The holiday season is that moment when we gather to show the love we have for one another. More than the gifts, it is the habits, the gestures and the shared moments that truly stay with us. As on any journey, we remember the paths we walked more than the destinations.
That’s why we wanted to share a few ideas for experiences to offer, and simple moments to share with family or friends - a way to nurture the small, meaningful instants that also accompany us on our travels.
Preparing for Christmas with natural, foraged decorations
If you took the time to fill your pockets and baskets during your autumn walks, you already have everything you need to create a warm, natural and personal festive décor. Pinecones, moss gathered along a path, pieces of driftwood, pine branches - all these little finds become treasures to bring a touch of nature into your home.
Take the time to craft these decorations as a family. Each person can bring a small treasure, imagine a detail, suggest an idea. The result matters little - preparing Christmas together is already a gift in itself.
A Christmas wreath to bring nature to your doorstep
For your Christmas wreath, start by forming a circle with a few flexible branches. Wrap a thin piece of twine around the base to hold everything together. Don’t aim for a perfect shape — the beauty lies precisely in the natural irregularity of the materials. Then add whatever your basket has brought back from the forest and gently secure each element with a glue gun. A simple, warm creation shaped by your own hands.
A decoration shaped by the memories of your walks
The Christmas tree can be decorated with minimalist ornaments: pinecones, dried orange slices, small assembled twigs, simple ribbon bows. Nothing elaborate — just the elegance of simplicity. For the table, play with textures and scents: dried citrus, cinnamon sticks, star anise, small fir branches. Arrange these fragments of nature like a scented pathway to dress your festive table.
Ideas to bring your family Christmas meal to life
The magic of Christmas doesn’t lie in the most beautiful table, but in the moments that bring us together - in the words exchanged without thinking, in the tender gestures.
To elevate these moments, here are a few travel-inspired activities designed to spark conversation, invite laughter, stir memories, and encourage listening - nurturing the connection that makes the holidays so special.
- The traveller’s game: one person chooses a place and describes it; the others guess. A playful way to travel without leaving the living room.
- The path of memories: on a sheet of paper, draw a timeline and add the meaningful moments of the past year.
- The train of anecdotes: each person shares a story from the year - a journey, a meeting, a surprise, a success, a joy, a difficulty.
- The traveller’s album: choose a photo on your phone and tell the story hidden behind the image.
- The ideal backpack: if you were leaving tomorrow, what would you pack - what feels essential, what reveals something about you?
- The traveller’s tale: invent a collective story. One person begins with a sentence, then each adds a piece. Let yourselves be surprised.
To make the magic last, here are a few simple gestures: prepare and offer a winter tisane to end the meal with scents of citrus and cinnamon; decorate a few biscuits and give them as small, thoughtful treats that extend the joy beyond Christmas; raise a glass and say out loud how happy you are to be together.
These small rituals are nothing spectacular. They simply weave an atmosphere of shared gentleness - and sometimes, that is the most beautiful gift of all.
A breath of fresh air: winter walk ideas for the whole family
After the meal, nothing beats a small outing to stretch your legs and extend the moment. Winter walks have something soothing and restorative about them. The moment you step outside, December’s crisp air tingles your cheeks, the cold wakes your body, and the low winter light softens every face.
Here are a few micro-experiences to enjoy together — effortless, simple, and just for the pleasure of being outside:
- Walk with wandering eyes, searching for a fascinating or surprising detail.
- Gather winter light by photographing reflections, sparkles and long shadows — a way of learning to see differently.
- Observe trees and animal tracks, and try to identify them.
These small escapes soothe, bring people closer and create simple, happy memories. Sounds soften, landscapes feel lighter, and winter’s quiet encourages slower steps and deeper breaths. These are moments that breathe.
Extending the holiday spirit through travel
After these shared moments, these spontaneous walks and thoughtful gestures, a natural question arises: how can we carry this gentleness beyond the holidays? Travel offers that answer.
To set off is to grant yourself a pause - a different kind of breath, a moment of presence outside the everyday. It is offering yourselves an experience to live together, step by step, like a memory in the making.
To offer a journey is to offer a way of meeting the world differently - fully, slowly, together.