Holiday Traditions, From Our Family to Yours

One of the things we love most about the holidays are the many traditions we are fortunate to share with family and friends. Whether you spend time decorating your home while listening to your favorite festive playlist, or crafting a scavenger hunt or a kickball tournament, every holiday tradition has the shared goal of bringing us together with the people we love. As everyone gets older and  new members are added to your circle of family and friends, you may find your traditions evolving and growing into something different over time. And while you may share the same tradition as someone else, there's always a special twist that makes it uniquely yours!

We asked a few members of our Thistle community how they spend the holidays with their family and friends. As we learned about their special holiday gatherings, we began to wonder, “How do our Thistle members enjoy spending their holiday season?” We would love to hear about your own special holiday traditions and how you have seen them transform year to year here.  

Richard, Los Angeles Manager:‍

One of our holiday traditions is to launch model rockets. Usually we eat an early dinner and then go to a nearby park or in the front yard (depending on whose place we are celebrating at) and then we launch model rockets, all the younger ones chase it down and try to catch it before it hits the ground (or they have to climb a tree to fetch it out!)

Rhea, People Operations Manager:

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays and it generally always starts off the same. I brew a pot of coffee and make my way to the couch. We have a long standing tradition of watching The Godfather and The Godfather Part II (The Godfather Part III has no place in our house). We have to start these pretty early on in the day since both movies are lengthy. One year we did the The Godfather: The Complete Epic - 423 minutes run time! Somewhere between Michael Corleone going to Sicily and the beginning of the second film, I get into the arroz con leche I made the night before. My favorite way to have it is warmed up with raisins. We generally try to save our appetites for Thanksgiving dinner with the family so this is likely one of the only things we'll eat during the day. After a day of watching the Corleone family, we head over to one of our aunts’ and uncles’ homes. Our Thanksgiving spread is a split between traditional American and some Filipino favorites. It's going to be a great dinner if I see two things on the table: arroz caldo and ukoy. Arroz caldo is a rice-based porridge that's generally prepared with chicken, ginger, garlic, and scallions. It's made better by the fried garlic that goes on top. On a cold night, arroz caldo is ultra comforting. If my auntie makes ukoy, then I'm super over the moon. Ukoy, which is typically a shrimp + veg fritter, is one of my fave things that my mom's eldest sister makes. Her version is all veggies and it's always perfectly crispy and salty. My plate generally looks like a representation of me: a first generation Filipino American with equal parts of both cultures. Thanksgiving is only made better because I'm lucky enough to spend the day with my family.

Natalia, Social Media Community Manager:‍

I grew up watching my grandmother cook, always standing alongside her waiting for her to give me something to stir or mix with my hands. Christmas was never an exception - I’d often help her make Ajiaco, which is a traditional Colombian stew that’s popular year-round but especially during Christmas festivities, or a platter of Colombian red beans, rice, patacones (fried green plantains), and avocado. After spending several hours putting together the most delicious and heart-warming meal, we’d sit around at the dinner table to all enjoy as a family.

Colombian Beans Recipe:

Here’s a quick and plant-based version of traditional Colombian beans, inspired by my grandmother’s way of cooking red beans from scratch back home. This easy & heartwarming recipe will give you a taste of how flavorful beans can be! It's high in protein, fiber, non-heme iron, and B vitamins. I love serving them with rice or quinoa, fresh cilantro, plus avocado on the side.

More info behind this recipe here!

Course: Main Course, Side Dish‍

Prep Time: 15 minutes‍

Cook Time: 25 minutes‍

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:‍

• olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 medium onion (yellow or white), peeled and finely diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes (no salt added), drained and finely diced
• 1 handful (about 1/4 cup) fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, remove the stem and seeds, and dice
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (low in sodium)
• 3 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans (no salt added), drained and rinsed
• 1 medium sweet plantain, peeled and cubed
  

Seasonings:

• salt to taste
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp chili powder or ground cumin
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  

Instructions:

1. Prepare all the ingredients listed above following the instructions for each. It's much easier if you have everything ready!
2. Using a blender, blend the vegetable broth and the red bell pepper on high until liquified. Set aside.
3. Using a medium size pot, pour a bit of olive oil and set to medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic and diced onion, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the diced tomatoes and continue sautéing for 2 more minutes. Add the seasonings (except for the brown sugar) and stir well.
4. Pour the broth and red pepper liquid you had blended into the pot, add the cilantro, and increase the temperature to high heat (uncovered) until it starts to boil. While you wait for it to start boiling follow the next step!
5. Using a small skillet with a bit of olive oil, sauté the sweet plantain pieces on high heat for a couple of minutes, making sure to stir often. They should be ready once they look golden and slightly brown. Turn of the heat and add the plantains to the pot with the beans who should have just started to boil.
6. Add the brown sugar, stir well and cover the pot with lid. Set heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let it sit uncovered for at least 5 minutes before serving. Once cooled at room temperature, you can store in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Enjoy!
   

Alison, Growth Marketing Intern: ‍

Whether it is the hiking the Berkeley Fire Trail to strolling through Crissy Fields in San Francisco, my family makes a point of getting outdoors together almost every holiday. On Thanksgiving, this usually takes place through attending our local Turkey Trot together. Every year, my family laces up our running shoes, pins our bib numbers on, and heads to the start line together. Most years, my older sister and I set out to run the course together, while my younger sister usually finds some peculiar excuse to get out of running and cheer us on from a checkpoint along the race instead. At the end of the course, we make sure to motivate each other and our friends as they finish the final uphill stretch and cross the finish line together. As new members come and go for Thanksgiving, the first question we are sure to ask is: “Would you like us to sign you up for the Turkey Trot?” We love getting everyone outside and together no matter what holiday it is. Growing up in the Bay Area, I am forever grateful that many of my fondest memories and traditions have been spent outdoors with the people I love. I look forward to many more outdoor adventures during the holidays!