Europe has a mild season.

One of my university professors in France shared that he always looked forward to winter so he could hibernate! That's when he would deliberately disconnect from everything, crawl into a corner, and sleep soundly without fear of being disturbed. "Sleep to your heart's content, sleep to make up for all those hundreds of mornings spent trying to control your urge to sleep in!"

My friend Charlotte also spoke of winter with great affection, though her favorite habits during the coldest season of the year made someone from a tropical background like me shiver a little. Charlotte loved the feeling of reading on the snow-covered mountains of the majestic French Alps in the morning. What could be better than the scene of the early morning sun shining down on a blanket of white, a good book in hand, and knowing that it would probably be past noon before those late-arriving tourists reached her spot? From distant Alsace, Charlotte drove nearly five hours every year to her family's holiday home in the village of Combloux. She was so familiar with the area that she knew all the nearby roads by heart and was intimately connected to every local specialty restaurant. And wherever the car took her, she would always have a story to tell.

While Charlotte had to travel far to enjoy winter in her own way, another friend of mine preferred to stay in her familiar home, nestled deep in a sparsely populated village near the Jura Mountains, close to the Swiss border. Cathy chose to live in such a secluded location so that her family members would have fewer excuses to go out on cold days, a way to prolong their time together before their children eventually left their old home. This thinking from Cathy is not at all surprising, as she is one of the most feminine and family-oriented French women I have ever met.

Later, whenever she knew I was about to return home, this dentist mother would send many small gifts for the orphaned children at the children's village I frequented. Sometimes it was a suitcase full of toothbrushes and toothpaste that she ordered in addition to the needs of her dental clinic, other times it was colored pencils and even wallets that she had sewn and embroidered herself. The very first time we met, Cathy taught me how to make macarons for the first time in my life, with the message: "No matter how busy a woman is, she should always make time to bake for her husband and children on weekends."

The further I live from the European winter, the more I appreciate the good fortune of meeting wonderful people, getting close to them, and sharing the fullness of the season. After all, life may take away loved ones or push us from familiar surroundings, but it certainly cannot erase the joyful memories we have created together.

I still remember the first Christmas tree I ever decorated was a plastic one, only about 50 centimeters tall. The three of us girls, who shared an apartment, pooled our money to buy it from the cheap Kruidvat supermarket. Back then, as poor students, just watching TV together with a cup of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows was considered a luxury, let alone having a real Christmas tree in the corner of the house.

A year later, I decided not to spend 20 Euros on a plastic Christmas tree but instead built one myself out of books. Kitty Kelley's 608-page book, "Oprah: A Biography," was, of course, one of the books used as a base. The thinner, easier-to-read books were placed near the top, as an invitation each time I glanced over: "Read me, I'm thin."

And if, like me, you feel you haven't read enough and need a little motivation to finish all the books you've bought, why not try building your own Christmas tree out of books? Then set a one-year deadline to slowly "dismantle" each book before "building a new" tree for next Christmas? I like to liken those books to gifts peeking out from the Christmas tree. They make you want to peel off all the wrapping paper, while simultaneously reminding you to wait a little longer, just a little longer, until the 24th night is almost here.

Perhaps the charm of winter lies in the fact that it offers everyone something to look forward to. Looking forward to watching the dance of light as you stroll down beautifully decorated streets. Looking forward to hearing the fairytales behind the fashion boutiques of Galeries Lafayette. Looking forward to rediscovering the fragrant aroma lurking behind the roasted chestnut carts in the city square. Looking forward to bursting into laughter with the witty banter of a friend over a pot of Fondue Comtoise (a cheese fondue from the Franche-Comté region). Looking forward to sipping a glass of homemade cider from a cheerful shop owner who might not even remember you – amidst the throngs of visitors flocking to the Christmas market – as they, like us, make their annual rendezvous with winter.

Additional information:

+ ExperienceOne of the favorite experiences for tourists and Parisians alike is visiting famous department stores to admire the festive window displays. You should visit Printemps Haussmann, Galeries Lafayette, BHV, le Bon Marché… The display space for these new collections is a magnificent window adorned with many interesting costumed characters.

+ Authentic European dishes worth trying in winter:

- Foie gras is a dish commonly found on the tables of French families during holidays. This dish is rich but not greasy, especially flavorful, and is often served with bread or prepared as a pan-fried dish with fruit sauce, baked green apples, etc.

-Mulled wine is a favorite drink of people in European countries, most popular in Germany. You can sip a glass of rich, spicy red wine with hints of orange, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves at Christmas markets.

Text: Trang Ami. Photos: Various authors.

The Thanh