It's Not Christmas Until...
What starts off the Christmas season for you?
I am, admittedly, a bit of a scrooge about Christmas. I like celebrating my holidays one-by-one is all. Christmas music at Halloween is so annoying and I really dislike seeing the decorations everywhere at Thanksgiving. I really don't hate Christmas, I just like it in it's place. I grew up in North Pole, Alaska, and I got a little jaded seeing candy cane light poles and a giant statue of Santa every day. That's a real thing, you can google it.
One of the things that really helps my Christmas spirit along is movies. I'm a sucker for an old Christmas movie, particularly White Christmas and Holiday Inn.
Bing Crosby is the voice of Christmas, I think that feeling is fairly universal. This Dynamic Duo of movies has it all; charm, wit, big sets, drama, singing, dancing (WOW, the dancing) and of course all the perfect holiday vibes.
My husband and I like to simmer a pot of homemade apple cider, spike it with some spiced rum, pop the popcorn, and settle in for a great rewatch. Even if I don't have my tree up yet this always feels like the start of the season for me.
Of course there's so many wonderful Christmas movies and great traditions that ring in the festivities. It's a Wonderful Life always comes to mind with charming, stuttering James Stewart working out his life with his angel buddy. Pair that with hot chocolate and a fuzzy blanket? You're in the holiday spirit.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas holds a special place in my family, not just the movie but the book as well. Every Christmas Eve my mother would read the story out loud and do all the voices, giving life to each little Who down in Whoville. We would often watch the old animated movie as well, but the cast never lived up to my mom's voice work.
We got the chance to introduce my niece to the Muppets Christmas Carol which will always transport me back to childhood and not realizing that Michael Caine was such an incredible actor. He took that role so seriously, it will always make me giggle. The Muppets are such a cozy franchise full of whimsy and incredible tales, a big family vibe, and so much love for the imaginative world that they live in. If that doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit, you may be made of stone.
I would be remiss if I did not include Home Alone on this list. It was truly every Scooby-Doo-loving kids biggest goal in life to build an elaborate set of traps to ensnare a lightly scary but ultimately harmless bad guy. The movie has been out for over 30 years but we are all still quoting it every season.
"Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal."
We all loved when Macaulay Culkin did the Home Alone ad for Google Assistant, don't lie to yourself.
Of course, I do enjoy some newer movies. Elf was an instant classic and really embodied the childlike wonder surrounding Christmas. The people who dreamt this up somehow combined stop-motion classics with modern day rom-com shenanigans. Throw in an estranged family and the diet every child wishes their mom would let them eat and you have a movie the whole family will enjoy.
In the realm of sweet and sentimental movies we have The Holiday.
I'm not much of a Jude Law gal but Jude Law in THIS movie is irresistable. Who knew that Jack Black could lead a rom-com? He was still a goofball of course, but a very lovable one. This movie will have you booking an AirBnB in a different country hoping for a holiday romance to warm our souls.
Or hoping for Jude Law in glasses. Either one.
Of course, there's so much more than movies that get me in the spirit. I do love getting all the decorations out. I love apple cider and mulled wine, christmas cookies and hot chocolate. Here in Alaska it's extra snowy and dark in December so you can live in the glow of your christmas lights and pumpkin spice candles. I love getting my family gifts and I love when they give me the quirky little things only they would know I'd love. The gratitude and the care surrounding us all is intoxicating and makes the dreary month pass by in a cozy hug.
What helps you feel like it's Christmas? The music? The food? The decorations? Let's share our traditions and invite one another into our holidays.
About the Creator
C.Z.
A slightly inspired, barely motivated, lover of fact and fiction
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Comments (2)
Cheesy Christmas songs do it for me! And wrapping gifts. Christmas baking. My brother dropped off a homemade Christmas cake, and feeding it Black Cherry rum twice a week was my favourite way to count down. That's definitely going to be a tradition! I'm like you, I can't stand Christmas stuff at Halloween. I get the shops have to start doing it in November, but any earlier than that is stupid.
I really enjoyed this peek into what makes Christmas Christmas for you. I am the same as you and that I think they really start Christmas way too early. But you know it’s all about the Almighty dollar and capitalism and all of that stuff. It’s not about Christmas itself. Unfortunately it’s all commercialized these days. But I do enjoy Christmas the lseason once it is actually upon us. Great work and great writing!