by Seleste deLaney
I was sitting here, trying to get in the holiday spirit so I could write this post because I had nothing for a topic. Tunes were playing, tree was lit, hot cocoa in hand…still nothing. Then it hit me, I was living my holiday post.
You see, I love the holidays, but not entirely in the same way as other people. Sure, I love the lights and the tunes. But truth is an author friend of mine mentioned a black Christmas tree a while back, and I covet one. I went so far as to consider painting one, but I didn’t want the mess. I found a small one at Target though, and if I can’t get a full size, I will be buying it. Why? Because it’s just so very me. And music? I collect holiday music, but most of my favorites are less about nostalgia and more about energy. I just finished listening to “All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan” and I’ve moved on to “Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy”. Hoping “Let’s Be Naughty (and Save Santa the Trip)” is next.
Then there are all the holiday movies. I’m still a sucker for the classic Claymation cartoons. We’ll do a viewing of Rudolph, Frosty, etc, and I hope snow will be falling outside our window at the time. But the movie I look forward to every holiday season? Die Hard. A tale of lost love, redemption, and lots of explosions. What? You expected It’s a Wonderful Life? My second favorite holiday movie, though one I haven’t watched in ages, is Trading Places. Every time I think about Akroyd eating the fish through his Santa beard I have a good chuckle. And there’s always room for a little Bad Santa, just because Billy Bob Thornton is awesome.
Sure. I bake cookies and make chocolates and send cards. Though this year, some of my cards feature vampires, and I’m still debating using the big naked woman chocolate mold and sending it to a random guy friend. We do a lot of the traditional stuff, just in our own warped way.
Come on, when you have a kid who tries to take out the priest on Christmas Eve with his Power Ranger stealth ninja skills, do you really expect things to be normal?
One lucky reader will receive a copy of my holiday release The Ghost of Vampire Present and an “I ♥ Smexy Max” t-shirt. What I want to know is what is your favorite not-quite-traditional part of the holidays? Leave your email in your comment so I can let you know you've won!
Find Seleste:
selestedelaney@gmail.com
Twitter
The not quite traditional tradition? Tim Burton movies!
ReplyDeleteHave to admit we aren't That Much outside of tradition with Christmas around here, though we are with lots of other things. I think its the kids, we want them to have a chance of normal till they get a little older. Though I do notice that the Die Hard movies get played every year, and we know all the quotes even when we haven't seen them in a while (don't even get me started on the movie quoting in my family).
ReplyDeleteOne outside tradition I/we do have is that most of the females buy and even wrap their own gifts from their spouses. I thought it was just me or me and my mom till last year. The weather snowed/iced us in (mostly), so the family gathering was delaied for almost a week. We all only brought gifts for family not living in same house instead of all gifts as usual. This lead someone to mention that at least she didn't have to wrap her own gift this year, another woman agreed...We found out that most of the women in my family end up buying their own gifts from their spouses. It has been going on for years, and we all wrap these gifts and open them on xmas day just as if he had bought the gift for us, not letting the other know! It was funny that after about 3 years of mmarriage (or so), this ends up the norm. And it works for either gender that is part of my family, too!
vickykerr[at]sbcglobal.net
My family and I are pretty much Traditional with as you can see a capital T when it comes to Christmas holidays lol I'm thinking long and hard and basically since everything is pretty much closed down on Christmas day aside from the movies we all go out to see something :)
ReplyDeletemidnite [dot] fantasy [at] gmail [dot] com
Well for one thing the song I want to be Xmas number 1 in UK this year is X-M@$ by Corey Taylor and I participated in the last years just so I could get Rage Against the Machine to xmas number one.
ReplyDeleteI have a black xmas tree (which has actually only been up once), I have black tinsel. As you yourself know, my xmas cards aren't exactly traditional. Last year was a lot of rock and punk style and this years were nice, gothic purple and black trees and such.
We have Christmas musc playing on the stereo while my husband watches reruns of The Sopranos on TV. Love the black tree.
