Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, Dear Reader! And, let me take a moment now to wish you and yours a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! I know Christmas isn’t tecnically over yet, but I like to share my annual holiday post every year on this day, so grab a coffee and let me tell you all about our year!
It’s the day after Christmas now, but as I write up this particular part of this post, it’s December 15th. I’m sitting at my desk and it’s a very bright, sunny, and cold morning. Presently, I’m just on the tailend of a bout of bronchitis, but my fingers are crossed that I’ll be back to normal this week. Normally, when I write up anything Christmas-related, I play holiday music, but right now, all I can hear is the low hum and bubble of the humidifier behind me that is supposed to help with bronchitis. I’m still undecided on that! Either way, this is the 12th year of these annual Christmas posts. You can read more of them here.
I can’t believe this is the 12th year in a row sharing our little family Christmas with you here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! I used to question whether or not I should continue with these types of posts. They most certainly do not get much traffic, but that’s not really why I do it. I imagine that one day, when I’m old and grey(er!) and McKenna has me locked away in some run-down retirement home, like Shady Pines, I’ll enjoy reading these old Christmas posts.
Can you just picture it? I’ll dig the old library card that John.e forced me to sign up for in my 60s out of my wallet and ask the librarian if I can use the internet. I’ll fetch my bifocals and key in the URL for my blog. Then, I’ll read through these old Christmas posts and recall all of the good times. At least, that’s what I hope will happen – not the Shady Pines part though!
2025 has been another wonderful year for us! So, where do I start? If you have read any of these posts in previous years, you know I like to share photos of my Christmas decorations. Most years, I have at least four or five Christmas trees, the outside of our home is fully decorated, and just about every room in our home is festive. But, this year, I was not able to do it all.
We have been talking about a trip to Germany to visit the famous Christmas Markets for many years now, so back in September, we decided to stop talking about it and just book the trip. My initial thought was to put off decorating until we got back because we had our friend, Donna, stay at our house while we were gone to house-sit and to take care of the cats. Since we have a “new” cat this year and I wasn’t sure how he would interact with the decorations, I didn’t want to put Donna in a situation where she was constantly having to pull a cat out of the tree!
So, I decided to test it out by decorating our dining room tree. Since our dining room is a completely separate room with a french door, I thought I could get the tree up, let the cats in the room and see what happens. Well, as it turns out, the “new” cat, George, wasn’t the least interested. So, I then proceeded to decorate the entrance tree and finally, the living room tree.
With a few more decorations in place, the time for our trip was soon upon us, so off we went. I fully planned to decorate two more trees when I returned, as well as add more decorations to the landing and the stairs, but I remember sitting at Starbucks in Frankfurt airport thinking to myself that something didn’t feel right. My throat was a little scratchy and I felt a little warm. Needless to say, the next day, now home and ready to face the rest of my Christmas decorating, I was in bed with a fever and chills. That’s where I stayed for the next 5 days. Even now, on the 15th, writing this, I’m short of breath and tired.
All of this to say, Dear Reader, that this annual Christmas post will not be like the others in terms of decorations around the house, but I would like to share photos of our trip to Germany with you and, of course, talk briefly about the things we did around the house this past year. Let’s get to it!
I did, however, realize about a week before Christmas that I had enough vintage ornaments left over to decorate a second tree. You know how much I love Christmas, so it should come as no surprise that in my Christmas shed I have quite a few artificial trees in the loft to choose from. I had a 7-foot tree that wasn’t being used, so I decorated a second tree in the living room!
GARDENING AND OUR GARDEN
These past few summers, I’ve put my hand to gardening. I’ve read a lot and I’ve watched many tutorials and how-tos on YouTube. Every summer I tried growing something new and improving on something that didn’t grow so well in previous years. At the end of the growing season in 2022, I was confident enough to build a better gardening area. I purchased raised garden beds and hired a local landscaping company to build the pad and fill in the crushed stone. I extended that garden bed this summer making it quite large. As you can see, we have room for a fire pit area, which needs some work in 2026. The garden in the back needs attention too. But, all in good time!
The following photo was taken in the spring from our upstairs bathroom window. Previous to this addition, the raised garden bed consisted of the two long beds in the back, along with the eight smaller beds butted against each other. Also, the four shorter, square beds with the trees in them were in place as well. We added three more large raised beds, two smaller beds, and as you can see in the photos that follow this one, John.e made more platforms for my bucket planting. We added the firepit area as well, but it is not complete. It needs some attention this coming summer.
