Christmas traditions pull opinions out of people with the fervency of a string between a doorknob and a loose tooth. Even people who are typically easygoing and un-opinionated can shockingly explode when a despised Christmas song comes on the radio, or alternately burst into tears of unbridled joy when their favorite holiday movie scrolls by.
And dare you mention one of your own holiday preferences on Facebook, you will receive an avalanche of arguments for both the hatred and the love of your personally opinionated item.
So, in that vein, I’ve decided to open myself up for judgment to the Holiday Masses and share my own opinions. And I hope that you will add your own lists in the comments – who knows…if there’s enough data, perhaps even a graph or two will be birthed.
Rachel’s Top 10 Christmas Tradition Dislikes:
10. “Santa Baby” – the engulfing skeeziness of this song makes me feel the need to immediately wash my ears upon hearing. Nobody wants to think about Santa like that.
9. Elf on a Shelf – This is on my bottom 10 list because I’m the uncool Mom who hasn’t done it. So all of your witty Facebook pictures of what your Elf was up to last night does nothing but pile guilt and intense feelings of inadequacies upon my head.
8. “All I want for Christmas Is You” – I’m not ashamed that I like a bit of 90’s Mariah ballad action. But this song is the epitome of mixing her high-pitched squeal with whine. Yoooooo-oooo-ou BAYBAY.
7. Little Girl Santa Dresses – Obviously, matching Christmas Smock should be on this list, but that was too expected, so I added fuzzy Santa dresses instead. These remind me of the song “Santa Baby”. See item #10 for further explanation of my hatred.
6. Any and all Charlie Brown Christmas movies – I remember these fondly from my childhood, but upon DVR’ing a couple for Ali last Christmas, I was immediately overcome with sadness and angst over Charlie Brown repeatedly being called dumb, fat, stupid, and a loser. I know, Linus and the end and the Christmas story and all… but I couldn’t fight through the depression to make it there.
5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – This movie would have easily been #1 on the list a few years ago – I despise trainwreck movies with all my being (“Meet The Parents” = my concept of hell). However, my dear friend Nikki has helped me see SOME intrinsic value in this movie by pointing out it’s more subtle nuances, like Cousin Eddie’s dark black dickie under his thin white sweater.
4. Visiting Santa at the Mall – My child has never had any inclination to talk to any stranger, let alone sit in one’s lap and tell him her deepest desires. Whose kid does this?? And how much Jack Daniels do you have to sneak into their sippy cup to make them want to do this?? And what type of illegal holiday cheer are you on to make you willing to wait in that interminably long and whining, screaming, pooping-in-pants line???
3. “Baby It’s Cold Outside” – Again – the skeeze factor gets me on this song. I don’t want to stay – quit trying to talk me into it! Didn’t you know my sister will be suspicious??
2. “Christmas Shoes” – Nothing tests my radio reflexes like the first four bars of this song. Lock me in a room and make me listen to “Butterfly Kisses” all day long – just don’t make me listen, ever, ever again, to It’s Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size…
1. A Christmas Story – hands down the most depressing movie I’ve ever seen. And was forced as a child to watch over. and over. and over. Despite the season. Despite my hatred. I might be traumatized…and a little bitter.
Rachel’s Top 10 Christmas Likes:
10. Reindeer Antlers and Noses on Cars – I don’t own a pair of these, but if I did, My Pilot would wear them proudly.
9. Multicolored Lights – I get all you white-lighted Christmas tree people – it looks elegant and aesthetically excellent. But nothing is cheerier than 11pm, kids quietly in bed, mocha in hand, snuggled with the hubby, lights out, gazing at the colors of the Christmas tree with squinty eyes in order to make them shoot all over the living room.
Also, they look pretty good on dollhouses.
8. Miracle on 34th Street (both versions) – This movie just makes me happy.
7. Christmas Jammies – Which reminds me – I need to go to the store NOW and find some for my kids!!! SAVE THE LAST TWO PAIRS FOR MEEEEE!!!
