Now that we are well into the month of December, the American winter holiday season is in full bloom. From December 2-December 10, Americans of Jewish heritage have been celebrating Hanukkah—a wintertime festival of lights, which celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, millions of Americans also are gearing up to celebrate Christmas Day—which marks the birth of Jesus Christ—on December 25. And beginning on December 26 and lasting until January 1, Americans of African heritage will be celebrating Kwanzaa, a cultural holiday that honors African traditions.
Despite our different heritages and holiday traditions, it is quite common for Americans to enjoy special desserts and sweet treats during this time of year. In fact, homemade desserts are often presented as gifts during the winter holiday season.
Because Josh and I celebrate Christmas, we decided to bake and decorate Christmas-themed sugar cookies to share with our friends and family this season. Symbolic of the Christmas holiday, these cookies are often cutout into iconic Christmas shapes—like Santa Clauses, Christmas trees, candy canes, and gingerbread people—and are decorated with red and green icing and sprinkles. In fact, it is a tradition for many families—especially those with young children—to have Christmas cookie decorating parties at this time of year.
