Anyone who's lived in the Inland Northwest for a few years or more can tick off a list of our region's favorite holiday traditions. Whether you can't miss the Coeur d'Alene Resort's spectacular Holiday Light Show or your family counts down to the arrival of Santa at the mall, these seasonal favorites charm us at any age.
Having such pastimes on the calendar is what makes something a tradition, after all. But as time passes, our most cherished holiday traditions naturally take on new forms or meaning. Baking holiday treats as a child in grandma's kitchen becomes a tradition of baking with your own children. Shopping for gifts now means heading to Main Street, not the mall. Allowing these tried-and-true activities to grow into new incarnations of past rituals simply makes the season even merrier. So add something new to the mix this year — hike into the woods to find that perfect evergreen you'd never find in a parking lot stand. See a classic holiday play on a local stage. It doesn't mean you have to skip The Nutcracker, just that there's one more way to enjoy the magic of the season.
— CHEY SCOTT, Holiday Guide editor
