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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Extra-tradition

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for blogs that reviewed books, and I came across a site called Reading Adventures. Marg, the author, was promoting an Advent Blog Tour, sort of along the lines of the Carnival of Education (this week's edition is currently running at Mamacita's place, by the way).

Every day, Marg posts links to a blog where the author shares a Christmas memory or tradition. Well, I'm just full of it -- tradition, that is -- so I promptly signed up for December 11th.

And here we are. I've read a couple of other stops on the Advent Blog Tour, so I know I won't be the first to talk about Christmas movies, but that is my family's major Christmas tradition. Every year, on December 23rd (which I call Christmas Eve Eve, but my sister-in-law insists on calling Christmas Adam), we have our family Christmas movie marathon.

Beginning around 5, we screen movie after movie after movie, until everyone decides it's just time to crash and go home. This usually happens around 4 or 5 in the morning, though people doze throughout the evening.

It's a Wonderful Life is always run during dinner, because we all know it by heart and there's really no reason to have to SEE Zuzu's petals or Clarence jumping into the river.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Bill Murray's Scrooged are ALWAYS shown, but the other movies rotate in and out from year to year. We've watched all the incarnations of A Christmas Carol, all 3 Santa Clauses, Jingle All the Way, The Preacher's Wife, Elf, Serendipity, A Christmas Story, Deck the Halls, Christmas with the Cranks, The Holiday, The Family Man, and many others I've forgotten over the years.

I think we put up Trading Places one year, but once we remembered that there is a lot of language and a few boobs (and there are several little kids at movie night), we decided to save that one for another evening.

As a tradition-within-a-tradition, my brother and I used to wait until most of the others had fallen asleep, usually around 3AM, and then put Die Hard into the VCR. After all, it IS a Christmas party at Nakatomi Tower!

I want to thank Marg for letting me part of the Advent Blog Tour, and thanks to everyone stopping by to read!

14 comments:

Marg said...

I love the idea of that being a tradition.

I usually watch Carols by Candlelight while I madly try to finish wrapping presents and then collapse into bed, but I do like your version of Christmas Eve a whole lot better!

Thanks so much for participating in the tour!

Chrisbookarama said...

That sounds like a lot of fun!

Krissi said...

Christmas Adam, that is great. I am going to have to remember that. What a great way to ring in Christmas. Watching all those great movies and being together with out all the other Christmas pressure. Great tradition.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Christmas Adam!! LOL!! Although I'm prone to saying Christmas Eve Eve, too.

My husband and I are humungous movie buffs, so Christmas movies are completely tied to the holidays. 'Blackadder's Christmas' is my most favoritist one.

Kailana said...

We always watch Christmas movies in my house on Christmas Eve, too. It has been a tradition for years!

Penelope said...

What a fun tradition! I bet it makes for some great bonding time.

LOL...I LOVE the Christmas Adam reference! I've been calling it Christmas Eve Eve, too.

Melissa said...

Die hard, love that as your Christmas tradition. TFS.

Vickie said...

I like Christmas Adam, I must remember that term. That sounds like a good night. I have seen many of those movies. My favorite is "A Christmas Story".

I spend my Christmas Adam wrapping presents, but I do watch Christmas movies. Mainly the ones on the Hallmark Channel or The Family Channel.

Mister Teacher said...

Hmmm. . .Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned "Christmas Adam." I'd hate for that to become a thing. It's the EVENING before Christmas, it's not the NAME of a person, Eve! If we start calling it Christmas Adam, then Dec 22 should be Christmas Cain, Dec 21 can be Christmas Abel, Dec 20 can be Christmas Noah, etc etc... Do we really want to go down that path???

Kerrie said...

It is really interesting to read about how everybody celebrates

Louise said...

Great post about movies. I have commented on several of the Blog Advent Christmas movies posts which has been up over the days and said more or less the same, which is that I don't know that many of the movies mentioned, and I still don't :-) But I love to watch Trading Places and we always do that for Christmas. Not on the 23rd or 24th but one of the days after Christmas when all are worn out from eating and opening presents. I love that movie :-) Thanks for posting. I have enjoyed each and every Blog Advent post so far.

Anonymous said...

What a fun tradition!

Susan said...

I love your tradition too, everyone gathered to watch movies, no Christmas rush, that's fabulous. I might have to instigate something like that with my family, though it can't be the 23 or 24 because I'm usually wrapping and doing last-minute things then!! but the 26? wouldn't that be a great time to just unwind, eat the rest of the turkey/ham/goose, and watch movies all day? I'm sold!! and Die Hard - you're right, a secret Christmas movie!! lovely post, Teacher! thank you.

Julia said...

Oh, I love your ideas of Christmas movie tradition!!! (see my excitment? You got me started LOL) I love to watch movies so this be perfect to try to schedule a date for Christmas movies, so that family and friends can gather together at once to watch it. It not that we don't watch movies together. It just that sometime, one or the other members aren't there and we feel they will miss the spirit of being together for a movies night.

I love most of the movies you have list here. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Bill Murray's Scrooged, The Christmas Carol, Jingle All the Way, Santa Clause (all 3), It's A Wonderful Life..etc are among my favorite :)

I wish you and your family a Happy Holidays!