6. Wrapping Presents – I may have mentioned this particular obsession last week…
5. “Oh Holy Night”, “What Child is This”, and “O Come O Come Emmanuel” – Put these three songs together in a Medley, and I’d probably float away with bliss.
4. “Mary Did You Know” – I’ll never get over this being my all-time favorite Christmas song. Or the fact that Mark Lowry wrote it.
3. Christmas-Flavored Coffee Creamers – The only difficult part is deciding every morning whether I want Pumpkin Spice, Warm Cinnamon Sugar Cookie, Gingerbread Latte, or Brown Sugar Maple Latte. Yes, we have all of them at once. And no, I don’t care if every one of them is filled with artificial dipotassium phosphate. I ADORE THEM.
2. A Real Tree – This subject has been the source of many “conversations” throughout mine and Chris’ married life. He grew up fake, I grew up genuine. We all know what’s best.
1. Hearing The Christmas Story Read Aloud by my Husband – there’s something warm and supernatural that happens in my soul when I hear the first sentence… “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus…”
What are your most passionate Christmas tradition likes and dislikes?
I agree, the creepiness of santa baby is undeniable and the christmas shoes song ALWAYS gets skipped on Pandora (although I think buterfly kisses is just as bad, and hearing it on repeat would most certainly make my ears bleed). My favorite though? I love, LOVE to wrap presents :)
You are so right! I hope that your Christmas is filled with much more “O Holy Night.” I hope you never hear “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin,” which is way worse than “Santa Baby.” Merry Christmas!
Whaaaa?!?! No, I don’t think I’ve heard that one. The worst I’ve heard on that vein is an “extended” version of “I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”. Whatever happened to that weird Christmas music station on XM radio? Those were the days…
I agreed with ALMOST all of your dislikes until we got to #1! I can never get enough of A Christmas Story!! I agree with all of your likes, especially Mary Did You Know.
‘O come, O come Emmanuel’ is my fav. Christmas carol! And that’s saying something ‘cos I do love Christmas carols. Belting out ‘O Holy Night’ with some good sopranos on either side of me is a great deal of fun too.
Technically, O Come O come Emmanuel is NOT a Christmas carol! It’s an advent carol.
It is one of my favourite advent carols though :)
Top 10 dislikes: Alot are similar to yours
10. Santa Baby or any similar song
9. Do they know it is Christmas-this probaby dates me but I remember Band Aid and can’t help but wonder why would they know it is Christmas since most of the countries affected by the famine were traditionally Muslim.
8. National Lampoon Christmas
7. Grandma got ran over by a reindeer
6. Christmas decorations in the stores in October
5. Visiting Santa: There is a reason but I don’t want to write it since it may cause some trauma to children. I can email you though.
4. White Elephant gift exchanges. I hate that you can steal someone’s gift. To me that defeats the purpose of gift giving
3. The non specific Holiday greeting: I know in this PC world you can’t offend someone but I miss hearing Merry Christmas
2. Christmas Shoes or any tear jerker song. I don’t need to be depressed at the holidays
1. A christmas story: I hate it and don’t get why people love it.
Top 10 likes:
10. A Charlie Brown Christmas: Love Linus’s speech. I tune out most of it but that,but it brings tears to my eyes everytime.
9. Multi colored lights and driving through neighborhoods to look at the lights
8. Miracle on 34th street-both versions
7.Eggnog-I love it
6. A real tree-nothing like the feel and smell sorry no fake tree will ever do.
5. Any of the traditional hymns: O Come all ye faithful, O Holy night, Angels we have heard on High. etc.
4. Mary did you know
3.The Christmas jar-we collect change all year and then on Christmas day or eve we give the jar to someone or a charity.
2. Christmas Morning-we have a traditional breakfast of homemade blueberry muffins and we sit around the tree to eat it before we open presents
1. The Christmas story read by anyone.
I’m quite curious about your childhood trauma…you’ll have to email me!
I’m curious too! My facebook is full of Santa with babies less than a month old. My reaction was horror, but then again, I am a little bit of a germ-o-phobe and didn’t exactly leave the house the first month!
I’d have to agree with you on pretty much all of that!
