Christmas is upon us, with all its attendant sights and sounds. So much of what we see and hear at this time of year stems from amazing (or not so amazing) media. It seems every family has their own movie and music traditions woven into their Decembers. Here are some of the Reed Family’s favorites:
White Christmas
Bing Crosby. Danny Kaye. Rosemary Clooney. Vera-Ellen. An escape from Florida. A Vermont ski lodge. A host of song-and-dance numbers on display for the camera. A Christmas Eve surprise for “an old pal in the Army.” What’s not to love?
I have never loved musicals. My wife wishes her whole life was a musical. At the beginning of our marriage, I built a defense against a show tune invasion by claiming I would never watch White Christmas (I had managed to live to that point without seeing it). I knew, in the back of my mind, such a position was vulnerable. Her whole family loved the movie. I eventually conceded and fell back to Yankee Doodle Dandy, which, I am pleased to say, I have yet to take in.
As often happens in these situations, I am grateful I lost. White Christmas is a funny movie we quote throughout the year, whenever the need arises.
“You might have been stuck with this weirdsmobile for life!”
“Mutual, I’m sure.”
“We’ve established the [fill in the blank] is ideal.”
“That sounds very Vermont-y.”
“Boy, girl, boy, girl.”
“Kiss my foot, or have an apple.”
If these sayings read like the ravings of a lunatic, you may be right, but even so they have permeated our family culture to a level unmatched by all but a few films. We usually mark the unofficial start of the Christmas season by watching White Christmas a few days after Thanksgiving.
Other Movies
I am partial to Pete’s Christmas. My wife loves The Christmas Project. My wife and daughters love The Christmas Prince and sequels, The Princess Switch and sequels, and just about every other Christmas rom-com. Our boys love Elf, though it has lost some luster in the past few years. Muppet Christmas Carol is a classic. We have mixed feelings about Home Alone and Christmas Vacation. My wife loves Charlie Brown, but I don’t.
The procession of holiday films begins in October and ends New Year’s Day.
Music
We, as a family, have a more difficult time agreeing on Christmas music. Our musical tastes diverge more than they do in other areas. The most eclectic—I’m using eclectic for lack of a better, more polite word—is my wife. She grew up with Christmas music none of the rest of us (nor my sisters-in-law, I might add) appreciate all that much. Alabama Christmas and The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas. This year our sons latched onto “Jesus is Born Today” and have been singing/yowling it for two weeks. It began as a joke, but I believe they’ve sung it so much they now like it.
The Jackson Five, The Tabernacle Choir, Mariah Carey, Bublé, and especially Bing Crosby are popular around our house, though each person has their own set of favorites. One Direction and other boy bands get significant airtime. We decorate our tree to “Christmas Is A-Comin’” by Bing Crosby. If you’re not familiar, check it out. It should be in your rotation.
There are a few Christmas songs I hate. I’m not sure if this is unanimous in our household, but it’s representative of tunes that make us look forward to January:
3) “Wonderful Christmastime” (Why is this always on at Fred Meyer?)
2) “Santa Baby” (My daughter asked why the singer was trying to seduce an old man.)
1) “Last Christmas” (No comment necessary.)
Books
We have many Christmas books, but most of them are picture books so we don’t crack them open much. If my son senses my wife is feeling down, he’ll order her to sit so he can read her a Christmas story (He’s 14, so it’s…unusual. He can be quite forceful if she tries to refuse.). It always cheers her up.
My favorite Christmas story, outside the one in the Gospels, is Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck. Sometimes the best gift is a thoughtful sacrifice of time.
Conclusion
Christmas is a wonderful time of year. I hope you and your family enjoy your traditions over the coming weeks. With love from the Reeds.
