Celebrating the Holidays with our Aerie Associates

Happy Holidays, Aerie fam! It’s the most wonderful time of the year – especially because we get to celebrate with our amazing Aerie associates. There’s no one way to celebrate, so we want to shine a spotlight on the different holidays and unique traditions that our associates look forward to every year.

We asked Corporate Merchandise Manager Rachel Silverland, Social Media Coordinator Emily Houser and Digital Content Coordinator Jahmeela Clarke about their unique holiday traditions and what makes them meaningful. Keep reading for their answers!

Rachel Silverland, Corporate Merchandise Manager

How are you celebrating the holidays this year?

This year I will be celebrating Hanukkah a few different ways, including lighting candles & exchanging gifts at home with my family, making & eating latkes (potato pancakes) at my parent’s house with friends, and at a community event at our local conservatory where they will have a menorah lighting and a beautiful lights display.

Emily Houser, Social Media Coordinator

How are you celebrating the holidays this year? 

I kicked off the Christmas season a little early this year by decorating my tree and my apartment before Thanksgiving! I love Christmas so I basically spend the whole month of December watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, and trying to find as many fun and festive activities as I can (like baking cookies, visiting the tree downtown, and finding fun light displays)!

What makes your annual holiday tradition special and/or meaningful? 

My holiday tradition is meaningful because Christmas is the time for me and the rest of my family to celebrate our faith! I always look forward to our Christmas Eve service and celebrating the season with my family. We have traditions that we’ve been doing every year since I was born and I look forward to them every year.

Is there anything special or unique to you & your family that you do every year for the holidays?

Every year after our Christmas Eve church service, we drive around our town and look at Christmas lights. Then we head home and my dad makes our family homemade milkshakes while we watch Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (a favorite of my parents) and then put on the 24 hour marathon of A Christmas Story (a favorite of mine). We put on our fave Christmas PJs and just spend some fun quality time together as a family and it’s my favorite night of the year. On Christmas morning, we play some Christmas music, open presents, and eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Then we go visit with extended family in the days after! It’s such a special time and some of my favorite memories are from Christmases with my family.

Jahmeela Clarke, Digital Content Coordinator

How are you celebrating the holidays this year?

This year we will celebrate as we normally do! First my immediate family will pick and decorate our Christmas tree for my mom’s house. We’ll listen to Christmas music, tell stories and enjoy family time while my mom makes cookies.

For Kwanzaa a little later in the month we all get together at my Grandmother’s house to eat typically on the first and final day. During those times we honor and pay homage to those that have come before us and have passed on after advocating and fighting for equality. Some years it’s been just family, other years it includes family friends and extended relatives. We use the time to catch up, enjoy each other’s company, talk and tell all kinds of stories. I can’t wait to see who shows up this year!

What makes your annual holiday tradition special and/or meaningful?

I love the sense of family and community during our Christmas and Kwanzaa celebrations. I never know who I’ll see until they get there! Alway something I look forward to.

Is there anything unusual or unique to you & your family that you do every year for the holidays?

Recently my mom and aunt started making gift boxes of cookies to give to family and neighbors – last year there were: Pecan Polvorones, 3-in-1 Sugar Cookies, Old-Fashioned Ginger Crinkle Cookies, Soft-Baked Gingersnap Molasses Cookies, and (my favorite!) the Lemon Curd Shortbread Sandwich Cookies!

Aerie fam, how are you celebrating the holidays this year? Let us know in the comments. And no matter what you’re doing, we hope you have a safe, happy, cozy holiday season!