Fun fact of the week: Why are September, October, November, and December the 9th-12th months of the year if their names mean 7th-10th? Find out here.

In the US, the Christmas season begins as soon as Thanksgiving ends. There’s certainly cold weather to match, but not as cold maybe as two years ago!

I was a little late on my Thanksgiving cooking, but in the end I did manage to make pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, and chicken (I’ve never made turkey by myself) with potatoes.

I also made a favorite American childhood dessert of mine, “Mud,” or “Dirt,” with some of my kids:

If you’re wondering, it’s layers of chocolate pudding, Oreo crumbles, and gummy worms.

The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, aka the mad rush to get deals on all your presents and toys!

I don’t believe in that. Whenever possible, I make my own gifts. I’m a big fan of DIY (do-it-yourself) crafts. That’s why I made my own wreath out of toilet paper rolls, green paint, hot glue, and red beads from Stoklasa in Brno:

In Tišnov we had a small Christmas market in the square to honor the first Advent Sunday. My first year, the Advent tradition (lighting four candles, one each Sunday, to count the four weeks leading up to Christmas) was something foreign to me. Very few people do it in the US. But it’s always nice to gather with others in the soft candle glow to welcome the holiday season.

They lit the Christmas tree in the square:

And I took a walk to Cukrárna Cherry*, my beloved coffee shop in neighboring Předklášteří, to treat myself to a cappuccino and some pralines to finish some planning and honor the new week!

If you have never had their pralines, I highly recommend it… they have such fancy and delicious ones as champagne, caramel or coffee cream!

In preparation for the holiday season, I’m trying to keep my chin up despite the cold weather and dark, early evenings, and at the same time trying not to get eaten by chalk dust before Christmas break.

*By the way, if you are wondering, there is no translation for “cukrárna” into American English as far as I know. A lot of people say “sweet shop” but while this may be a British term, I’m not sure Americans would immediately understand it. So, I just say coffee shop or café, same translation as for “kavárna.”