Dislikes (in order of most hated to least hated)
1. “Christmas Shoes”
2. Christmas Crowds
3. Santa dresses on women
4. Skeezy Christmas movies and songs in general.
Likes:
1. Excellent Christmas Hymns (Lo How A Rose, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, What Child is this, Wexford Carol….)
2. Decorted Homes
3. Cookies
4. “Elf” and ” The Christmas Story”
An abbreviated list to be sure. In other news, if you hate “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” you should check out this version by Jill Phillips and Andy Gullahorn:
http://www.rabbitroom.com/2011/11/song-of-the-day-jill-phillips-and-andy-gullahorn/
Have you SEEN a Santa Dress on a woman? Aside from Mariah Carey on an album cover? Because I must say, I’d be pretty amused if I saw a woman casually walking through the Galleria in a velvet red dress and tall black boots…
I have seven (SEVEN!) versions of O Holy Night on my iTunes Christmas playlist. They are: Kelly Clarkson, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Katharine McPhee, Martina McBride, the Glee cast, and Faith Hill. Please note: O Holy Night is the only song I have by either Celine Dion or Josh Groban. Otherwise, not a fan. Do you have any versions that I don’t have, that I need?
Definitely Jackie Evancho’s version!
Ahhhhh…. the Christmas Shoes song! I concur utterly and completely HATE THAT SONG!!! Great list! :)
I think there needs to be an Act of Congress to ban it… maybe??
I love the song The Christmas Shoes, maybe because I am old and very sentimental. Also, my very favorite of all is Mary Did You Know. I agree with all of the likes. Dislikes: people not saying Merry Christmas, I strongly dislike Happy Holidays. Any animated Christmas movie. Likes: seeing my family, looking at any decorations, music (traditional christian), giving presents and remembering the true meaning of Christmas.
Dislikes:
The rampant commercialism bothers me. We make an effort to teach our girls that Christmas (and any other occasion, really) is about family, not the presents. All the commercials about the present that will make them love you, and the reminders about how many more shopping days there are drive me insane.
I HATE the Christmas Shoes. Song AND movie. They’re horrible, and manipulative and I hate them. I can’t help it if I want songs about Christmas joy and miracles instead of dead mums.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas: Jim Carrey version. Boo.
Tacky plastic Santas everywhere. Especially the motion sensing ones that moon you.
Likes:
Christmas eve traditions. Right now, everybody has a bath, gets into Christmas PJs and enjoys some food that Mummy didn’t have to cook (usually pizza) while watching a movie.
Christmas dinner with the whole family. Pot luck turkey dinner with the whole lot of us (I believe there’s 30 of us now?) There are board games, many cups of tea and the traditional yule log ice cream cake.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Cartoon (ie. PROPER) version.
The lights!
Mooning Santas must be a Canadian thing. Or at the very least, they haven’t made it to the South. I can’t say I’ve driven by one of those…
T and I just watched The Christmas Story for the first time ever! Didn’t really get why it’s such a classic. It was kind of depressing. I have never seen any of the National Lampoon’s so I can’t say whether I like them or not, but I have no desire to see them so I guess that means I don’t. :)
I agree with pretty much everything else on your two lists! Except for the coffee thing since I don’t like coffee. And I’ve never seen the reindeer antlers for cars. I also haveonly seen vague references to the elf on the shelf thing but I don’t really know what it is about.
Oh and I have always preferred white lights but now all the sudden they are seeming boring and kind of “snooty” to me. The colored ones seem so much more fun! When we actually finish our house and can decorate again (for the first time since we moved here) I will have to go buy some colored ones!
Can I just say I am glad that there are more people (other than myself) who hate the Christmas Shoes song. Other things I hate: rushing through the holiday, ice storms, made for tv Christmas movies (Why are all of them about people falling in love?), people trying to guilt me into giving money away.
Things I love: listening to Christmas music (O Holy Night is my favorite), decorating the house, making Christmas goodies, shopping for and wrapping presents, The Grinch with Jim Carey, Christmas clothing for kids especially the big huge fancy dresses (they wear it once and then they out grow it). Living in the middle of the country and going to a house church might be a strong influence on that last one. It’s just not practical and when my girls have received those kinds of dresses from other people they usually don’t get worn.