ReplyDeleteYay! I love even the little stuff that isn't traditional :)
ReplyDeleteMy family does a big appetizer spread that is out all day on Christmas day, so our dinner (even as kids) was always just sandwiches and salads. I think that's kind of where my non-traditional traditions started. Mom tried to do the big dinner one year and no one really ate! LOL
This year, when the in-laws are here, we're planning to do "traditional" with turkey and sweet potatoes, etc. BUT it'll be turkey burgers and sweet potato fries :P
I love all the movie and TV stuff :) Keep 'em coming :)
Oh, and Nightshade, you know I love your Christmas cards :) Running to look up the song now :)
ReplyDeleteAnd Vicky, I usually buy a lot of my gifts too LOL. Finally convinced the husband we didn't need to exchange anymore :P
We don't do big meals on Christmas day. And we take a nap after everything calms down. lol. Most of our 'traditions' take place prior to the day of.
ReplyDeleteWell I think my favorite part of the holidays is the amount of food we eat. Also like being off from work. Not working is nice, just having a break from the day to day grind.
ReplyDeleteI DVRd a very cute movie, The 12 Men of Christmas, watched it twice. You should look for it if you like Christmas comedy movies with hot men. I have about 15 movies I've got in my queue to watch that I've DVRd, I can't wait to watch all of them! And listen to holiday music. LOVE this time of year! And I adore The Ghost of Vampire Present, it's awesome!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part if decorating the tree btw love the black tree.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...go Team Max. Just sayin'
ReplyDeleteI am traditional to the core, but I love it when my hubby gets into the spirit with a little Christmas music of his choosing - usually his Twisted Christmas CD from Twisted Sister. It isn't exactly sweet but it is fun.
ReplyDeletewe spend a day watching horror christmas movies
ReplyDeletemeandi09@yahoo.com
Love the black Christmas tree! As for nontraditional? I love watching Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" each year :-)
ReplyDeletesmaccall @ comcast.net
There isn't a lot of non traditional things we do. I guess the kids wanting to watch movies that have nothing to do with Xmas after unwrapping their gifts,while they wait for their dinner.
ReplyDeleteelaing8(at)netscape(dot)net
Whenever we've had to move the holiday to another month because of people's schedules, it's always been fun. You don't have to fight the crowds while getting gifts or worry about icky weather. It's so less stressful.
ReplyDeletejoderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
I am going to have to check out the black Christmas tree at Target. That would be neat to have since we live in Louisiana and my husband is a New Orleans Saints fan-the black and gold-I could put gold bulbs and fleur-de-lis on it!!
ReplyDeleteWe pretty much stick with traditions, getting too old to change:)
magnolias_1[at]msn[dot]com
Our meals are not traditional Christmas fare. It is clam chowder for Christmas Eve and Lasagna for Christmas Dinner.
ReplyDeleteWe don't watch any movies.
kissinoak at frontier dot com
Hahaha, I love Die Hard. You're right that is a Christmas movie. I bet I'll watch it this year.
ReplyDeleteWe kind of vary our christmas traditions every year since neither me nor my boyfriend are terribly religious and we don't have family in the area. Sometimes we have friends over, every now and again (like this year) my parents make the long drive out and visit. Sometimes we decorate, sometimes we don't. It's hard to say what non traditional traditions we have, because we change it up all the time. Maybe that's my non traditional tradition?
Thanks for sharing!
Julie/Firewolf
phoenixfirewolf at gmail dot com
I loved the image of kid taking out the priest Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteNot a bad post for nothing for a topic. Very nice job! debby236 at att dot net
ReplyDeletehonestly the one thing me and my fiance do is we watch horror flicks while eating christmas cookies we arentvery religious we love the sprit of the holiday so we celebrate with family
ReplyDeletethen withe achother
We're fairly traditional, but love including whatever new traditions and friends into the mix--that's the best part of the celebrating!
ReplyDeleteI just read "The Nightmore Before Christmas" to my daughter last night! As for non-traditional stuff, we don't get snow here in the Southern Californian desert, so my mom, my daughter and I pack a lunch and head to Newport Beach to the spend the day every year. Sometimes it's chilly and we need a jacket and blanket, but it's quiet and peaceful and time together--a nice break from the craziness of the Christmas holiday.
ReplyDeleteMy untradtional thing is preparing Christmas dinner. I rarely cook the rest of the year, but my kids insist on Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners from me.
ReplyDeleteandrea.infinger@gmail.com
Even though she's a traditionalist, our winner is Elaing8! Sending you an email for your mailing address :)
ReplyDeleteAnd popping in to show you some love now that the contest is over. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy non-traditional thing? Sitting down with a glass of scotch with my dad, talking about scotch and how good little Thai girls don't drink scotch but daddy's girl does.