Holiday food has tickled taste buds and bound families for generations. The frantic purchases from food to decorations, and the rush for the perfect gift for your loved ones, coupled with the eagerness to see that part of the family you haven’t seen in a while, define the season. Time is not a luxury and normally people don’t have the ability to make a proper home-cooked meal daily or as often as they would like. Many of us opt for fast food, meal kits, or frozen foods in an effort to save time, but not for the holidays.

Schools will close for the holiday break and families try to schedule vacations from work to spend time together. It’s time to roll up those sleeves and look for those generational recipes to whip up a hearty meal that will keep everyone longing for the next holiday season. All sorts of aromas emanate from households from cakes baking, meats grilling, and casseroles overflowing with delicious food – there is something to tickle everyone’s fancy.

Each year, it is estimated by the National Retail Federation that the overall expenditure during the holidays on food at $215.4 for the average American. For the homeless and less fortunate, soup kitchens, charity houses, and shelters offer treats for the season so that nobody is left out. In Waltham, places such as the Bristol Lodge soup kitchen offer free meals so that even those without an abode find solace in this festive time of year.

It’s truly a time to eat until you drop after that eight-course meal topped with drinks, warm or cold. Some families organize potlucks where each family member brings over something special they prepared at home. Some cooks are more eager to share their food than their recipes, a tradition for many families where everyone strives to impress by speaking of nothing but secret ingredients and old age recipes that are usually just a little touch of spice delivering a burst of flavors.

Many of the treats made during the holidays are themed, from Christmas tree-shaped cookies to gingerbread men, chocolate cake, and hot cocoa, to add that special holiday touch to every meal that makes it memorable. Food is loved by everyone, but holiday food is simply special, tickles our taste buds ,and unites us creating lasting memories.