LIKES: 1. Hot spiced cider that I only make at Christmas time 2. Cheery Christmas mugs that I only get out at Christmastime 3. Stockings. They are just so happy. 4. Homemade Christmas ornaments 5. Cut out paper snowflakes (okay, I guess technically that could be a homemade Christmas ornment) 6. Mary Did You Know. Love, love that song. 7. Point of Grace’s Christmas album. 8. “Christmas School Light” – we just do the basic school work, like Bible, Reading and Math and then do a bunch of fun things, like baking and making homemade Christmas ornaments. 9. My “Merry Christmas” banner. 10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas – either one. My favorite Christmas movie.
DISLIKES: 1. O Holy Night (it is SO over-recorded and over-played) 2. The Nutcracker (after Maddie danced in it 2 years, I am SOOO over it…sooo over it!) 3. Christmas Traffic 4. The mall at Christmas time. 5. Santa Baby. 6. Christmas sweaters.
Mmm… Cider. I’ve now been thinking about Cider all week.
Also my new favorite Christmas Story to read (not to my children, of course): http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/12/year-kenny-loggins-ruined-christmas.html
This was pure awesome. Thanks for sharing!!
Okay, we have lots of dislikes and likes that are the same. This might make a fun post for everyone to do (I think I would call it a meme, but as I recall you aren’t too fond of those) Care if I steal the idea from you?
I have always liked The Christmas Story until last year. Everything about it rubbed me the wrong way and it really is not a children’s show. Hate Santa Baby, love all three songs from your likes #5. Oh Holy Night is my fave with O Come Emmanuel a close second.
I like all Christmas lights, but ours our multi-colored and real is the only way to go.
Of course steal the idea! If I do a graph (which I’m not sure if I have enough data for at this point), I’ll include yours and your reader’s data as well! ;)
I like all your likes and I like most of your dislikes too, with the exception of the Christmas Shoes song. I immensely share your dislike of that one. For me and my husband, no Christmas season would be complete without at least one viewing of Christmas Vacation, on DVD instead of TV because we hate commercials (and yes, we do own it), and A Christmas Story. There are so many awesome one-liners in Christmas Vacation that it just never gets old. My favorite line is, “Eddie, I couldn’t be more surprised if I woke up in the morning with my head sewn to the carpet.” Classic!
We own Christmas Vacation on DVD too, but that wasn’t good enough for my husband. He still spent $4 to rent the widescreen edition. I think he has a slight problem.
Not a fan of “Santa Baby” (hate), Christmas Vacation, or Elf on the Shelf, and I’ve never seen A Christmas Story.
However, Mariah’s “All I want for Christmas” & “Christmas Shoes” are some of my favorite Christmas songs. I actually own Newsong’s Christmas CD with the Christmas Shoes song on it, and there are 2 other “Christmas” songs on there about elderly people being all alone & sad during Christmas and not being able to speak except for to sing a Christmas song…not sure why their Christmas songs are so sappy.
Love, love, love Christmas PJs (wearing mine now)! Before Aubrey was even born, I went to several different consignment sales & bought her about 10 pair of Christmas pjs for her first Christmas. I also try to coordinate (not match) the Pjs the kids will wear on Christmas Eve.
Mary Did You Know is & always will be my favorite Christmas song, love the versions sung by Clay Aiken (weird I know) and Josh Groban, but my all time favorite version is when it’s sung by a big choir.
Starbucks holiday drinks is a tradition I look forward to every year.
We started teaching Luke to recite Luke 2:1-11 last year and Aubrey has sort of started this year. This is a tradition that I already cherish, hearing their sweet voices tell the story of Christ’s birth is amazing!
I forgot about your amazing teaching of Luke! I really should have stolen that idea this year – Ali has several fairy books memorized – she could have totally memorized the Christmas Story! We may still do it… thanks for the reminder!
