Why It’s Important To Spend Time With The Ones You Love During The Holidays
The holiday season is often a busy time for many people due to various reasons such as holiday preparations, shopping, social events, and year-end responsibilities. Let’s be honest — for most of us, the holidays mean a genuinely busy stretch of weeks. However, despite the hectic nature of this time, spending quality time with loved ones remains crucial. Since COVID times we have all been too busy to slow down and make time, am I right? Keep reading for the ways I carve out real time with the people I love during the holiday season. In essence, the food is only ever the excuse — whether that is a caviar board on Christmas Eve, a peanut butter board on an ordinary Tuesday, or a hot chocolate bar the children can build themselves.
What’s more, the holidays I actually remember are never the ones that went to plan. They are the ones where somebody stayed late in the kitchen, where the playlist got hijacked, where the cinnamon rolls I had set out for a quiet morning turned into everyone standing around the pan in their coats. Given that, I have stopped trying to produce a perfect holiday and started trying to produce a room nobody wants to leave.
With this in mind, everything that follows is small on purpose. Not one of these ideas asks for a budget, a theme, or a free weekend — they ask for a decision to be present, which is the one thing this season quietly takes from us. To illustrate, an easy French toast board laid out before anybody is properly awake buys you a whole morning of conversation you would otherwise spend standing at the stove, and a tray of pound cake bars left on the counter keeps people in the room long after dinner is finished.
Why the Holidays Naturally Bring People Together
The holidays have always been a natural time for gathering. Across cultures and traditions, this season is centered around sharing meals, exchanging stories, and reflecting on the year together. To illustrate, that is the whole idea behind the Eating With Erica Supper Club and the dining rules I live by when I host.
For me, the holidays have become less about elaborate plans and more about creating moments where people feel comfortable, welcomed, and connected. Given that, a simple holiday dinner party does more than an elaborate one, and a well-set New Year’s Eve tablescape does more than a long menu. Sometimes that’s a cozy dinner party, sometimes it’s a casual wine night with friends — but the heart of it is always the same: bringing people together.
Connection and Bonding
The holidays naturally create opportunities to strengthen bonds with family and friends. Spending time together allows for meaningful conversations, shared experiences, and memories that often become the stories we tell for years to come. What’s more, the things I make for those evenings are deliberately easy — strawberry banana Santa hats with the children, peanut butter blossoms for the cookie tin, and a holiday mimosa for the grown-ups. I feel like since COVID we have all been on the go again — and while 2020 slowed many of us down, the pace of life quickly picked back up.
That’s why I try to be intentional during the holidays. Whether it’s hosting a small gathering, planning a dinner with friends, or simply setting aside time to catch up with family, these moments help deepen the relationships that matter most.
Stress Relief
Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, time with loved ones can be one of the most powerful ways to decompress.
Positive social interactions and emotional support from close relationships can significantly reduce stress — something many of us feel during this time of year.
For me, some of the most relaxing moments of the season happen around a dinner table. Good food, a glass of wine, and easy conversation have a way of melting away the pressure that can sometimes come with holiday planning.
It reminds me that the holidays don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.
Traditions and Rituals
Many families and friend groups have traditions they return to every year during the holidays. These rituals create a sense of continuity, shared history, and belonging.
I personally love doing a girls’ day with some of my close friends — making gingerbread houses, enjoying a glass of wine, and turning it into a fun little competition.
Over time, traditions like these become some of the most anticipated moments of the season.
Some of my favorite holiday traditions include:
- Hosting a cozy holiday dinner
- Making festive desserts together
- Decorating gingerbread houses
- Watching classic holiday movies
- Opening a special bottle of wine with friends
It’s these traditions that often become the memories we look forward to recreating every year.
Joy and Celebration
The holidays are naturally a time of celebration, and sharing those moments with loved ones makes them even more special.
Whether it’s exchanging gifts, enjoying a meal together, decorating the house, or participating in festive activities like gingerbread house decorating, the presence of the people you love adds warmth and meaning to the season.
As someone who loves hosting, I truly believe the atmosphere you create can shape the entire experience. A beautifully set table, candles lit, music playing softly in the background — these little details help turn a simple gathering into something memorable.
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Reflection and Gratitude
The end of the year often brings a natural moment of reflection.
Being with loved ones encourages gratitude for the relationships and support systems in our lives, helping us enter the new year with a positive mindset.
We often like to share our “highs and lows of the year” at gatherings — reflecting on meaningful moments while also talking about goals for the year ahead.
I’ve found that conversations like these create deeper connection and often lead to some of the most meaningful moments of the evening.
Support During Challenging Times
For some people, the holiday season can be emotionally difficult. It may bring feelings of loneliness, grief, or stress.
