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Welcome back, everybody. We’re diving into
something pretty interesting today. The
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evolution of Christmas traditions in
Mallorca, specifically their culinary
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traditions. Okay. We’ve got a mix of
sources for this deep dive, a few
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articles, and even a fun blog post. And it
seems like things are shifting away from
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the sounds of, what is it? Alegre tintino
de hoy es de barro. That’s right. Yeah.
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That’s cheerful clinking of clay pots for
anyone who doesn’t speak Spanish. Yeah.
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Beautiful imagery, right? Yeah. Those clay
pots all clinking together while the
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family’s cooking. It does. It sounds
really lovely. Yeah. But our sources
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suggest there’s a move away from that and
more towards the rustle of takeout bags.
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Interesting. So get ready for some
culinary surprises. It really is
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fascinating to think about how Christmas
in Mallorca, you know, it was once just
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synonymous with these incredible home
-cooked feasts. You know, families would
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come together to prepare really elaborate
dishes like porcella rostita, which is…
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Which is a slow-rested suckling pig. Wow.
Or cabret tender roasted goat. And of
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course, no Mallorcan Christmas table would
be complete without gambas de solar. Okay.
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Which are these amazing prawns that come
from the town of Solar in Taron. What’s
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that? It’s a traditional nougat
confection. Oh, wow. Yeah. So it’s quite a
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feast. It sounds incredible, like a total
sensory overload. Definitely. But also,
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like, incredibly labor-intensive. Yes.
Just thinking about those clay pots
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clinking away. Yeah. It suggests that
people are spending hours and hours in the
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kitchen. Absolutely. Hours and hours of
prep and cooking. Yeah. It’s a real
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commitment. Yeah. And what I find so
intriguing is that nowadays, it seems like
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a lot of Mallorcans are actually opting
for takeout and restaurant dining instead
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for their Christmas celebrations. Really?
So instead of like a bustling kitchen
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filled with family members, it’s more
about like strategizing reservations at
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the hottest restaurants in Palma. Yeah.
That’s one way to put it. There’s
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definitely a shift happening in terms of
priorities. You know, people are seeking
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convenience. Convenience guaranteed
quality. And that special festive ambiance
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that you just can’t quite replicate at
home. Yeah, that’s true. You know that
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buzz and excitement of a restaurant on
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Totally.
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But there’s got to be more to it than just
wanting a stress-free Christmas dinner.
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Right. Right. You’re absolutely right.
There are other factors at play here. Like
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what? Is it just that people are too busy
to cook these really elaborate dishes
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anymore? Well, there’s this interesting
concept that one of the articles talks
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about called culinary. Culinary amnesia.
Culinary amnesia. Yeah, it’s a pretty
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striking term, right? What does it mean?
It suggests that the knowledge and
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practice of these, you know, very time
-consuming recipes are starting to fade
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away. Okay. You know, as newer generations
kind of prioritize other things. So it’s
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not that people have literally forgotten
the recipes. Right. It’s more that the
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skills and the desire to kick them just
aren’t really there anymore. Exactly. It’s
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almost like a conscious trade-off.
Interesting. Between tradition and modern
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living. Huh. So it’s less about forgetting
and more about intentionally choosing a
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different path. Yeah, precisely. And, you
know, another article brings up this idea
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of the cooking as a hobby fallacy. Okay.
It points out that a lot of New Yorkans,
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they do enjoy cooking in their everyday
lives, right? Right. But that enjoyment
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kind of disappears when they’re faced with
the pressure of making a huge holiday
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feast for their entire family. Oh, I can
totally relate to that. It’s one thing to,
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like, whim up a nice meal for yourself.
Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly.
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Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. It’s one of
those expectations of a big family
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gathering, especially during the holidays.
It’s a whole other level of pressure.
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Absolutely. It’s like the difference
between leisurely cooking, you know, for
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pleasure. Mm-hmm. And competing in, like,
a high-stakes cooking show. Right. Like
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MasterChef. You can imagine the potential
judgment from family members. Oh, yeah.
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You know, like the Tia Maria who always
has something to say about the insomata.
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Right. Suddenly the idea of takeout seems
a lot less stressful. Way more appealing.