I can’t believe there isn’t more discussion about “It’s a Wonderful Life.” This is my all time favorite Christmas movie and I cry my eyes out every time I see it. I will MAKE my kids watch it (and love it) when they’re old enough and I think it should be mandatory viewing for anyone contemplating suicide. For the younger set, the original “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is almost as awesome. My kids love it and it’s a great conversation a launcher about how Christmas isn’t all about the gifts. And I’m totally in agreement about “Santa Baby.” Yuck!
It’s a Wonderful Life IS a good movie. I couldn’t decide where to include it on my list, because it’s more in the “meh” category. Or rather, the “I like it but it’s not my favorite thing about Christmas” category.
I thought this was hard until I really started thinking. I love White Christmas at the Alabama Theatre. Selah’s version of O Holy Night is my all time favorite. I love my nativity. Jesus has a drawn on smiley face. He and the manger are the size of my thumbprint. I love it!!! Listening to my kids get automatically joyful when the Christmas music is on in the car. Making a birthday cake for Jesus and watching the girls sing happy birthday.
Dislikes? The pure exhaustion of trying to do 5 family Christmases in 3 days. I can’t stand A Christmas Story. Any Karen Carpenter song. Sorry. I tried letting the girls watch Charlie Brown once. Classic right? It is so depressing. Lots of name calling and come on, let the poor kid kick the dang football. No more Charlie Brown. Christmas Shoes is also depressing. Dirty Santa. I’m over it. Nothing new. And if I ever get that darn “nasty dog” that has been in circulation since I joined Tim’s family I’m going to burn it. It was only funny the first 8 dirty Santa games! Just kidding.
I’m sure I could keep going. I’m on my phone and it wont let me go back and retest so forgive any possible errors. (:
Gooood point on Dirty Santa. I am SOOO over that, too. We need to invent the next great gifting game to end the trend!!
“Nasty dog” t-shirt that is. Sheesh!
Every year since my oldest was born I’ve made a calender for my parents, with pictures of her (and then her and her sister, once she came along) from each month (ie- the January 2012 calender has pictures of them from January 2011), and it’s really become one of those crazy family traditions that I plan out doing for the entire year ahead of time. Like those guys who spend the entire year planning Christmas lights, but coming off slightly less crazy.
I LOVE the Christmas eve church services, the ones that have the choirs singing all the hymns while the sanctuary is lit up with candles and has pine trimmings throughout. I would spend eternity in that place if I could.
I love the calendar idea!! Definitely a good gift.
I TOTALLY agree on the Christmas shoes song. How about all the stupid movies that song has birthed? I haven’t watched them but I hate them anyway purely from association. Also agree on the Christmas creamers- I was a happy camper last year when I could have Peppermint Mocha all year long. Also – then my husband didn’t complain that I bought 15 bottles and stored them in the fridge so I could make the Christmas goodness last as long as possible – mmm – good to the last drop!!
Merry Christmas and thanks for the giggles on your blog – that’s on my love list!!
Aw, thanks!!
And on the creamer, Peppermint Mocha is the only one I don’t like. (Well, that and I’m not brave enough to try the Eggnog one.) But I really thought I’d love the Peppermint one – there was just something funny about the aftertaste.
I agree with all the dislikes except little girl santa dresses…my babies all wore them!
I agree with all the likes except Miracle on 34th street (much prefer the Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye version of White Christmas) and the coffee creamer. I just don’t drink coffee! Hot cocoa with large marshmallows is my favorite!
Dislike—The Christmas Train song…. Well not really a song just a guy talking!
Love—- Hallmark Channel Christmas movies I watch them every night when I get home from work… It drives my family nuts!
“If mama meets Jesus tonight….” I HATE Christmas Shoes, the first time I heard it I thought it was a parody similar to ‘Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer.’
…And I must say that my love for Baby It’s Cold Outside has good deal to do with the movie Elf, but I think after re-watching that scene it ups the ‘creep factor’ even more (singing along with her while she is showering?)