This past summer, I wanted to try my hand at growing everything I could from seed. I started with 30 tomato plants and over 100 various pepper plants. Only 3 tomato plants survived! So needless to say, I will not be wasting two months of my life babysitting seedlings inside this coming spring. Ha!
I have this really bad habit of taking photos of the baskets of veggies I pick every couple of days or so. I share those photos on my Facebook feed because I’m so proud of them. Why shouldn’t I be? Look at the abundance of freshness here!
This might be a good time to mention that we also updated our driveway this year. John.e really wanted to have a retaining wall installed because there was such an incline in front of the house that it made pushing a lawnmower nearly impossible. It certainly was impossible to get the riding lawnmower up there! We are so happy with how it turned out! I cannot wait to get flowers in those new beds this summer!
GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKET TRIP
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this trip! It has been a dream of mine for so long and to finally make it a reality makes me feel so warm inside. Initially, I spent weeks researching group tours that would take us through several stops in not only Germany, but Austria, Switzerland, and France as well. But, the more I read personal accounts on travel blogs about the pros and cons of group tours, the more I leaned toward doing the trip without a guide. If you are planning such a trip, I would highly recommend you read travel blogs as well. These people have done the trip several times in some cases and offer valuable insight.
Since this was my first trip across the pond, and taking into consideration that my longest flight previous to this one was five hours long, I knew I needed to upgrade the seats for more comfort. So, we took the plunge and booked first class seats. Now, I can’t stop thinking that there really is no other way to travel! Ha!
With the decision made to travel from city to city, I soon realized that our trip was getting a little lengthy. Since this was to be our first time away from our cats for longer than two days, we wanted to test the waters, so to speak, and take a shorter trip. We limited our trip to seven days and folks, there is a lot of stuff you can fit into seven days! At first I thought I was going to run out of time, but we did not feel rushed at all.
We flew into Frankfurt and rather than facing the task of pulling a suitcase with us from city to city and checking into a new hotel every night, we choose one hotel in Frankfurt and used that as our base. We then traveled by train, choosing one city each day, returning back to Frankfurt each night. It felt like coming home and if we were to ever do another trip like this, I’d want to it the same way. Look at this gorgeous hotel! It was literally a few minutes walk from the markets and just a short cab ride to the main train station. The only downside to this hotel was that the AC was a bit lacking and I love AC even in winter!
SHOPPING!
So this trip, even though talked about for a long time, it eventually became something that we wanted to do to celebrate our birthdays. Back in September, John.e turned 60 and I will be 50 in just a few weeks. So we thought this would be a great way to celebrate. Because we always buy each other birthday presents, I thought I would pay for the flight and the hotel for us both, and he would pay for food and spending. Well, he got the better end of the deal! Even though I thought I was going to spend an exorbitant amount of money on Christmas ornaments, I didn’t! It became more of enjoying the views and the experience rather than stuffing our suitcase full of things to bring back.
Don’t get me wrong, I did buy some very special ornaments and some trinkets along the way but all in, we spent less than $2,000 Canadian and that includes souvenirs for our neighbors and friends, a bunch of stuff we brought back for McKenna, even cookies and chocolates that we brought back to share with our friends.
One of the things that I splurged on was mugs. While doing my research with these travel blogs that I mentioned previously, I came across the fact that many markets throughout not only Germany, but Austria, France, and Switzerland, etc., have mugs that they use to serve gluhwein (mulled wine) or a non-alcoholic kinderpunsch. And, of course, John.e’s favourite, hiebe skhokolade (hot chocolate). So when you buy one of these drinks, you pay for the drink along with the deposit for the mug. If you bring the mug back you obviously get your deposit back, but, you could keep the mug and the deposit pays for the cost of it.
I thought what a great way to collect some personal souvenirs throughout the markets as well as bring a little piece of the market back home with us. My thought was to bring the mugs back along with some authentic German gingerbread and other cookies and treats and then just have an evening at our house with our friends over to share in some of those treats with a drink from one of the mugs that we brought back with us. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? We collected a total of 10 mugs and here they are!
When it comes to souvenirs, I found these hampleman that I fell in love with. They are these hand-painted, handcrafted wooden puppets with a pull string that was manufactured right in Germany. I thought they looked festive with the red and green colors and bought a bunch to bring back for everyone.
