Y S Lee

Author of Young Adult, Historical and Mystery Novels

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You are here: Home / Archives for holidays

Inventing traditions

December 21, 2016 By Ying 4 Comments

Hello, friends, and Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Christmas! Here's an essay I wrote a few years ago about the surprisingly recent roots of three Christmas traditions. Hope you have a splendid week. I'll be back on December 28 with my final blog post. Quick: name three Christmas symbols. If you’re like me, the first things you picture are Christmas trees, a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Write Tagged With: Christmas, holidays, Things I Write, tradition, Victoriana

Rhythm and celebration

December 2, 2015 By Ying Leave a Comment

My lovelies, it's been this kind of week: Everyone's wiped, but there are still 3 weeks of school left before the winter holidays. 19 days until we pick up our dog, Mac. The four-year-old is sick and I've been at home with her, cuddling and reading and taking 2 hours to measure and mix a simple cake. And in this season of countdowns, we've just set up an advent calendar that has, most … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Do Tagged With: advent calendar, crafts, holidays, Kingston, life stuff, Things I Do

Inventing tradition

December 24, 2014 By Ying Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate it! Right now, I am frantically wrapping presents and mumbling nasty things about my to-do list, so here's a re-post from December 2009, about Victorian Christmas inventions. Hope you enjoy it, and have a wonderful holiday! Quick: name three Christmas symbols. If you’re like me, the first things you picture are Christmas trees, a red-suited Santa Claus … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Write Tagged With: Christmas, history, holidays, Queen Victoria, Victorian inventions, Victoriana

Toronto’s Harbourfront

March 12, 2014 By Ying 2 Comments

Hello, friends. I've been in Toronto for the past few days, gadding about. This is a bit of a March ritual for my family during which we see dear friends, closely compare a range of cafés, and walk until we're footsore. I have a long list of favourite things and places but I made a couple of discoveries along Queen's Quay and the Harbourfront this year that I'm especially pleased with. - Pearl … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Do Tagged With: art, food, holidays, The Power Plant, Toronto

Shopping (the bookish kind)

July 24, 2013 By Ying 7 Comments

Hello, friends. It will probably not surprise you to know that when I go on holiday, I like to bring home books as souvenirs. I love plucking a book from the shelf and remembering both the book and the place where I bought it. For me, the combined memory becomes that much more precious, and I seem to remember more details about the holiday when they're paired with a book. Here's our family's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Read Tagged With: Bill Peet, Catharine Arnold, Emily Gravett, gardening, holidays, Latin for Gardeners, reading

Negotiating with tradition

December 12, 2012 By Ying 11 Comments

Hello friends! We celebrate Christmas in our house, and we're still figuring out our traditions. I come from a family whose only tradition is to not have any traditions (even the Christmas tree was hit-and-miss throughout my childhood, and I doubt we've ever eaten the same Christmas dinner twice), and my spouse, Nick, is from a family with very strong, sentimental rituals. He and I have talked … [Read more...]

Filed Under: The Author Tagged With: holidays, life stuff, musings, totally irrelevant

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