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And a lot more appealing. Exactly. I can
picture it now, like, a perfectly arranged
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takeout box of, what is it, Frito
Marinero? Yeah. Frito Marinero. Replacing
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a potentially dry cabaret. Ugh. I’d take
that any day. Speaking of which, the
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articles mentioned some specific
restaurants and dishes that have become,
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like, popular choices for Christmas
takeout. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like what? Well,
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there’s Arroz Brut. Ah, yeah. Oh, Brut.
Which is that hearty rice dish. Yeah. And
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it’s often ordered from local fondas.
Right. Which are those traditional
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Mallorcan restaurants. Yeah. They’re known
for their, like, rustic home-style
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cooking. Yeah. So it’s like they’re
outsourcing the traditional flavors, but
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still getting to enjoy the essence of
Mallorcan cuisine. Exactly. Which is
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really clever. It’s a really smart
adaptation, I think. It is. And what’s
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interesting is how this whole shift is
being framed. How so? Well, it’s not seen
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as laziness or a rejection of tradition.
It’s more like a celebration of modern
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convenience. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It’s a way to
create a new kind of holiday experience.
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Mm. That’s a really interesting
perspective. Yeah. So it’s not about
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abandoning tradition. No. It’s about
redefining it for the modern world. Right.
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Exactly. I like that. So tell me more
about what this modern Mallorcan Christmas
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feast actually looks like. Okay. So
picture this. Okay. So picture this.
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Instead of a table overflowing with all
these homemade dishes, you have these
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beautifully arranged takeout boxes. Oh,
okay. Almost like artisan gift sets.
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Interesting. Interesting. Okay. So what’s
in these culinary gift sets? Well, one
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article describes Frito Marinero. Yeah.
Arriving in eco-friendly packaging. Nice.
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Croquetas de sobrasada carefully placed
like edible ornaments. Okay. And a
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perfectly plated gateau de matla en gelat.
Really? Which is an almond cake with ice
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cream. That image of the croquetas de
sobrasada as ornaments is just so
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striking. I know, right? It really speaks
to the creativity of modern Mallorca.
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Absolutely. And it highlights a really
important point. What’s that? It’s not
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just about convenience. Okay. It’s about
presentation, too. Right. And really
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showcasing the best of Mallorcan cuisine
in a way that embraces modern life. It
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sounds like they’re taking takeout. Yeah.
And elevating it into something really
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special. Exactly. Celebratory. It’s not
just a sad last-minute option. Yeah. It’s
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an intentional choice. Right. And this
whole idea of embracing convenience, it
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seems like it ties into a much broader
societal trend. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Not
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just during the holidays, but in every
aspect of our lives. Think about it. Meal
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delivery services, pre-prepped
ingredients, robot vacuum cleaners. Yeah.
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It’s all about efficiency. Right. Yeah,
totally. It’s like we’re all looking for
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ways to simplify and streamline our lives.
Right. Especially when we’re juggling busy
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schedules and everything else. And the
blog post that we have, actually, it’s
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called Deck the Halls in the Kitchen.
Yeah. And it argues that embracing this
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convenience during the holidays shouldn’t
be seen as something negative. Okay. It
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could actually be a way to celebrate the
talented chefs and restaurants that are
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out there. I love that reframing. Instead
of feeling guilty about not doing
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everything from scratch. It’s like we can
view it as supporting local businesses and
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allowing ourselves to actually enjoy the
holidays. Yeah. Without that added
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pressure. Without all that pressure. Yeah.
And the blog post goes so far as to
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suggest a call to action. Yeah. To minimal
action. Okay. Which is support your local
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restaurants. Yeah. Whether it’s through
ordering takeout. Wow. Or making
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reservations. What a great idea. You get
to enjoy delicious food. Yeah. But you’re
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also contributing to your local economy.
Exactly. It’s a win-win. It is. And even
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if you’re someone who loves to cook. Yeah.
Maybe this year you try something a little
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different. Like what? Instead of making
everything from scratch, maybe delegate a
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dish or two. Okay. Or even just focus on
reheating leftovers in a really creative
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way. So we’re not saying that everyone
should abandon their family recipes in
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order to take out every Christmas. Not at
all. It’s about finding that balance.
