Winter recipes that warm the soul, such as hearty soups, festive cookies, and spiced beverages, not only provide nourishment during colder days but also foster joy and togetherness among loved ones by creating cherished memories through shared culinary traditions.

Winter’s cold has a unique way of making us feel like we need the warmth of both shelter and friends. Because of this, it seems like the recipes people share during this time aren’t just about food in memorable or meaningful ways. Winter recipes are like rituals passed down through generations. When people cook together or share meals during winter, they’re doing more than just surviving. (And yes, it’s kind of gross to think how even a well-cooked meal might be touching with bare hands if there isn’t a way to wash up.) But the reality is that the darkness and cold of winter make us need the warmth of those close to us more than ever. So, winter is a time when we hold onto friends and family more tightly (and even with recipes that might be touching with bare hands).

Winter recipes are important for creating togetherness during the holidays because they provide families with cozy and comforting foods. When the weather is cold outside, there’s nothing better than coming inside to a warm house filled with the cozy smells of hearty soups, baked goods, or other winter treats.

Between now and the end of the year, busy kitchens across the country (and hopefully yours too!) will be filled with smells from familiar recipes as families prepare for the holidays. Whether it’s cooking up a huge pot of soup for a cold day or making spicy mulled cider that fills the house with its warm and inviting scent, cooking during the winter months is a special time imbued with ritual and remembrance for many families.

The kitchen is naturally where people gather, and one of the most important parts of this space, both physically and symbolically, is the stove. It is from here and the steps leading to it that people prepare for “a time of joy and togetherness.” This is the time when recipes, especially winter ones, come to life in what Johnson (2001) calls “the warm and loving places where winter joys are shared.” Johnson also mentions that “the act of preparing food, simple as it may be, can create a shared sense of unity among those who partake in it.” The warmth and simple functionality of recipes can be seen, and even more so felt, in the embrace shared around a well-worn kitchen counter, an important piece of furniture in any home. Peeling carrots for a stew or rolling dough for cookies transforms what some might see as ordinary tasks into “important and necessary good work, work that contributes in essential ways to the loving relationships among those who share in it.”

The idea that cooking can be part of a ritual is simple, yet full of deep meaning. It connects the act of making those winter recipes to the appreciative response they should get when shared with others. Cooking as ritual also connects these recipes to the important idea that winter, even when dark and cold, offers time and space to feel the comfort and warmth of growing closer to those around us, both physically and emotionally.

What the writers say in this article is beautiful, useful, and something I hope to keep thinking about. Cooking as ritual is something that “people have continued since the beginning of time.” When I cook, I want to remember that I’m taking part in that long and deep practice.

Food has a special power to bring people together, creating good memories that warm their hearts even in the coldest winter months. Recipes passed down in families often reflect shared history and moments that make up a certain recipe’s “cultural feel.” In this way, shared cooking seems like a wonderful winter meal ritual; whether it’s the spicy, warm fragrance of homemade soup filling the kitchen or the first bite of a soft, fudgy brownie, there’s magic in the mix.