A song that I hated and now love for its ridiculousness is ‘Same Auld Lang Syne’ by Dan Fogleberg. “Met my old lover at the grocery store….” and “We bought a six pack at the liquor store and drank it in her car” SERIOUSLY?!? How terrible are these lyrics???
This was fun Rachel! Merry Christmas to you all!
Oh….and I forgot! I absolutely LOVE the movie Holiday Inn
It stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire and it is where the song ‘White Christmas’ originated (not the movie White Christmas, which was a sequel of sorts!)
I don’t know that last song. I just might have to look it up…
I have so much in common with you here. That dang Christmas Shoes song FOR SURE!! GAH! I won’t listen to it either. I’m no fan of the National Lampoon movie or the The Christmas Story movie either. I know plenty of people that would try to convince me how amazing they are, and I get what they’re saying but those movies just do not appeal to me.
Christmas songs I do enjoy are definitely the hymns. My mom and I took a road trip the other day and she remarked how the Christmas radio stations aren’t really playing many of the hymns and are just playing Christmas and Holiday music. My favorite is “Angels We have Heard on High”. So great! As well, a real tree. . .YES!! I have a blog post up about my hubs and I discussing whether we would get a tree this year. Unfortunately, we still don’t have one :(. As far as Christmas movies that I like, I really like The Santa Clause (the first one only) with Tim Allen as well as many of the really old Christmas movies and Elf is good. I guess I just like more traditional movies as well as ones that dwell on the magic of the Christmas season. I’m a sucker for some Christmas spirit as opposed to Christmas hi-jinxes. Thanks so much for sharing your list, it was fun to read.
I like that explanation! Christmas spirit instead of Christmas hi-jinxes. Exactly!!!
Likes, in no particular order:
-Assembling and decorating my mom’s Christmas tree with my sister
-Making cookies with my friends or family
-Cooking any kind of food to share
-Eating fudge (regular, stovetop, nut-free, chocolate fudge)
-Classic Christmas carols (both religious and not)
-Hearing the Christmas scriptures read aloud
-Reading the Christmas story (or any story, really) to anyone little ones who will listen
-Old Christmas TV specials, especially the Rankin/Bass holiday specials
-Driving around to look at Christmas lights (the gaudier the better!)
Dislikes, in no particular order:
-Decorating my own house (small space that hardly anyone sees; not worth it for just my own eyes)
-Fudge with nuts (they just ruin the smooth, rich texture!)
-Remakes of perfectly good classic Christmas carols (it wasn’t broken… don’t try to fix it…)
-“Baby It’s Cold Outside” (particularly when she says, “say, what’s in this drink?” – that just creeps me out – what did he put in that drink???)
Oh yes – I love driving and looking at lights, too!!
Yes, the whole messing with her drink think is totally creepy.
This was so much fun to read! I love how opinionated we can be about traditions! :) My son is about to turn three, so this is the first year he really ‘gets’ what Christmas is all about so we have been having fun implementing some traditions (and avoiding other traditions like pushing the whole Santa or Elf on the Shelf thing).
Oh girl, I am so with you on most of your likes and dislikes! Things I love, love, love are Starbuck’s Caramel Apple Cider, O Come All Ye Faithful, and hearing my Dad read the Christmas Story.
Oh, Rachel! I had to respond. Charlie Brown is one of our most treasured traditions. Waiting for the perfect night for all four of us to watch it. Also the 30 minute Grinch, White Christmas, O Come O Come Emmanuel, reading/acting out Christmas story on C’mas Eve, and going out to see C’mas lights.
Hope I can still go to lunch with you guys Sunday despite my love for Charlie Brown’s Christmas!!
