With the holiday season now in full swing, Hawthorne Strategy Group is preparing in lots of different ways. To celebrate this joyous season, we’ve compiled all of our holiday highlights and favorite things about this time of year!
What’s a holiday tradition you look forward to every year?
“Overeating with family and friends. There are few things better than enjoying a home-cooked meal with those who mean the most during the holidays. The food is always so good that I leave the dinner uncomfortably full.”
-Dan Kowalski, Managing Supervisor
“My wife has kept many of her grandmother’s traditions going since she passed away, but perhaps none as delicious as the annual Christmas cookie baking day. We spend an entire day baking literally hundreds of cookies of different varieties and munch on them.”
-Jonathon Sadowski, Senior Account Manager
“Even though Thanksgiving has already passed, my favorite holiday tradition is eating pie and ice cream for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving, going bowling with my family, and then going to pick out our Christmas tree! This post-Thanksgiving family tradition always gets me in the mood for Christmastime.”
-Anna VanWingerden, Assistant Account Executive
Is there a holiday treat you look forward to enjoying each year?
“I always look forward to enjoying Ghirardelli Peppermint chocolate during the holidays.”
-Chioke Armstrong-Malloy, Intern
“The glögg at Simon’s Tavern.”
-Richard Ray, Managing Supervisor
“Mulled wine is my go-to at holiday markets, or even just to wind down after a long day of work when it’s bitterly cold outside. We always keep a couple bottles on-hand in the house throughout the holiday season, and at my family gatherings, we’ll usually home-mull a bottle of wine.”
-Jonathon Sadowski, Senior Account Manager
“Nothing beats my mom’s tamales during Christmas time. It’s also become a nice tradition for my sister and I to help her wrap them, and it helps speed up the process. While most people think of tamales as a savory treat, my mom also likes to make sweet tamales made with pineapple chunks and strawberry masa, which pair amazingly with a latte or Mexican hot chocolate on Christmas morning.”
-Anahi Leyva, Senior Account Executive
“My family makes an apple pancake for breakfast during the holidays that is unbeatable. It may not be the healthiest meal, but it at least has apples in it!”
-Dan Kowalski, Managing Supervisor
What is something you love about the holiday season in Chicago?
“The Lincoln Park Zoo Lights are my favorite thing about Christmas in Chicago! I’ve been going to see them before I even lived in Chicago, and it always puts a huge smile on my face.”
-Anna VanWingerden, Assistant Account Executive
“I love how much the city embraces the holiday. Storefronts and streets across the city do not hold back when decorating. Some streets feel like they’re out of a movie set, like Lincoln Ave with the snowflakes in the trees that line the street.”
-Dan Kowalski, Managing Supervisor
Do you have a favorite holiday movie?
“Home Alone is a classic that I always enjoy watching around this time of year!”
-Chioke Armstrong-Malloy, Intern
“We always watch Die Hard and a Christmas Carol—specifically the 1984 version with George C Scott.”
-Richard Ray, Managing Supervisor
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! It’s timeless and always makes me laugh. A close second would be Elf.”
-Dan Kowalski, Managing Supervisor
“I’ll die on the hill that The Polar Express is a certified holiday classic. I don’t care that the animation veers sharply into uncanny valley, that the story becomes bloated just to make a feature length runtime, or that it occasionally turns into a musical. All the haters are getting coal. I definitely plan on seeing a screening in theaters this season for the movie’s 20th anniversary.”
-Jonathon Sadowski, Senior Account Manager
“The Holiday is one of my all-time favorite movies, so it’s a must-watch for me every holiday season.”
-Anahi Leyva, Senior Account Executive
What do you think is the best way to give back during the holiday season?
“Donations to your favorite charities and causes, donating clothing and items you haven’t used in the past year, and small acts of kindness (something that should be done all year).”
-Dan Kowalski, Managing Supervisor
“I have met so many wonderful people through the organization Lasagna Love! Their mission is to provide home-cooked meals for those in need, and just the simple act of delivering a lasagna to someone—especially during the holidays—can make a big impact. I’ve loved being a Lasagna Love volunteer, and I would encourage anyone looking to give back this season to look into this incredible organization.”
-Anna VanWingerden, Assistant Account Executive
Happy Holidays from the Hawthorne team!
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