The Last Straw

Merry Christmas!

Or for the rest of you, Happy Joyous Arbitrary day in December corresponding with the Pagan celbration of Saturn!

This is the first year that I have come back ‘home’ for Christmas since 2005. When I had stated that it wasn’t that big a deal a friend or coworker recently proposed that if my family didn’t have any traditions than it would probably be easier for me to miss out on the Holiday time period. I had agreed not thinking much of the Christmas time but now that I’m home I realize that we do in fact have holiday traditions and I wanted to share my top 5 favorites with you.

1) THE SANTA PUZZLE

My mother has a thing for Santa figurines, making her relatively easy to shop for in a pinch. That being said there is one figurine that’s set up  belongs relatively in my court: the puzzle santa. A standing figurine that must be put together or else it sits in a bag next to the fireplace until it does. It’s probably been a sad past 4 years for him but finally he’s back with a vengence.

2) Christmas Eve Present

My sister actually had to remind me of this traditional start. It had less to do with the joys of the season and more with youthful ability to lay out a well formulated series of counterpoints (or as my parents called it argumentative whining). Albeit still unclear it was either friends of ours got to open their presents Xmas eve or we were just too impatient to wait and reasoned that ourselves. Either way our parents relented and let us open one present, carefully selecting whichever had pajamas or underwear. Now it has become a tradition to have one Christmas Eve present of pajamas.  While some may lament that this led to an influx of underwear/pajama related pictures a quick photo search of me will reveal that I hardly take issue with that.

As a note: this year was a Colt’s t-shirt and boxer shorts making me the envy of everyone in Los Angeles named Matt Loman, Nick Allen, and Eric Cahill.

3) Movies

This is two fold. First because you have traditional holiday movies and second because growing up my dad’s Christmas gift to himself was often something sound or video related so Christmas day was normally a loud action movie day (yet ironically never Die Hard which would see to be the perfect combo of the two) so I’m giving you two mini lists here:

FIVE FAVORITE XMAS MOVIES

a) It’s a Wonderful Life

b) White Christmas

c) A Christmas Story

d) How the Grinch Stole Christmas

e) Home Alone

FIVE FAVORITE ACTION MOVIES TO WATCH ON CHRISTMAS

a) Twister

b) Saving Private Ryan

c) Matrix

d) True Lies

e) Jurassic Park

2) Traditional Ethnic Foods

As many of may have assumed I am a bit of the Irish descent as this photograph would reveal.

However I have equally as much Norwegian blood and unlike my Irish side we have actually defined regular customs that aren’t  “St. Patricks Day” or “Everytime I’m drinking”.

One is Lingenberries (which really are served at Thanksgiving as well) a very tart cranberry like…um berry. Now a days you can get it in jars or as some sort of by product at IKEA (damn Swedes) but my grandfather used to actually boil the berries while adding what must have been a gross of sugar to make it nearly as sweet as a lemon. The other is Julekake. Which I guess could sort of be described as either similar to a fruit cake or something that looks like what an 8 year old would make if you left a jar of candy next to the bread maker.

Great, good or other, regardless of what you think of its taste, it’s Christmas dammit and you’re gonna eat it anyways. Or else a viking is going to punch you in the face.

1) Christmas Eve Church

I forgot how ingrained this was in my brain. But I can still sing all the songs from memory, and I still get a kick out of sitting in candlelight. I mean I can’t put my finger on what I would say represents the Christmas spirit but I’m pretty sure it feels similar to when we sing Silent Night. Also it’s fun seeing all my friends now older and girls I knew now hotter.