Christmas movies, songs, and family traditions

[minismom]

We still haven't put up a Christmas tree or any other decorations.  At this late date, looks like we're not going to, either.  I have yet to buy, let alone send, any cards.  Tomorrow our Menorah will be taken out and the first of the candles lit.  Bring on the fried foods!

However unfestive our house looks, we pulled out our collection of Christmas movies to begin our 2 week marathon.  Tonight we're watching "Polar Express".  What are your favorite holiday movies to watch?  Are there any that need to be returned to the vault - never to be seen again?  What about the 30-minute cartoon specials that used to fill the evening: Baby New Year, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, The Land of Lost (or forgotten) Toys? 

While we're at it - what about songs, recipes, or family traditions?

[bocker3]

Every Christmas Eve since we've lived in Richmond, Sid and I head out to the old Byrd Theater and see It's a Wonderful Life for $1.99 -- they have an old organ that they play before the movie, that ends with a Christmas sing-a-long.  Cheesy??  yeah, but it's fun.

Each Christmas morning, after we open presents, we put on White Christmas.  I had never seen that movie until I met Sid, now I can't imagine Christmas Day without it.

Mike

[BT65]

Oh, I have to see "A Christmas Carol" starring Alister Sim every year.  And I make Fannie May fudge, and molasses cookies, and one other kind of fudge.  This year butterscotch fudge was it.  And I put a wreath on the door, and a few Christmas lights on the porch.  I also have a red wagon on my porch, and every year I go to Goodwill to look for random decorations to put on it. 

[MarkB]

I will follow an old custom, and place a light in a darkened window to guide the way of strangers.

 

[WillyWump]

"It's a Wonderful Life"!!!! The best, great to curl up in jammies with a nice cup of Sleepy Time Tea! I've done this religiously for the last 15 or so years, It just wouldnt be Xmas without "Its a Wonderful Life"! Which reminds me I need to dig up the DVD and perhaps buy another box of Sleepy time.

Bocker, that sounds so cool... xmas eve, Old Organ, Its a Wond Life....good times.

-Will

[Ann]

What about the 30-minute cartoon specials that used to fill the evening: Baby New Year, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, The Land of Lost (or forgotten) Toys? 

"Used to..."? Don't they show those old cartoons any more? What a shame! This will be my 20th Christmas on the Rock and those shows are something I've always missed over here. One of my favourites was the Charlie Brown one - can't remember what it was called, probably "A Charlie Brown Christmas" or something equally as obvious.

I don't really have any Christmas traditions these days. Since my daughter's father and I broke up, she and her father usually travel to the mainland to be with his mum, so I haven't seen the point to  putting up decorations or whatever. Christmas is for the kids, after all. To me, it's just a quiet day that I share with my bf and a few close friends. But I do miss those old cartoons!

Ann

[BT65]

"Used to..."? Don't they show those old cartoons any more? What a shame!

They still show some, but it's not like it used to be.  Yesterday I saw like a box set of the old cartoons, like "Frosty," "Rudolph," etc. It cost $25.  And I saw an advertisement on t.v. about a Charlie Brown boxset that has that famous "Charlie Brown Christmas" in it, along with 3 other holiday cartoons. 

[Andy Velez]

Some years I can really just enjoy seeing lotsa red and shiny decorations around the city. I sure did love it when my kids were KIDS and they used to go searching for their presents beforehand and/or begging/torturing me to let them have JUST ONE of them early. And then my having to resort to storing their gifts with a neighbor across the hall. Who later told me the boys had come over and attempted to negotiate with them about checking out their gifts. Oh, the fun of it all.

What remains a pretty constant pleasure through the years is enjoying the music. Two faves are Mahalia Jackson's album and the tippy top rockin' best of all, A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector with the Ronettes, Darlene Love and that gang on Santa Claus Lane.

Oh yah!

[Miss Philicia]

Now that I live alone as an AIDS spinster I have no traditions.  I don't even put a wreath on the door like the other single people in my building do.

But lately once I'm home with my parents I've developed the desire to make a yearly huge gouda cheese and potato gratin, as well as a delicious bourbon soaked bread pudding.