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Right. What works for you and your family.
Exactly. The core message here, I think,
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is that the true spirit of the holidays.
Yeah. It’s not about culinary perfection
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or rigid traditions. It’s about creating
memories and connecting with loved ones.
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Right. Regardless of where the food comes
from. I mean, that all makes sense. But
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I’m wondering, even though this all sounds
positive, do you think there might also be
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a sense of loss? Oh, that’s a good point.
Associated with moving away from these
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really deeply rooted culinary traditions?
It’s a really great question. Yeah. It’s
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definitely possible that some Mayorkans,
they might feel a twinge of nostalgia for
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those bustling kitchens. Yeah. And the
multi-generational cooking sessions. Yeah.
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That’s a good point. But I think,
ultimately, the focus seems to be on
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adapting and finding ways to preserve the
spirit of the holidays while still
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embracing the realities of modern life.
It’s so interesting how they’re finding
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that balance between the old and the new,
honoring their heritage, but also creating
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these new traditions. It’s fascinating.
Their Christmas celebrations might look
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different than they did a generation ago.
Yeah. But the essence seems like it’s
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still there. Absolutely. I think the
Mayorkans are really giving us all a new
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perspective on holiday traditions. Yeah.
You know? Yeah. It’s not about clinging to
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the past and doing things exactly the same
way. It’s about adapting. Yeah. And
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evolving. Right. While still holding on to
the heart of the holidays. Exactly. And I
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think their approach to Christmas dinner
is such a great example of that. Right.
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It’s like they’re showing us that
tradition can be fluid, you know? Yeah. It
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doesn’t have to be static. It can change
and adapt as our lives do. And they’re
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doing that beautifully by incorporating
that modern convenience while still, you
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know, cherishing what’s important about
their culinary heritage. It makes you
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think, you know … What do you mean? Do
we sometimes put too much pressure on
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ourselves … Oh, yeah. … to recreate
those, you know, those picture-perfect
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holiday meals? No. Totally. Like from
magazines? Yeah. From magazines or like,
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you know, memories from our childhood.
Yeah. Or those like really idealized
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versions of the holidays. Yeah. Maybe it’s
okay to let go of some of those
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expectations a little bit. Yeah. And focus
on creating an experience that’s just more
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enjoyable and less stressful for
everybody. Absolutely. I think the
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Mallorcan approach, you know, it
challenges us to think differently about
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our own holiday traditions. Like what
could we reimagine or simplify … Right.
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… you know, so that the holidays are
more about connection and joy … Yeah.
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… and less about feeling obligated to
stick to these outdated ideas of what a
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proper celebration should look like. What
if this year, instead of stressing over
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that like multi-course homemade feast …
Yeah. … we take inspiration from the
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Mallorcans … Oh, yeah. Thank you. …
and just embrace the joy of delegating?
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Yes. Maybe we order in a few dishes or,
you know, ask friends to bring a side, or
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even just focus on making one or two
special items … Right. … and keeping
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everything else really simple. I think
that’s brilliant. Yeah. Yeah. You know,
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it’s all about giving ourselves permission
to create a holiday experience that feels
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right for us … Yeah. … you know, that
reflects our values and priorities. And
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who knows, maybe that shift in perspective
will lead to even more meaningful and
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memorable celebrations. Absolutely. So as
we wrap up our Mallorcan Christmas deep
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dive, it seems like the big takeaway is
this, traditions are meant to evolve.
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That’s it. And sometimes that evolution
can lead to a more relaxed and joyful and
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delicious holiday experience. I think
that’s a great way to put it. And you
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know, it leaves me with this question I
want everyone listening to think about.
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Okay. What traditions could you reimagine
this year … Yeah. … to create a more
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joyful and less stressful holiday season?
I love that. What would it look like to
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really give yourself the gift of a
celebration focused on those connections
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… Mm-hmm. … and shared moments …
Yeah. … and not so much on like culinary
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perfection? Maybe this year the best
memories will be served with a side of
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laughter. I hope so. A sprinkle of
gratitude for everyone who contributes.
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Yeah. And you know, a newfound
appreciation for the beauty of a well
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-curated takeout box. Maybe. Happy
holidays, everyone.