Seasons Greetings from KÜHL

KÜHL would like to wish you a happy holiday season full of mountains, memories and more! We asked our ambassadors to share their favorite holiday traditions. No matter how you celebrate, we hope you get outside and get inspired by Mother Nature!

---

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. John Muir

I spend the holidays in Northern Italy, where my family lives, and one thing I try to do every year is spend at least one day in the Alps, either skiing or hiking. Last year we spent New Year's Eve in a mountain hut and summited Grignone on New Year's Day. For a mountain lover, it was the perfect way to start the year! Margherita Ragg

---

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than in things. Thomas S. Monson

Our Christmas traditions include hanging a new ornament on our tree, buying a nutcracker for our collection and throwing a party with our friends and family. From great food, fun games and lots of laughter, we make this holiday unforgettable for all and wouldn’t have it any other way. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and an incredible New Year full of adventures! Rocye Fonseca & Axle Ethington

---

Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood. Andy Goldsworthy

The outdoors and family aren't interchangeable. We love being outside, and so, as we do every year, we'll be searching for Santa Claus between snow-covered peaks and powder turns. Jason Hummel

---

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. Dale Evans

We usually invite our friends and family to our house in Park City and celebrate with an amazing dinner and catching up with stories from so many generations! This year is a little different because after we open presents Christmas morning I will fly to Punta Arenas, Chile and then eventually head down to Antarctica to climb my sixth of the Seven Summits for More Than Just Me. It will definitely be a unique year, especially because our daughter, Mayzie Soleil, will be celebrating her first Christmas. We're hoping to teach her that the meaning of the holiday is to love the world and to spread that love! Tommy Danger

---

Ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time. H.P. Lovecraft

Happy Holidays from beneath mountains of ice. We celebrate the return of winter and the firming up of sea ice in the north. We hope it will set quickly to offer the Inuit an opportunity to get out on their land and bring together their communities for traditional activities that build peace and welfare for all. Jill Heinerth

---

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. Edward Abbey

No matter where Christmas finds me in the World, it does and always will mean one thing to me: snow and mountains. South Tyrol, my homeland, always calls me to its slopes, snowy peaks, lighted streets and solitary magical landscapes. Albeit with a hint of nostalgia, unless I am lucky enough to spend it there, I can’t think of Christmas without thinking of this mesmerizing land. Fröhe Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr! Francesca Conte

---

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. Calvin Coolidge

Why go buy a Christmas tree at a market or in a big box store if you have the chance to go explore and chop one down yourself? It kicks off the holiday season just right. That’s what we were thinking when we took off to explore Squamish Valley, British Columbia, on the hunt for our version of the perfect Christmas tree. We packed the essentials: saw, ratchet straps for the car, ginger cookies, and, last but perhaps the most important, eggnog and rum. The air was crisp and the sun had another hour before it set. Mother Nature may not have provided us with a winter wonderland, but we made sure to bring the Christmas spirit ourselves. Ebba Hassel & Bradford McArthur

---

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds. Gilbert K. Chesterton

I work at ski resort so it's hard to escape during the holidays, but my family plans a late Christmas weekend so we can all meet and enjoy the holidays together. One of our family traditions is making and enjoying fondue. Theo Rich

---

Home is the nicest word there is. Laura Ingalls Wilder

My parents always have a full house over the holidays and beds come at a premium, so my wife and I end out camping out in our renovated 1974 Airstream Argosy. While we are home, one of our family traditions is to to go bird hunting. Sometimes we hut ducks, other times quail or pheasant; it's always a great way to spend time outdoors with the family and later around the dinner table with fresh game. Anthony Johnson

---

The most important thing in the world is family and love. John Wooden

My holiday tradition is spending time with these goofballs, some of my favorite humans on planet earth. Free from distraction, 100% immersed in our own brand of ridiculousness, it’s like the rest of the world melts away and we’re able to be entirely present with each other in the moments we share. We’ve been actively practicing Hygge, the Danish art of contentment, comfort, and connection, for three years now, and perhaps, more than anything, that’s become the core of all other traditions through the Christmas season. Matthew Wordell

---

Some memories are unforgettable, remaining ever vivid and heartwarming! Joseph B. Wirthlin

We kicked our 2017 holiday season off in search of a perfect Christmas tree. We bundled up the kids and headed to Wyoming, near Fort Bridger. With a permit in hand, we searched the afternoon in the highlands of the Wasatch Forest, and guess what? We found it. What a special memory and one that we will all remember. When in doubt, opt for the outdoors. Kenyon Virchow

---

The darkness of the whole world cannot swallow the glowing of a candle. Robert Altinger

This year is a lot different than usual because it's the first year we've opened our home to foster children. One of my favorite traditions is lighting the menorah and making latkes. Normally, I do that by myself. My husband is Catholic, and he's happy to eat latkes, but he doesn't make them. This year it was a lot more fun because we have an 8 year old foster son here with us! He's had so much fun learning about Hanukkah and celebrating. Of course, he's thrilled that he gets Christmas, too! Danielle Cemprola

---

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. John Muir

The holiday season is a time to shine some light and reflect on memories, embracing health and happiness with family and friends. This year I will spend the holidays cherishing family and friends, getting outside, and working at the hospital hoping to bring joy to those in need. Jill Cederholm

---

There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast. Charles Dickens

I'm from Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia. Christmas here is celebrated on both Christmas Even and throughout Christmas day. The most typical thing to do is to have a family gathering, which usually means a meal of several courses. Many go to midnight mass and then meet afterwards to exchange blessings and wishes with family and friends. The weather is usually quite good on Christmas day, and lots of people enjoy a walk to Poetto beach. This year, I'm traveling to Israel over the holidays. I arrive in Tel Aviv December 24 and will stay with friends to enjoy the good weather and the local food. Claudia Tavani

---

The family is one of nature's masterpieces. George Santayana

We spend Christmas with our extended family celebrating our blessings and sharing the joy of the season. Christmas Eve church service is the beginning of our family festivities which continues with exchanging of gifts on Christmas morning and a Thanksgiving-like meal later in the day. Many of us also go together on a family run through the nearby Amish country in Lancaster, PA, and we've been known to play an energetic game of backyard football, some years in the snow! Eric Hörst

---

Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection. Winston Churchill

For me, the holidays represent a time of reflection. I’ve worked hard to create a life based on my love of the outdoors. During this time of year, I try hard to remind myself how fortunate I am to live a life of passion and to be able to share it with the people I love! James Gill

---

Sunset is still my favorite color, and rainbow is second. Mattie Stepanek

This holiday season I will reflect on the year's sunsets, mountain treks and incredible moments - big and small - and then start planning for next year's adventures with those I cherish most. Nicole Goodman

---

We wish you a happy, healthy holiday season full of Born in the Mountains spirit and adventure!Feature image by Ric Cederholm