I spend as much time traveling in a car at Christmas as I do actually celebrating it, so it's a bit of a chore.  Since I go down to my brother's in Raleigh the day after Christmas it just adds to the drama.  Next year I'm going to buy a one-way airline ticket back.  Oh, and the annual mother/sister-in-law drama doesn't help either.  What is it with women that they can't play nice around each other?

[mecch]

I saw a patrick swayze christmas movie the other day it was awful. Terrible dreck.  Christmas in Wonderland.  More like christmas in C-movie hell.

[Miss Philicia]

In terms of seasonal television programming, my favorite is the minor 1970's classic The Year Without a Santa Claus which features the hilarious Heat Miser and Snow Miser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yon2YuXssvo

[Oceanbeach]

Tequila Butter Cookies

1 Bottle Cuervo 1800
4 Egg Yolks
2 Cups Butter
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
4 Cups Flour
jelly, almonds, chocolate chips (optional)

The first step is to check quality... pour yourself 1 shot of tequila.  Is it as expected (I personally never use lime or salt).  Preheat Oven to 350 and please feel free to retest the tequila for consistency.  Pour yourself another shot and beat the Egg Yolks until foamy and the color of lemon. ADD Butter, pour yourself another shot of tequila, add sugar, and Vanilla and mix well. Doesn't another shot of tequila sound real good about now? Indulge yourself, have another shot. ADD Flour gradually and combine thoroughly. Quality check time, have another shot of tequila. Pinch off pieces of the mixture (marble size) and place on a greased cookie sheet  OPTIONAL: Make a depression in each and fill with jelly, almonds, or chocolate chips. Bake for 10 minutes and treat yourself to another shot of tequila. Watch carefully, the cookies will not turn brown. The bottom will get a very light brown. Yields 4 Dozen

  Have the best day
Michael

[GNYC09]

In terms of seasonal television programming, my favorite is the minor 1970's classic The Year Without a Santa Claus which features the hilarious Heat Miser and Snow Miser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yon2YuXssvo

Isn't Heat Miser (or his hair) part of the cast of "Jersey Shore"?

Love the show you mention + "March of the Wooden Soldiers" with Laurel and Hardy!

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Texan38]

I have more of a memory.....my aunt's house, a live Christmas tree which filled her house of fresh pine, lights, decorations and a fireplace roaring while I was sitting on the carpeted floor with a 7 month old puppy they had just gotten as a gift. Suddenly, I saw snow outside the windows of the living room slowly begin to fall.
The silence, the smell of pine, the puppy breath.....it was and is the best memory of Christmas I will ever have.

Merry Christmas All!

 

[skeebo1969]

  I like the movie Christmas Story, something about that movie makes me feel good.

[GSOgymrat]

I love A Christmas Story. It cracks me up every time.

Mr. Parker: Fra-gee-lay. That must be Italian.
Mrs. Parker: Uh, I think that says FRAGILE, dear.
Mr. Parker: Oh, yeah.




I think Herbie from Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer was one of the first gay characters I identified with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwlOUAAyPQE&feature=fvw

[skeebo1969]

I love A Christmas Story. It cracks me up every time.

Mr. Parker: Fra-gee-lay. That must be Italian.
Mrs. Parker: Uh, I think that says FRAGILE, dear.
Mr. Parker: Oh, yeah.

LOL... remember after the dogs got into their kitchen and ate the Christmas turkey? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46WcFObgYhI

[Ann]

I think Herbie from Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer was one of the first gay characters I identified with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7usbZhBMIjE

[J.R.E.]

Based on an Actual letter written in 1897...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aevy8jIBZmM&feature=related


Ray

[minismom]

Andy, all the kids' stuff is right outside the door that leads from their playroom to the garage.  If they just opened that door, WHAMO! they'd find their booty still in the store bags. If I earnestly tried to hide it from them, they'd find it.  I'm still not finished with the shopping - haven't thought about it since Black Friday.  Doesn't help that the kids haven't asked for anything.  Guess I need to get on that - I'm usually done by Black Friday.

While we're on the trend of favorites - what your favorite gift to give or a favorite gift you've received?

Watched the end of "It's a Wonderful Life" last night.  That movie never gets old.

