Merry Christmas To All...
...and, well, you know the rest :)
One of the things I love most about Christmas is the traditions that have developed over the years. For me, a lot of the best memories from the season are tied to these.
Growing up, we would always go to my paternal grandparents for a big Christmas Eve get-together1. Afterward, we would always stop at (as odd as it sounds) a White Castle’s drive-thru and pick up a bunch of sliders to munch on while we exchanged gifts. Yes, we were one of those families that opened all our gifts on Christmas Eve. We used to wait until Christmas Day, but when we were younger my sister and I would bug our parents to open our presents on Christmas Eve. Eventually, they caved, and it became a thing. I think they liked sleeping in on Christmas Day, which certainly didn’t hurt our cause. Anyway, no matter how much food we had at my grandma’s the White Castle stop was always non-negotiable. We usually got home around 11:00 pm and would do gifts then we would turn on WGN2 where, at midnight, they would always run “A Christmas Carol” (the 1951, Alastair Sim version), hosted by Patrick MacNee (who played a young Bob Marley in this one). I think this is one of the main reasons I prefer the Sim version over any other.
Afterward, those who hadn’t zonked out beforehand (which was usually just me, sometimes my sister would make it) would hit the hay. When my sister and I moved away in later years, my mom always wanted us to stay over “because it’s so late” which was always fine with me (even though I only lived about 10 minutes away).
The next morning we’d wake up to mom cooking breakfast, then sit around until lunch/dinner where ham was usually the main course, and then we’d watch Christmas movies which, in later years, became the “Christmas Story” marathon that ran on cable.
That was pretty much our tradition for many years when I lived with/near my parents. Since then, I’ve gotten married and moved down to sunny Florida where my wife and I have a few traditions of our own.
The day after Thanksgiving we would go out and buy a tree to decorate. This year, we went with a fake tree that we’re leaving up all year3 and decorated on the day after Thanksgiving. Of course, we have to have a glass of eggnog as we trim the tree, as well. We still open presents on Christmas Eve and that’s not entirely a holdover from my family traditions. If it were up to my wife, we’d open gifts on the 20th (or sooner!). It’s only because I make her wait that we open them on the 24th! We also take a trip to the beach on Christmas Day if the weather is decent. Down here, that just means it’s not pouring rain. It’s usually mild and sunny and makes for a great morning. I always have to take a pic from the beach to rub it in to family and friends at home, though this year they're calling for temps in the 30s so I might have to break out the long pants and jacket!
We still keep the Christmas movie tradition going. Some of our favorites are “It’s a Wonderful Life”, the aforementioned Alastair Sim “Christmas Carol”, “The Santa Clause”, “Die Hard”4, and “The Year Without A Santa Clause”.
We also have a local law firm that puts on a huge, drive-through, light display every year. It comes complete with music and we usually cruise through there a time or two before the season ends. I didn’t have any pictures saved from our recent drive-through, but I found a YouTube video that shows the whole experience much better than a few blurry pictures.
Through the years and as I get older, one of the most enduring traditions that I’ve always tried to keep was to be grateful for my life and the people I have in it.
How about you? Any new or enduring traditions that you enjoy during the season?
Let me know down below and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year!
Until next time—
My dad has two brothers and three sisters. Combine that with their kids and friends and we had a huge gathering.
WGN was a cable company out of Chicago, Ill. When my dad was stationed in Great Lakes, Ill at the Naval Base, we became very familiar with it.
Yes, a controversial pick, I know, but I will always consider it a Christmas movie!
Nice rememberies, Mark! Thanks! I was thinking about doing a holiday traditions piece, myself, but aside from warm and wonderful childhood memories, I couldn't really fill out an entire article! Happy to share with you, though, one particularly memorable event: Dad would take a can of spray "snow" flocking, and on our large picture window (where our tree was placed), would spray a four-letter word for visitors who'd easily see it upon walking up to our porch.
My bro and I must've been 5 or so when we first asked, "Daddy, who is "LEON," and why did you write his name on our window? Of course, he had spelled out "NOEL" so as to be read from the outside. I don't know about my brother, but I was fascinated by the combination of physics, perspective, and language arts those 4 letters suddenly presented! A writer is born (if not borin')!! Good show, Mark! Happy Holidays, and all the best for a fab '23.....skidoo!--Brad
Stay warm, stay safe! Happy holidays!