I also found these smokers! Smokers are littered throughout the markets in Germany. They produce the smoke with a very small conical-like incense on the inside of the smoker. I loved this little gentleman! I thought he looked so dapper. But I also loved the cat so I got both. I also brought back our friend, Donna, a cat as well to say thank you. She’s a cat lover just like we are!
The one stall that super impressed me was a stall that was full of these wooden, hand-painted ornaments. Initially I thought I wanted to get everything that was handcrafted in Germany, but this lady was so sweet and everything was handmade in Ukraine. And they are gorgeous! I bought a bunch of cats as you can see here and some Christmas trees. John.e also brought back a couple of bells as a souvenir for his relatives.
For many years I’ve seen photos online of these large, over the top, very expressive wooden pyramids that rotated and were full of lights and festive accoutrement. There are beautiful ones scattered throughout these markets that even have the nativity scene in them. I think the best one I saw was in Frankfurt. It was absolutely stunning. You can also find them in miniature form in a lot of the market stalls. I kept putting it off buying one because I thought it would never get it back home in one piece. Finally we saw one that was quite small that was suitable for both of us in terms of what was depicted on the pyramid and the gentleman that ran the stall packaged it and boxed it extremely well. And, as it turns out, it made it home in one piece! The unfortunate part though is that we forgot to buy the candles that turn the pyramid. So I guess that settles it, we’re definitely going back for another visit!
Okay, before we move on and put this shopping thing aside, I wanted to talk to you about Krampus. I am a huge fan of Krampus! And the one thing that I wanted from this whole trip in terms of purchasing was a Krampus ornament. Now because Krampus is more popular in the south of Germany and into Austria, I wasn’t sure that we would find one where we were further north but we did! In fact, we found two! They were not cheap!! I was ready to just walk away and hope to find a Krampus ornament some other time but John convinced me to get the ornament. And usually it doesn’t take much to convince me to spend money, but in this case it actually did! Needless to say, when I got home and took him out of the box, I’m quite happy that we splurged on these two because I’ll probably never see them again elsewhere.
I can only think of two other purchases right now. The first was this snowglobe. Forgive the dust! I took it out of the box and snapped a photo real quick. It is a dipiction of the cathedral in Cologne which was the one thing that was right at the top of my bucket list for this trip. It was a cold and rainy day in Cologne, but we made the best of it and enjoyed the markets and sights in that city so much!
The other thing was this cherub. It’s old and creepy, but I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. Intially, I put it back and walked away, but John.e convinced me to go back and get it. I love how it looks purched over the mirror on our living room wall!
CHRISTMAS MARKETS
So, this whole trip had basically one purpose and that purpose was to visit as many Christmas markets as possible. Well, that’s how it started out, but after reading so many travel blogs from other travelers who have done the footwork already, it became clear that focusing on just a few markets in each city would be a better experience. So that’s what we did, and I think we made the right choice! There is no possible way that I could show you all of the photos that I took while walking through numerous markets. I think between me and John combined there were 400 photographs! I will however, place a few of them here for you to scroll through. Without bogging you down with a lot of text, these photographs were taken at several markets in Frankfurt, Cologne, and Nuremberg.
FRANKFURT
COLOGNE
NUREMBERG
Remember when I mentioned that cathedral in Cologne? It’s actually called Kolner Dom, but often referred to as just The Dom. Construction started in 1248! It was at the top of my bucket list. I absolutely had to see it and I’m so glad we took the train from Frankfurt to Cologne with the purpose of seeing that cathedral and then taking in the markets in that city. It did not disappoint, however, I will say, that the main Christmas market in Cologne is extremely disorganized. I prefer markets that have rows of stalls rather than stalls that point every which way and you can kind of get lost in this maze. Not lost in the sense that you can’t find your way out, but lost in the sense that you’re not sure if you visited each stall or not because it’s just very convoluted. But that’s just a very small complaint. At the end of the day, Cologne was beautiful and the markets were amazing!
Likewise, the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew in Frankfurt was stunning and I’m so glad we took the time to tour it – twice! Sadly, in 1944, just like many German cities, Frankfurt was the target of bombing during World War II from the British royal air force. Much of the city, especially the half-timbered buildings that we all love, were destroyed and others burnt to the ground. Nearly all of the churches in the city were destroyed, except this one cathedral which managed to escape with only some minor damages.
