The Peppermint Twist

Every December, our basement becomes a dance floor—our own seasonal stage where the style changes each year but the joy stays the same. Last year’s snowflake waltz was beautiful but far too delicate for four-year-olds who move at the speed of candy-fueled comets. So this year we picked a dance built for giggles, spins, and controlled chaos: The Peppermint Twist. Inspired by the candy-striped whirl of the season and Chubby Checker’s iconic twist, we transformed the basement into the Peppermint Twist Lounge—a retro, candy-cane speakeasy filled with bold patterns, red-and-white decor, and pure holiday energy.

The morning set the tone with spirals everywhere—red velvet cinnamon rolls dripping with cream-cheese icing, crescents shaped like candy canes, and strawberry-banana “hooks” lined across plates. While the kids worked through breakfast with sticky enthusiasm, the kitchen shifted into peppermint-laboratory mode: melting-peppermint ornaments cooling on parchment, crushed mints spinning in the food processor, and the first batch of homemade candy-cane shot glasses setting in silicone molds. A DIY peppermint vodka infusion steeped nearby, waiting for the grown-up taste test against official Smirnoff Peppermint Twist later that night.

Craft time brought a full blizzard of stripes. Paper-plate twists wrapped in cellophane bounced across the table, each one more chaotic than the last. Then came the household favorite: peppermint slime—stretchy, glossy, red-and-white goo that Miles and Edison kneaded into ropes and spirals like tiny confectioners in training.

Lunch delivered a warm reset: tomato soup finished with a crème-fraîche swirl—one more quiet nod to the day’s theme. From there, the true transformation began. In under an hour the Peppermint Twist Lounge snapped into place: spinning vinyl records overhead, candy-cane garlands lining the walls, striped tablecloths draped over every surface, and a glowing screen announcing the lounge’s grand opening. Outfits followed suit—Bekah in a Scandinavian-patterned sweater, Ben in candy-stripe suspenders and bow tie, Miles in a candy-cane sweater, and Edison in a twirly tutu. We looked like the house band for a mid-century holiday variety show.

Once the lounge opened, Chubby Checker handled the teaching. Within minutes, everyone was twisting—knees pumping, hips swiveling, and small feet sliding with joyful recklessness across the floor. Between rounds, we played Christmas (Chubby) Checkers with peppermint candies for pieces and stumbled through Santa’s Tongue Twisters, which produced more real laughter than any official game we’ve ever purchased.

Snacks appeared mid-dance: a pepperoni-and-cracker candy-cane grazing board, with banana and strawberry skewers alternativing to look like candy canes. Dinner stayed on theme—a red-and-white swirled pizza paired with both red and white twist-cap wines—and dessert gave a final flourish with crisp peppermint meringues piped in perfect stripes.

The night wrapped with an adults-only moment after the kids were tucked in: a peppermint shot-glass showdown, pitting our homemade candy-cane vodka against Smirnoff’s Peppermint Twist. The homemade version won points for charm and color; the bottled version won for potency and consistency. Both felt right at home in a lounge built around the art of the twist. And because it was too good to resist, the candy cane stiped dancing pole from the North Pole Dancing Studio was pulled out of our garage and reinstalled to see if we still had the moves. We had the heart, but the moves weren’t quite there. However, the commotion we made woke up Miles who wandered out to inquire what was happening. Intrigued, he gave it a go and frankly put us to shame with his spins. The kid has talent!

In the end, the Peppermint Twist wasn’t just a dance—it became a whole-day rhythm: playful, bright, a little chaotic, and unmistakably ours. It delivered exactly what a family tradition should—a simple idea done wholeheartedly, stretched into a day full of movement, creativity, and just enough peppermint to mark the season without overwhelming it. It was Christmas distilled into a spin, a laugh, and one very striped basement.

Activities

• Paper-Plate Peppermint Twist Crafts

• Melting Peppermint Ornaments

• Homemade Candy Cane Vodka & Shot Glass Making

• Peppermint Slime Workshop

• Candy Cane Lane Décor Build

• Peppermint Twist Lounge Dancing

• Christmas (Chubby) Checkers

• Santa’s Tongue Twisters

• Peppermint Shot-Glass Taste Test (Smirnoff vs. Homemade)

• Menu

• Red Velvet Cinnamon Rolls With Peppermint Spiral Icing

• Crescent Candy Cane Pastries With Strawberry Jam

• Strawberry–Banana Candy Cane Hooks

• Tomato Soup With Crème-Fraîche Swirl

• Pepperoni & Cracker Candy Cane Board

• Pizza Swirl

• Red & White Twist-Cap Wine

• Peppermint Meringues

• Peppermint White Russian

• Peppermint Martini

• Homemade Candy Cane Vodka