Spending time with loved ones can provide comfort, emotional support, and reassurance during these moments.
This year will feel different for me after the unexpected loss of a good friend. But I know leaning on the people I love during this time is incredibly important.
Moments like this remind me that the holidays are not just about celebration — they’re also about showing up for one another.
Building and Maintaining Relationships
Strong relationships don’t happen by accident. They are built through consistent connection and shared experiences over time.
Spending intentional time with loved ones reinforces that these relationships are a priority — something that contributes greatly to long-term happiness and emotional well-being.
Even small gestures — inviting someone to dinner, checking in with a phone call, or planning a simple get-together — can strengthen relationships more than we often realize.
Quality Over Quantity
In the midst of packed schedules, it’s important to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to time together.
Meaningful conversations, shared laughter, and genuine presence matter far more than simply being physically in the same room.
This is something I’ve been focusing on more intentionally — slowing down and being truly present with the people around me.
Sometimes the most memorable moments happen during the simplest gatherings.
Simple Ways to Spend Meaningful Time Together During the Holidays
If you’re looking for ways to make the season feel more intentional, here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- Host a small holiday dinner party
- Plan a girls’ night with wine and desserts
- Bake holiday cookies together
- Attend a local holiday market
- Decorate the tree with family
- Exchange thoughtful handwritten notes
- Have a holiday movie night
- Plan a brunch gathering with friends
These moments don’t require elaborate planning — just a willingness to slow down and connect.
My Favorite Ways to Create Meaningful Holiday Gatherings
Over the years, I’ve learned that the most memorable gatherings aren’t necessarily the most elaborate — they’re the most thoughtful.
A few simple things I like to do when hosting during the holidays:
- Keep the menu approachable but elevated
- Set the table with candles or seasonal greenery
- Serve one signature cocktail or wine
- Play soft holiday music in the background
- Create an atmosphere where guests feel relaxed and welcome
These small touches help create a warm environment where conversation and connection naturally happen.
Shop Erica’s Pick
Everything I Love for Hosting
This post contains affiliate links. I only share products I personally use and genuinely love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Linen Cocktail Napkins
Soft linen napkins make any gathering at home feel intentional.
Serving Platters
A set of white platters for serving a holiday spread to a crowd.
3-Tier Serving Tray
A three-tier tray turns desserts and small bites into a centerpiece.
Marble Cheese Board
A marble board for an easy cheese and fruit spread when friends drop by.
Acacia Serving Board
A long acacia board that makes grazing boards feel generous.
Cheese Knife Set
A knife for every cheese on the board, so guests can serve themselves.
Cheese Spreaders
Pretty cheese spreaders for soft cheeses, jams and dips.
Swing-Top Bottles
Batch a signature drink ahead so you can stay with your guests.
Cocktail Picks
Metal picks for garnishing cocktails and serving small bites.
Double Jigger
Measures every pour so holiday cocktails taste just right.
Bar Spoons
Long spoons for stirring pitchers and cocktails.
Large Ice Cube Trays
Large, slow-melting cubes that keep drinks cold all evening.
When I Love Prioritizing Time With Loved Ones
While connection matters year-round, the holidays naturally create the perfect setting for intentional gatherings:
- Christmas and New Year celebrations
- Holiday brunch with friends
- Girls’ nights in December
- Family dinner traditions
- End-of-year reflection gatherings
These moments help close out the year in a meaningful way.
KEEP HOSTING
More ways to gather the people you love this season — an elegant bite, a festive sip and a mimosa bar made for the holidays.
Prosciutto and Fig Crackers
Sweet figs, salty prosciutto, and crisp crackers — a refined three-bite appetizer that pairs beautifully with caviar.
Get the Recipe →
Apple Cider Mimosa
Bubbly, crisp, and a little festive — a sparkling sip that makes any caviar spread feel celebratory.
Pour a Glass →
How to Setup a Holiday Mimosa Bar
Create a self-serve bubbly station your guests will adore with these simple, elegant styling tips.
Keep Reading →Final Thoughts
The holidays may be busy, but they also offer one of the most meaningful opportunities of the entire year: the chance to slow down and reconnect with the people who matter most.
Spending time with loved ones isn’t just about celebration — it’s about nurturing the relationships that support us, encourage us, and bring joy into our lives.
For me, the holidays serve as a reminder that the most meaningful moments rarely come from perfectly planned events — they come from the people we share them with.
You know the saying “home is where the heart is”?
I truly believe home is wherever your loved ones are — whether they’re family, lifelong friends, or chosen family.
So this year, I’m making it a priority to slow down and be present with the people I love.
Because at the end of the day, those moments are what truly make the holidays special.
Erica A. Thomas
Founder of Eating With Erica
SAVE NOW, MAKE LATER!