GEORGE!
Last winter, we were feeding and providing warm housing for 4 stray kitties. This year, I have counted 6 different kitties so far and winter is just beginning! Anyway, this is George. We had been taking care of George over the winter with lots of food, fresh water, and shelter. For the second time in about a month he had shown up in the morning on our back deck looking like another cat got the best of him.
One night in March, just after 2:00 a.m., I was awakened by the sounds of what I thought were cats fighting outside my bedroom window. As it turns out, it was George and a fox. I managed to scare the fox away and then we were able to coax George into a carrier early the next morning. We housed him in our downstairs bathroom with warm blankets.
George had an appointment at the vet that morning to get his shots, get neutered, maybe a stitch or two, and some antibiotics. Once the ordeal was over, we decided to keep George. Here we are 8 months later and he’s made a home for himself despite the fact that Jake is still not happy about it! But, we love him so!
OUTDOOR DECORATIONS
To be perfectly honest, there is not much to see here this year. Between planning our trip to Germany and pumping out about 90 recipes over a three or four month period, time just got away from us. John.e did manage to get some lights on the sheds in the backyard and he did put some little solar powered trees down the side of the driveway and in front of the fence in the side yard.
When we got back from Germany he put a few things out on the front deck and hung some garland. Of course Frosty and Santa had to go there as well! But that was about it. And to be honest, I’m not mad at it. I felt like this year I wanted to make memories rather than just decorate with a lot of stuff. I’d like to think that may change next year, but let’s be honest here, after that trip to Germany, I’m already planning another Christmas Market trip for next year!
LET’S TAKE A LOOK INSIDE!
Once again, let me preface this by saying that both our outdoor and indoor decorations were lacking this year unlike previous years. But, we did manage to get a few things ready for Christmas Day. This is our entrance. I already showed you the entrance tree, but I also wanted to show you some of the other decorations in this area. I’ve added captions to the bottom of each photo to explain what they are.
Continuing into the living room, you’ve seen the two trees in here, but I wanted to also show you this nativity set. Earlier this year, one of the nicest ladies I know, and a beautiful friend, passed away at the age of 95. Some of her personal items were auctioned off and I was so happy to have bid enough to get this 1980s Avon nativity set! Avon released a few pieces each year for almost a decade, so I know Anna had loved this set enough to collect the pieces for ten years and then cherish them, keeping each one packaged neatly in their original boxes for the 30+ years that followed. I’ve displayed the set proudly and will do so every year in memory of her.
Lastly, as previously mentioned, I had enough vintage ornaments left over to decorate another full-sized tree in our living room. But, not only that, I had enough to fill two cloches and a large hypothecary jar with vintage ornaments as well. I decided to use them for our coffee table centerpiece this year.
Lastly, here are some wide-angle shots of the living room. I’m not sure how well you can see it, but you may notice some Royal Dalton figurines and a vintage glass bell on the lower shelf of the tea cart. Those were also from Anna.
THE CATS HAVE THEIR OWN TREE
Every year I buy new ornaments for our cats and they get to have their own tree that is fully decorated with ornaments just for them. Not all of the ornaments are personalized, of course, but they will be cat-themed. Once again, this year time slipped away from me, but I was determined to get a tree up for them. I had a smaller potted tree that I wasn’t using so I put it up and dug out some of their ornaments. Many of the cat ornaments on the tree this year were the wooden, handpainted cat ornaments I bought in Germany.
And, every year, I take photos of our cats in some type of Christmas setting. Rather than take a hundred shots to get one good one, this year, I decided to showcase them in their natural state. Ha!
CHRISTMAS EVE
Christmas Eve is my absolute favourite day of the year. All of the days leading up to Christmas are great, however, it’s that one last day before the big day that is the best. On the 24th, we get all of our last-minute things done and out of the way as soon as possible. It gets dark here around 4 pm, so we get a jump start on our regular Christmas Eve traditions by getting changed into our Christmas pyjamas.
Once we take a few family pictures and selfies, we turn on a Christmas movie and dig in. Our Christmas Eve night was fueled by a charcuterie spread.
