Traditions are a wonderful marriage between the routine and the uncommon, serving as special moments that are comfortingly predictable. With our schedules being so full, it’s often tempting to overlook traditions and let them slip away because of the time it takes to make them happen. But who says a tradition is only meaningful if it takes a lot of time? Here are ten holiday traditions that will actually leave you with renewed energy and sometimes even extra time at the end of your day, which is sure a blessing in December. They are memorable and meaningful, but simple just the same.
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1. Watch a funny Christmas movie. (We recommend Elf, Christmas Vacation, and A Christmas Story.)
2. Get cookies from the best bakery (or friend) in town.
3. Hire a neighbor kid looking for a few bucks to take care of your shoveling.
4. Organize a gift exchange, instead of buying for everyone.
5. Better yet, make it a white elephant gift exchange.
6. Keep up on your sleep and exercise. Quick naps and short walks can do wonders!
7. Change your voicemail to reflect the joy of the season.
8. Don your dog in a red sweater, or your cat in reindeer ears.
9. Read the classic holiday stories before bed (whether you have kids or not.)
10. Attend a Christmas pageant.
11. Make sure you have a collection of holiday music in your car.
12. Hang Christmas lights around a window in your bedroom. (Like this.)
13. Get all online shopping done by a predetermined date.
14. Order carry-outs for Christmas Eve.
15. Delegate your least favorite chores.
16. Send holiday e-cards instead of using snail mail.
17. Go for a ride to see the lights.
18. If you live in a place where it gets dark early, take a vitamin D supplement.
19. Purchase a new favorite Christmas album.
20. Jump on a sled and ride it down a hill.
21. Send a letter to Santa. (And help make wishes come true.)
22. Block out the busy crowds — wear your iPod while Christmas shopping.
23. Schedule gift exchanges with friends for January, not December.
24. Drink 8 glasses of water each day (it’s pretty much the cure for everything).
25. Go to the movies and see the holiday blockbuster.
26. Lay under the Christmas tree with only the tree lights on. (Like this.)
27. Keep hot chocolate and marshmallows handy at all times.
28. Wear a Santa hat while Christmas shopping.
29. Build a snowman with your coworkers.
30. Watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special.
31. Hang mistletoe in your home.
32. Go Christmas shopping with a friend. Make a fun day out of it.
33. Get your picture taken with Santa. He’s happy to see kids of ALL ages.
34. Keep a gift giving budget.
35. Catch a snowflake on your tongue.
36. Go Christmas caroling. (That’s how Jason and I met!)
37. Get into a snowball fight, preferably with an unsuspecting friend.
38. Treat yourself. Set aside 30 minutes a day just for you.
39. Change your email sig to reflect the fun of the holidays.
40. Go ice skating.
41. Make a birthday cake for Jesus.
42. Arrange for Santa to visit your house on Christmas Eve.
43. Instead of wrapping presents, use gift bags.
44. Buy or make a Christmas countdown calendar/chain.
45. Put holiday-themed wallpaper on your desktop.
46. Don’t overdo it — it’s actually ok to say no to some of the holiday parties.
47. Hang Christmas lights around your desk or in your cube.
48. Set up a wrapping station in your home to make things more efficient.
49. Decorate the tree with some of your favorite people.
50. Light a good smelling holiday candle.
51. Cut your junk mail into snowflakes.
52. Exuberantly pop the bubble wrap that comes in your online orders.
53. Leave a plate of cookies for Santa (and a carrot for the reindeer.)
54. Change the ringer on your cell phone to a Christmas song.
55. Share stories about the best Christmas ever.
56. Hang a picture of the Grinch on your fridge to remind you to smile.
57. Wear red and green to work.
58. Treat yourself to a holiday massage or manicure.
59. Share a plate of yummy cookies with an elderly neighbor.
60. Buy a pre-lit tree.
61. Make a donation to your favorite charity. (Here’s some of ours.)
Photo by xetark
1. Wish Bone Whimsy
Don’t let the day pass you by without partaking in the ever-so-childlike tradition of breaking the wish bone. Sounds barbaric, but it’s always a cool moment. It’s fun to mix up from year to year the person who gets to do the honors. Drawing names out of a hat is a simple and fair way to handle it. If possible, draw the name in a large group and invite the two lottery winners to go head-to-head in front of everyone. This allows everyone to be involved and recall memories of wishes from years past.