I can see how watching it with older kids would be different – but I bet if you sat down to watch it with a four year old, you’d be horrified!! Dumb, Stupid, Fat, and Loser are not words that Ali knows yet – and I’d like to keep it that way for a few more Christmases. So you can keep your Adult Movies to yourself. ;)
Agreed on all but ONE. The colored lights in our home are in the man cave and in the man cave ONLY, but gosh oh golly is it good to hear from a mom who does NOT move a little elf around and claim it wrote with lipstick on the mirror. I have never done this, nor do I plan to, and this was the first year I felt even a wee bit guilty for NOT doing it because my son came home and told me that everyone else in his class had an elf. Why didn’t WE have an elf. It just makes me tired thinking of having to tack on ‘move elf somewhere else and make a mess’ to my list of things I already have to do each day. Also, we have never taken our kiddos to see Santa. Yes, it makes for cute pics, but the standing in line? The possibility that they could cry and squeal and snot all over their Christmas duds? The fact that eleventy-billion other kids have sat in that same.exact.spot….?
No thank you.
Whew. This post of yours makes me feel so much better.
I might have to write a post of my own likes/dislikes of Christmas.
Brilliant idea Rachel.
And really, are the pictures even cute? I mean, you don’t even know that possibly-creepy guy dressed up as Santa. Maybe I’m too suspicious…
I love your list!!! So many I agree with and nice to hear someone else express!! I just might have to share mine too. :) I’m so with you on the train wreck movies. Hate it. I admittedly love the cheesy everyone ends happy movies!! Hated Christmas Story as a kid… and Wizard of Oz for that matter, ha ha!! Thanks for sharing… fun to read!
Great work formulating the lists. Makes me think what would be on my like or dislike lists. High on the likes: It’s a Wonderful Life, baking gingerbread cookies and Starbuck’s Eggnog Lattes. I love lights (they are so romantic), but hate hanging them. Like Christmas Shoes the way one likes Love Story or Romeo and Juliet…it’s a depressing sort of like. I cry every time it comes on the radio- makes me wonder why I like it after all? Never cared for Christmas Story, but love saying “Fra-Gil-Ay” the rest of the year. Love Sleigh Ride by Arthur Fiedler’s Philharmonic. Think I should formulate a list to pass down to my kids. Thanks for sharing your list!
Fra-GIL-Ay IS the only redeeming factor of that movie!!
My #1 Christmas dislike is: Dirty Santa! I hate that game.
My #1 Christmas like: All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah (especially this year :)
Elf on the Shelf in our house just moves maybe once a week from a high location to another high location. I don’t have the energy for all that stuff. We just tell the kids he’s watching and reporting to Santa.
Santa Baby-Totally agree! Madonna has to feel like a nimrod for doing that. AND I just got the Michael Buble Christmas CD and he does it…. Um…
Ew on the Buble Baby. EW.
I just found out about Elf on a Shelf. I have abused the entire “tradition” on Faceplace today. I bet all my friends dropped me. Plus, no one likes a tattle tale or peeping Tom type. That shoes song should be retired. I did grow up with Charlie Brown specials. They are kind of depressing now that you mention it. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas will always be a favorite. I love seeing a mean ole Grinch turned to mush by the spirit of Christmas.
Dislike:
That HORRIBLE John Lennon song with all the screeching kids in the background
Santa Baby
All I want for Christmas Is You
Christmas Shoes
Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart
How over-committed I seem to make myself…tired
Likes:
Elf
Christmas Vacation with my sweet friend, Rachel ;)
Charlie Brown Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated original)
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Mary, Did You Know
Wrapping presents
Looking at the lights (all white) on the tree with the house lights off
My boys’ mounting excitement that culminates on Christmas morning
Reading the ADOREnaments with the boys each night
Reading the Bible verses from our treasure box on Christmas Eve
Cookie Day with my mom
You got some things on the wrong list (All I want For Christmas is You) but one thing that is dead on is Christmas Shoooes and the idea of an old fat man with facial hair that loves children sitting on his lap screams pedophile to me. Of course children are scared of him!
Dislikes: Muppets, my childhood neighbors eternal gift of fruitcake (who eats that?), most current Christmas song re-makes, exchanging gifts with co-workers and neighbors – it’s always stressful.
Loves: Handel’s Messiah, hot cider, decorating gingerbread houses, singing Christmas songs, White Christmas, Little Women I could go on and on….
I would enjoy decorating Gingerbread houses… if I weren’t absolutely horrible at it and therefore get so frustrated that I smash my house.