The smells of the season range from pine trees to fresh snow, to cinnamon sticks and more. Fresh baked Christmas cookies, warm apple cider, velvety hot chocolate, and of course, all the elements that create the ultimate Christmas dinner add to the seasonal aroma. Holiday recipes are such a key factor in the magic of the season! Not only is good food important, but the hours and time spent with family and friends cooking in the kitchen. Whether passed down from generation to generation or recently discovered on Pinterest, here are some of Carmel’s own holiday favorites!

Cookies – spritz, sugar, peanut butter chocolate, gingerbread, peppermint, peanut butter blossom

Pecan dip: brown sugar with pecan baked in it

Buckeye balls: chocolate-covered, sweetened peanut butter 

Cinnamon rolls

Peppermint bark

Monkey bread: a pull-apart bread coated in sugar and occasionally covered with an assortment of nuts

Cupcakes – red velvet

Moravian Sugar Cake: coffee cake with cinnamon, butter, pure cane sugar and yeast-raised dough

Broccoli casserole

Yule Log Cake: flourless, chocolate cake rolled with chocolate whipped cream and confectioners’ sugar

Dressing

Beans and sausage

Banana bread

Hot chocolate

Eggnog

The sounds of the season add equally to the holiday vibes! Whether it’s jingle bells, fire crackling, snow crunching or carolers singing at the door, students at Carmel enjoy all sorts of holiday tunes. Christmas music brightens the days spent in celebration over the season. Here are some of the students’ favorite holiday songs.

Frosty the Snowman

Rockin Around the Christmas Tree

We need Emanuel

Favorite Time of Year 

Santa baby

Christmas EveL

Last Christmas

Santa Claus is coming to town

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

A wonderful Christmastime

Christmas Tree Farm

Mistletoe

What Christmas means to me

Snowman 

All I want for Christmas is for you

Santa tell me

Silent night

Carol of the bells

All I want for Christmas is for you

Run run Rudolph

Do they know it’s Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Jingle bell rock

Since stories are the reason for the season, the most important being the one told through the Gospel, Christmas movies give the Christmas season more magic as it sparks and nurtures creativity in young minds. There are many Christmas movies that appeal to all ages and a few popular ones at Carmel are listed below!

The Grinch

Elf

The Muppets’ Christmas Carol

The Polar Express

Home alone 

Home alone 2

Christmas Vacation

A Christmas Story

Christmas with the Kranks

It’s a Wonderful Life

Die-hard

A December Bride

Rudolph

Christmas Chronicles

Klaus

The season is enjoyed most with loved ones, family and friends! Many families have their own traditions that have either been passed down from generations or more recently started. Carmel represents a large variety of cultures and traditions that are represented through the students. Students share some of their core memories. 

Looking at Christmas lights

Baking a cake for Jesus’ birthday

Opening family presents on Christmas Eve

Decorating the Christmas tree as a family

Decorating sugar cookies

Getting a Christmas tree in the mountains

Watching Hallmark movies