Smells like Christmas Spirit

Cassandra at Villainous Company has two threads going on what she loves about Christmas as well as what she hates about Christmas. It caused me to do some thinking about what I love about Christmas and I thought I would list a few more here that I haven't already posted on her site. I also thought it would be consistent with the Christmas spirit to link to her post and send some of my massive traffic her way. Lord knows none of the people that visit this site have ever heard of my favorite site on the web. If I spent as much time here as I do there, I would be spending a lot more time here than I am there.

1. Christmas eve oyster stew. This is a tradition at the On household. We would go to a church service at 6pm, (my oldest On brother would selflessly volunteer to stay home and guard the stew) then come home, eat the stew and open presents. I hated the stew as a kid but I suffered through it for the reward of opening presents. Now I love it.

2. Every year at the Christmas eve service an elderly gentleman would perform Christmas tunes on the tuba. God bless him, he tried hard, and he was fairly talented but the tuba just doesn't lend itself to beautiful solos. Sometimes in the month of December you would walk past his house and you could hear him practicing for his big night. This memory will always bring a smile to my face.

3. Christmas lights pissing contests. In neighborhoods all across the country there are two guys that find themselves in a competition for having the most lights decorating their house. All month long they keep one upping each other. The results are a disorganized hideous yet delightful display (delightful because you know their hearts will be filled with remorse when they have to take it all down).

4. Internet shopping at stores that gift wrap for those out of town people you want to buy presents for.

5. Robert Earl Keen's Christmas tunes that I will try and post an audio link to later in the month.

6. Purchasing a bucket of tamales from a church group fundraiser. A little slice of heaven, and will make you very popular if you take them in to the office.


I will add more as things occur to me.

Update

7. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. I would not want to try and get through the holidays without this seasonal offering from Sierra Nevada, my all time favorite brew. I usually buy a case of it before it becomes unavailable with the intention of saving a few bottles for next year to compare it with the new offering (big beers like this improve and mellow with age). By about the end of February I tell myself that I like an agressive beer and don't want it to mellow, so I drink the last of it.