my house, decorate for Christmas, stock my tea shelf, and make sure I have plenty of ingredients for all the baking I might want to do. Warm socks, cozy playlists, and snuggly blankets all help too.

The second thing I do is plan for some seasonal activities. This is really easy in the month leading up to Christmas, but it’s still important to keep making the most of winter for the few months afterward. Ice skating, sledding, book clubs… if it can be done in the snow or done in a warm cozy house it’s worth planning during the slow, lonely months of winter. And don’t underestimate the power of a snowy walk. Nature is just as magnificent while tromping through snow.

Seasonal foods are last but not least! My Christmas cookies have been baked and decorated! I make soup and chicken pot pies and biscuits and pumpkin bread as often as my family will eat them. And since I’m nearing my third trimester, I’m testing out some cozy and easy recipes to prep ahead of time for maximum baby snuggles.

Your list might look a bit different from mine, but the key is to find ways to highlight what you love most about this season—even if it’s hard to find. Intentionality can bring about really great results.

What are some of your winter traditions/coping mechanisms? I’d love to hear from you!