Finally, I always hide a pickle ornament in one of our trees and wait for John.e or McKenna to find it. The person to find the pickle first gets to open a present of their choosing. This year, I hid it on the vintage tree in our living room. I thought a green pickle ornament in a sea of colours would be very hard to find, but McKenna spotted it quite quickly.
And, even though McKenna is all grown up, I still wait until bedtime before placing any presents under the tree. This year, we decided to do stockings only because we really don’t need to stockpile presents just for the sake of having lots of things to open. Turns out though, we still bought too many stocking stuffers for each other, because we needed two large gift bags for each person. I placed three bags under one tree and three under the other.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!
Over the next few days, things will go back to our normal. We will slowly put away our presents, lounge around the house with the cats, and grow tired of eating too much.
And, just like everyone else, we will struggle to remember what day it is! (The days between Christmas Day and New Year are always so confusing, aren’t they!?) Finally, we hope you had a very Merry Christmas and that your New Year is filled with joy and happiness, prosperity and health. Lord Byron’s Kitchen will return to regularly scheduled recipe posts early in January. Stay tuned! XOXO
Wendy Rymal says
Fascinating trip! Some of your purchases reminded me of ornaments we once had. I love seeing your decorations and your cat photos! Your garden looks amazing and if I was so inclined one raised bed would take up my whole Cabbagetown back yard!
I hope you are feeling better! Hello to John and McKenna’s and a Happy Healthy New Year to you all!
Byron Thomas says
Oh, thank you, Wendy. Still waiting for you to come visit! 😉
Terry says
I’ve followed you for years and love your recipes and stories. I’m not someone who normally posts a lot or comments, but I don’t want you to think you’re not appreciated! Every year I enjoy seeing all your Christmas trees and decorations, which are very inspiring. Wish I had your energy to do as much. My husband and I traveled to Germany a few years ago and I was so impressed by the items in the Christmas markets (My husband and his credit cards, not so much 😁). And that Avon collection! I forgot I have that somewhere and will be digging it out for next Christma!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Terry. I’m so happy to hear that! John.e is not a big spender either, but we made a deal that if I got the tickets and hotel, I could spend to my heart’s content. He was great about it, I must say, because there were a few instances where he convinced me to buy something even though I thought it might have been too expensive. Truth be told, he still got the better deal. 😉
Aimee says
Thank you so much for your post! It’s like getting a Christmas letter from a family member. I enjoyed all of your pictures from the Christmas markets as well!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Aimee! What a sweet thing to say! 🙂 Happy New Year!!!
Damien says
Wow those trees are beautifully decorated. I agree, Germany during Christmas time is truly something to see. Happy Holidays!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Damien. Happy New Year!
Alice Kruse says
Your decorating is spectacular, and not lacking in any way! That is a lot of work! I am Jewish, and have never had a Christmas tree, but I understand when people are looking to buy a house, where to place the Christmas tree is a consideration. You solved that by having them ALL OVER! You will not regret buying those Krampus ornaments; you will never see them anywhere else. I love the mugs! Beautiful AND useful, my kind of souvenir! I do have a question. Did that $2000 CDN include the first class flights? For two? If so, SCORE!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Alice! Unfortunately not; the price of the airline tickets, the hotel, and the trains were not included in that $2000. I wish! 🙂
Bryan says
As much as I love food (and I love food) these Christmas posts are a favorite of mine. The Kolner Dom is impressive, and huge, yet the cartoony Kolner Dom mug is adorable.
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Bryan.
Legacycowgirl says
Thank you for this beautiful blog post. You home and the trees are absolutely stunning. You have a beautiful family. Hold them dear and may you all have a healthy New Year!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Legacycowgirl! Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
Rebecca says
So cozy! George is adorable and the garden looks absolutely beautiful and inspiring 🙂
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Rebecca!
Barbara Pennell says
Hi Byron,
I enjoy this post every year! The decorations and trees look great, as usual. Your home is beautiful and that garden is amazing.
The pictures of your trip are fabulous as are the treasures you brought home. So sorry you haven’t been well, but hopefully you are improving every day. Wishing you and your family(cats included) all the best for the New Year!!!!
Take care and thank you for the wonderful recipes.
Barbara
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Barbara. I’m back to my old self and starting to contemplate which recipes to share in the coming weeks. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. Wishing you and your family and delightful new year!
Diane says
Thank you for sharing with us and always looking at your beautiful pictures.
Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year.