Mum

[leatherman]

Since I just left behind every Christmas tradition I ever had over the last 25 yrs (why I even had to give away my Christmas tree cause it wouldn't fit in the Uhaul ), and since the leaves have barely even fallen off the trees and the temps are still in the 50s here in SC; instead of the ground being covered in white, and the temps barely able to get into the 30s like it was in OH all those years, it doesn't "feel" like Christmas time at all. It's very weird and feels like Thanksgiving should be coming around again. 

Some years I had been lucky enough to get early Christmas presents (sometimes paid for by family, sometimes by friends, and sometimes even by co-workers) of being able to fly back home to attend the family Holiday get-together. It'll be nice not having to go through my usual Holiday traditions of checking my luggage, taking off my shoes, or worrying that my shampoo has too much liquid and will be confiscated to see them this year.

Since the Family get-together is held the weekend before Christmas (because my brothers' traditions are to take their families to their wives' parents' houses on Christmas Day), a friend and I are going to Myrtle Beach for the weekend. Trapped up in landlocked Ohio, I haven't seen the beach in over 25 years and I can't wait to walk on the sand and wade in the surf. No matter how cold it is, I plan to get a pix of me smiling in my speedos on the sand to make all my old COLD Ohio friends envious. ROFLMAO

What a change of tradition this could become to be at the beach instead of buried under snow. I think I might like this change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7usbZhBMIjE

that was brillant! thanks 4 the link

[GSOgymrat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7usbZhBMIjE

LOL! Well done.

[Basquo]

In terms of seasonal television programming, my favorite is the minor 1970's classic The Year Without a Santa Claus which features the hilarious Heat Miser and Snow Miser.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yon2YuXssvo

YAY PHILICIA!!! That's my alltime favourite, too!  I bought it a couple of years ago on DVD and made Santi watch it last year.  Judging from his reaction, I'll probably enjoy it by myself this year.  Like you, I also spend a helluva lot of time in a car during the holidays. I do enjoy flipping through the random AM stations once I get out to the desert or the Plains and there's no FM to be found.

BT, check out discount stores like Ross or TJMaxx for cheap holiday DVDs. I found a box set like the one you described for $7 or something like that.

[Carly]

We've not really been in the Christmas spirit since things have been rather shitty lately.  We found out the boyfriend was positive in mid November & then right before Thanksgiving I got word from the big boss at my company that my maintenance man was being fired, but it was confidential, so I couldn't tell him.  He's been with us for years, but he's getting older & just can't keep up anymore.  But basically what the company did was advertise his job in the local paper, & that's how he found out he was being fired.  Nice, eh?

So with all that, I just haven't felt very Christmassy.  I got all my shopping finished in one night online, & it was much, much better than fighting people in the stores.  Most of the time I just want to hold all of the other Christmas shoppers underwater until they stop twitching.  And I figured this year I would probably end up punching someone in the face, so I thought online would just be better.  And it was. 

We have the usual family tradition of eating lunch at his parent's house on Christmas day, then we have two seperate Christmases with my family because my parents are divorced, which basically means we have 3 places we have to go in approximately a 48 hour period & the stress on us is hell.  But I am grateful that we at least have families that we love who love us back that we can share the holidays with.

And as far as movies go, I love A Christmas Story too.  It's a brilliant movie that really stands the test of time.  I also love the original claymation "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer".  But the only movie that I really make a point to watch around Christmas time is Silent Night, Deadly Night, because I am a horrible, bitter person.  But I just love that movie.  I love the perversion of Santa Clause & all that is Christmas.  I think I've just been angry ever since the 3rd grade when I found out Santa Clause wasn't real.  Also I hate the fact that Christmas is all about spending money.  And ever since I joined facebook I just want to punch people in the face who send those little cause invites to me that say "keep Christ in Christmas", a fucking Pagan holiday.

Sorry guys, I guess I'm just a regular old Schrooge.

[StacheBC]

Eating Panettone always makes it feel like Christmas to me.

When I can, enjoy going away for Christmas... with family and/or friends to somewhere warm.
Christmas is usually my longest holiday of the year... so in town or not I usually enjoy it 

[Grasshopper]

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