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Walt Disney was corny. He readily admitted it.
And so do I.
I am especially corny at Christmas.
Let me count the ways.
- I try to watch every damn Hallmark Christmas movie I can. Even though the plots are quite similar, I don’t care. They always remind me of love, forgiveness, and kindness during the holidays.
- In the film The Holiday, Iris admits to loving “corny” and states she’s “looking for cony in her life.” I watch The Holiday every year. I won’t miss it.
- I will watch every incarnation of A Christmas Carol I can find, but my all-time two favorites are Scrooge The Musical with Albert Finney and A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott. Both are excellent, but I’m partial to the musical because I’ve been watching that with my family since I was a small child, and now my kids love it. Albert Finney as Ebenezer Scrooge–it doesn’t get much better than that. Also, I read the book by Dickens each year, as well.
- Midnight Madness in Annapolis (and previously in my former hometown of Ellicott City): Tomorrow night my friends and I will buck the cold and rain and celebrate shopping, eating and years of friendship in historic Annapolis.
- Cutting down our Christmas tree at Pine Valley Farms is an annual tradition. Despite that my son is in college in Pennsylvania, we continue to make this a family tradition.
- Trains–we have to see a train garden. We’ve always been a family who loves Christmas train displays, and this year, I found a really good one at Marley Station Mall. It’s quite good!
- Sending Christmas cards is a must. I know that in today’s day and age of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter that it may not be necessary to mail a Christmas card, but I just stuck a whole batch in the mail and I love getting them in return. There’s something nice about getting cards in the mail.
- A massive antipasto on Christmas Eve has been a tradition of ours since we married. It’s something everyone looks forward to, and my husband goes out of his way to get everything from an Italian shop in Catonsville, MD.
- Watching It’s A Wonderful Life the night before Christmas Eve is now a standard of ours, and I would be so sad if we didn’t get to do this. Even when life deals you a stiff hand (and we’ve been dealt an interesting hand this holiday season), it’s a good reminder that life. is. good.
- The crazy family photo at my mom and dad’s house on Christmas Day is a classic. We all know it’s coming, and we all dress for it, so don’t even think about coming to the house looking like a schlep. It’s picture day, after all!
- One cool new thing: Each year, we pick one new thing to do that has a Christmas vibe. This year, we are heading to Asheville, SC, to see The Biltmore Estate. I have wanted to see this estate for years, and we are finally going to do that. And then, it’s off to Williamsburg to experience a Williamsburg Christmas.
- Decorate our house the weekend of Thanksgiving: I always have to decorate the day after the Thanksgiving holiday because I have the time to do so, and therefore, it’s become a tradition in our house. By Friday night, we are lit up with Christmas joy.
- Baking a ridiculous amount of Christmas cookies: Tomorrow is the day. I will start on my raspberry strippers, lemon cookies, ricotta chocolate chips, and Martha Stewart’s sugar cookies and will probably be baking all weekend. Delight!
There are so many more, but those would be my favorite corny holiday things to do. As a writer who writes “sweet” fiction for the most part, I revel in all the Christmas craziness, nonsense, and traditions. I bet, as Walt Disney said, that you all are right there with me, and doing your own version of a Corny Christmas.
God bless us, everyone.
xx