2. Name That Bird
Be sure to name your turkey… and Tom is not allowed! This is a playful way to add some fun throughout the preparation, as you refer to the bird by his/her given name. Heck, you can even go so far as to give it a middle name. Get everyone involved in the conversation. If you have a super large family, have a small group come up with a list of five suggested names. Put them on a piece of paper and invite all arriving guests to put a tally mark next to his/her favorite, that way everyone will feel like they contributed to the process.
3. Pass the Pie Please
Surprise everyone by having dessert first. As kids, you know you pledged to yourself that you would one day do this, but before long Adultitis sets in and those memories fade away. Giddy smiles of delight will overflow and you can rest assured you will receive overwhelming support from those childlike spirits in your presence. If you’re outnumbered by Adultitis-ridden folks who can’t get beyond the tradition of having dessert last, go ahead and enjoy your pie without them. Don’t you worry, there will be at least a few kids to joining you.
4. Express Yourself
Kids love to dress for the theme of the moment. Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. When you’re out picking up those last minute preparation items, go ahead and splurge on those 99-cent turkey socks. Dig through the closet to find your autumn-colored clothes. If you want to be “that guy” you can even pick up a turkey hat or that pumpkin covered shirt (Kindergarten teacher style). To take a step even farther, rent a pilgrim costume. Clothes are an easy way to express enthusiasm for the moment at hand. Don’t let the moment pass you by to show your true colors.
5. Recreate the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
As an untraditional appetizer of sorts, invite your guests to partake in a recreation of the classic Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving. Make up some tall stacks of buttered toast, serve up pretzels, ice cream sundaes, popcorn and jelly beans. Then, grab your lawn chairs and sit back to enjoy the show. Just because Peppermint Patty didn’t appreciate Snoopy and Woodstock’s creative take on the classic meal doesn’t mean you can’t. You’re guaranteed to find the childlike spirits in the room with this fun tradition.
6. Amp up the Play
After dinner and football have had their rightful places, invite folks to play a big family game, something that crosses generations and can involve everyone. A few favorites to think about are spoons, flag football, kickball, hot potato, Pictionary, Bingo, Balderdash, Who am I?, Apples to Apples, and a personal favorite, Quelf. If your group is just too ginormous to pull off playing all together, have a number of different games going on and people can go from one thing to the next, based on their interest. If your family loves to play cards, have a big tournament with various tables, and the winner gets to bring home the leftover desserts.
7. Movie Magic
Once the turkey coma has set in, watch a movie together as a group. Pick one that will appeal to all ages and will be entertaining and fun. Typically there’s a holiday movie released the year before that will work well. Some other suggestions are: Evan Almighty, WALL-E, Monsters, Inc., Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, The Little Rascals, The Princess Bride, Spiderwick Chronicles and any Disney movie. There’s something heartwarming about sharing laughter with family…and seeing Uncle David snoring in his chair.
8. Make a Moment
Be sure to “have a moment” at the beginning of the meal. If you’re not comfortable ask someone who will be to say a few words, as well as lead the group in a prayer or reflection. Remember those who are no longer with you and welcome those who are new to the crew. This is a heartfelt, sincere and ultimately childlike way to bring everyone to a similar mindset as you gather together. Ignore the eye rolls and let the moment be what it is.
9. Spice It Up
Start a new tradition by adding a playful side dish that you would normally not see on your Thanksgiving dinner table. Try to pick something that will bring a smile to the faces of unexpected family members. Here are a few yummy ideas: fried cheese curds (a Wisconsin favorite), french fries, rainbow Jell-O, gourmet mac ‘n cheese, birthday cake, a stack of toast or a bowl of jelly beans (in honor of Charlie Brown), etc. If nothing else, you’re creating a conversation piece, allowing family to talk about something else besides religion and politics.
10. Cooking Cooperation
Don’t leave the cook out on an island. Seize the opportunity to build relationships by cooking together. Some of the best conversations and memories are made while stirring gravy and mashing potatoes. If there are kids in the mix, invite them to learn some new cooking techniques and have fun letting them put their spin on them. When you have multiple cooks in the kitchen, the time goes a lot faster and the resentment levels (often maximized by the host) will decrease, as the fun overcomes the list of to-do’s.