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Diane. Happy New Year! 🙂
Janet Ormerod says
Thank you for this informative and beautiful post. I never thought. Your pictures of Germany and the unique markets and the stunning architecture has inspired me to consider travelling there.
Your raised gardens are well organized and the pictures of the bounty of vegetables is rewarding for your hardworking gardening.
Today I would have attended a family get together however the icy road conditions kept us home. I was excited to see your annual Christmas post and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your travel adventure and review of completed projects. The driveway is very well designed and I love how much you enjoy Christmas.
Thank you for all of the recipes you share throughout the year. I especially like how well explained they are.
George the cat is lucky to have found such a good home.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Janet. I’m so happy that you enjoyed this post. It takes me forever to write it up and gather all of the content, but I do enjoy it when it all comes together. I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes and have yourself a wonderful 2026!
Angie McColman says
i loooooove seeing all your decorating plus this year your amazing trip to Germany…thankyou sooo much. iv made lots of recipes you post and look forward to getting them in my mailbox,,,i hope youre feeling better and I love that you have a love for your fur babies like i do mine…wishing you all the best for 2026!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Angie! I’m happy to hear that you are trying my recipes. I hope you love them as much as I do! Have a wonderful New Year!
Nan Caldwell says
Thank you so much! I’m old and frail now and will never get to see the Christmas Markets in person, but I’ll have your photos to enjoy. I also loved seeing the photos of your home.
You are very much appreciated.
Nan Caldwell
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Nan. I’m so glad you got to see the markets through my camera lense. 🙂 Happy New Year to you!
Marsha Powell says
You have a beautiful home! Thank you for sharing those wonderful pictures. The cathedrals are just so gorgeous! I hope you’re feeling better. My daughter tends to get bronchitis at least twice a year. My husband and I love cats, too. Right now, we just have one – Cleo. She’s 10 years old and thinks she’s the Queen she’s named after. Anyway, thank you again for sharing all your wonderful pictures and all those great recipes. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Marsha. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well. Wishing you and your family a wonderful new year!
Michele W says
Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Feel better and thank you so very much for sharing
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Michelle. Happy New Year!!
Lola says
Thank you for sharing your Christmas with us. I enjoyed it very much. Especially the pictures of your trip to the German Christmas markets. The cathedral is breathtaking. Love the cat pics. We too are cat lovers. They keep life interesting. Love the Christmas decor as well. We live in a 160 year old stone house so I appreciate the charm of an old house and antiques. Enjoy the rest of the season.
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Lola! Christmas, cats, and older homes with charm. Lots in common! 🙂
Claudia Byers says
I always enjoy reading about your annual reflections and Christmas memories. I agree that it is an excellent idea to document each year, not only for your own future reflection, but also for McKenna to have a documented history of your life with John.e and her. The pictures from your trip to Germany are absolutely beautiful. I was not aware of how festive Christmas is in Germany. The people truly embrace the spirit of the season. And the history you shared. It is a pleasure to experience Germany through your perspective.
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Claudia. We had a wonderful time in Germany and will certainly plan more Christmas market trips in the future.
Sue Hodge says
Thank you for this lovely post! I hope you are feeling much better and will be healthy as 2026 begins. Your trip sounds amazing, and I would love to experience the European Christmas markets at some point. Please know that your posts always bring a smile to my face, as well as inspiration in my kitchen and home! Love to you and your beautiful family!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Sue. I am feeling back to my old self and looking forward to working on new recipes very soon. Happy New Year to you!
Linda W. says
I really enjoyed the openness of your narrative and the beautiful photos that accompanied it! It felt like a story from an old friend. And it was wonderful to see the family, and especially to see George looking so healthy and content. Thank you for you wonderful recipes throughout the year, and for sharing about your holiday season. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and love-filled 2026!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Linda. Happy New Year and all the best to you and your family in 2026!
Jane says
Well I, for one, look forward to this post every single year– it’s my absolute favorite! I save it for when I have a quiet bit of uninterrupted time with a cup of tea. This year, your Christmas Market feature was a bonus! My MIL is from Furth and lived in Nuremberg for a number of years. We visited a few years ago (my first–and last–time across the pond!) and stayed in a hotel right on the market square. It was summer, not Christmas, but the market was still very much alive and so much fun! I’d love to return for Christmas. I hope you and your family & furs had a wonderful Christmas and that you are feeling 100% better! ♥️
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Jane. You’re mother in law is a lucky lady. I thought Nuremberg was my favourite in terms of markets. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Carla says
What an enjoyable read. Snuggled on the couch, wrapped in a cozy blanket, drink in hand, reading and enjoying all you’ve written and pictures posted. Keep up the tradition!
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Carla. Happy New Year!
Katharine Smyth says
Thank you for the trip to the Christmas markets and thank you for showing us your beautiful home decorated for Christmas. My husband and I live in a Victorian home built in 1895 and I love to decorate for Christmas also.
I love your recipes and have used many of them. You can’t retire for awhile.
I run a Bed and Breakfast in a small town in Southeren Ontario and have been on your siste for several years.
Byron Thomas says
Hi Katharine – thank you for such a lovely comment! I promise, I have no plans to retire any time soon. 🙂 We cannot find the exact year our home was built, but we do know that when we bought it in 2019, it was listed as 160 years old with an estimated build date of 1859. I have a love/hate relationship with old homes. I love the character and the look of them, but sometimes walls and floors can be a bit wonky in spots. Ha! Anyway, thank you again, and you have yourself a wonderful 2026!
Katharine Smyth says
May you be blessed with a wonderful 2026 that brings you health and joy.
Sorry for the spelling mistakes.
Pam says
I saved this post for a treat to read on a quiet morning. The holidays were hard, as we knew that it would be the last one for our beloved dog. I feel a bit better now after seeing the collected pictures of your 2025. The garden! The trip! The cats! Your decorations are beautiful, even if you scaled back this year. It is all so very inspiring and also a reminder that traditions are wonderful, but we need to be flexible with our expectations. Thank you! See you in 2026.
Byron Thomas says
I’m sorry to hear about your dog, Pam. 🙁 But, you’re so right! We have to be flexible with our expectations as well as traditions. Hopefully you have a much better 2026!
Gail Thompson says
It’s always a pleasure to read your posts! I lived in Germany many years ago (military father) and just loved that you got to experience Germany at Christmas. The markets are the best in the world 💕. I also get inspired for my own house after scrolling through your pics. Your house is amazing and you are very creative. Merry Christmas to you and John. Glad you’re on the mend.
Gail from British Columbia Canada
Meg says
Thank you for sharing your Christmas and vacation with us. As usual, your decorations are spectacular.
BTW, I’m in love with George. I have two cat babies at the moment. My Casper is 21 and Icy is 17.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
Caroline says
I look forward to your Christmas update every year. The former years are also a comfort read I often re-read throughout the year to give me those cozy vibes. I know that will sound strange but I bet also I’m not the only one! Merry Christmas to you all x
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Caroline! I often go back and read them too, because I forget what I’ve done in previous years and I try not to duplicate from year to year. 🙂
Kerrie says
So lovely! As always. Never sell yourself short on how much traffic this annual post gets or how little decorating you feel you did! I had all the time in the world this Christmas and didn’t come close to all that you did! It inspired me for next year though. I love your recipes, stories, and especially the Christmas post. I look forward to it every year and it inspires me for the next year. And your trip! Thank you for sharing the pictures. It looks like a dream come true. Wishing you and your family the very best for the new year.
Mary says
Happy 2026. I hope it’s a very happy, healthy and Prosperous New Year. I absolutely love reading about your home. And since I have loved Christmas for 82 years, I understand your enthusiasm. I have always had dogs, but living with my daughter and son-in-law for the last four years, I have fallen in love with cats also. We have adopted Fluffy from a shelter, and he has sprinkled our lives our lives with sunshine. Your cats are adorable! I want to thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you’re feeling much better.
Byron Thomas says
Thank you, Mary. Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
Sandra Stoltz says
I’m sipping my coffee in a 2017 christkindlmarket mug. My husband and I live in Chicago, IL and been doing our German market since 1996. except for the pandemic and this year (my bronchitis) we’ve been to all of them. I pull out our many, many mugs for the season to decorate around our home.
I enjoy your Christmas letters and look forward to them. And in mid summer I read them again. Thank you so much. Best to you and your family for 2026.
Sandra Stoltz
Byron Thomas says
I hope you’re feeling much better, Sandra. I was sick upon our return with bronchitis as well. 🙁 I’m looking forward to planning another trip to go back, but this time we will focus on southern Germany, Austria, and possibly Switzerland.