So this dude known only to us as “Gil” sent us a video with some tips for escaping adulthood this Thanksgiving. He mostly focuses on saving money, which is certainly a cause of great stress for many people these days. While we don’t endorse all of his ideas, we can certainly get behind his desire to help you remember what’s really important this Thanksgiving. Let us know what you think of Gil’s tips.
iPod Version (61.8 MB) | Subscribe with iTunes
Chris Riddle, the official Halloween transponder for American Greetings, a major national manufacturer of Halloween party supplies and cards, has earned himself the nickname of “Mr. Halloween.” He has been a featured guest on HGTV, Fox News, and his Halloween Trend Observations, has been quoted in Time, USA Today, and The New York Times. We sat down with Chris to learn more about his cool job, his Halloween tattoos, and some of his favorite holiday memories.
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Jason: Tell us a little bit about your job, what you do, and how you got to be known as Mr. Halloween.
Chris: Well, Mr. Halloween has followed me since my childhood. Being an artist I was always drawing, and it just so happened – this is a funny story – that way back, I want to say fourth, fifth, sixth grade, all the way through high school, they always had contests in Ohio where you would actually paint the outside of a business in any given city.
And so we’d start school and I was always sketching Halloween pumpkins and witches and all that. From fourth grade all the way through my senior year I won the contests for the school, and I was always out there painting Halloween stuff.
But I also have to thank my mom because she loved Halloween. Looking back on all the pictures that I have of the family, she was always the one that was most in-costume, with the biggest smile, encouraging us to carve pumpkins and make our own costumes at Halloween.
So, as you see all the time on TV with athletes, I’ve got to thank my mom. You know, it’s one of those things where it was real important. So that kind of followed me then when I started my career at American Greetings. Everyone found out that I was actually collecting Halloween antiques and that I had quite a history of that, and I have a couple tattoos that are Halloween tattoos.
It’s kind of weird. I like to play the scary one, so it’s been that way for a long time. In a sense, even though I started as an illustrator on the board at American Greetings and kind of worked myself up to an art director and all that, because I have such a love for the holiday and such an interest, they said, “Well, why don’t you help every year with trends? Think in terms of a year out, where we want to be in the way of color and subject matter. Work with as many of the staff as you need to to come up with new ideas based on a proven subject matter.”
So it was just the matter of then going out – it really starts about the end of August – and looking at a lot of different aspects. Mostly women’s fashion, because 95 percent of our products are bought by women. So you’re kind of looking at color.
We also have some color organizations in New York City that we are members of. We fly out to New York and look at the colors a couple years out at that point. But then you’re just projecting where you want to be the following year. I have a group of artists that do that, and it’s just wonderful to work with such creative people, but to also do something that is a part of your passion as well.
Jason: That’s cool. So what tattoos do you have?
Chris: Well it’s interesting. I also collect original turn of the century Wizard of Oz books, because I love The Wizard of Oz. In the actual second book, I think it was, Jack was a highly respected member of Oz, and so the tattoo I have on my leg actually has the pumpkin head of Jack and the symbol of Oz.
On my back I have a frowning and a smiling pumpkin.
And then I have the the pumpkin patch. The weeds and all the vines go down to other areas on my back. It’s something I’ve had for a while. But when you have a passion you don’t mind doing that kind of crazy stuff.
Well, my wife wasn’t happy, but hey, that’s just the way it is.
Kim: Oh, that’s so cool. Tell us a little bit about your antiques and memorabilia. How did that all begin and what’s your favorite item that you have?
Chris: Yes, it’s interesting. My parents passed away young and I inherited a lot of boxes. I found so much of my mom’s stuff that she had collected from the ‘40s and kept. I said, “Boy, now I know why she so loved Halloween as a family-oriented holiday.”
In my early 20s when my wife and I would travel around the United States, one of the first places I’d want to go visit would be the nearest antique store. Even though we might be at Mt. Rushmore or we might be in L.A., I was going through the Yellow Pages looking for antique stores. It just started clicking that way and it’s been probably well over close to 30 years that I’ve been collecting Halloween antiques, way before they got too expensive for people to do it.
So it’s just something I have up all year-round. I have display cases in all parts of the house, and I also have little sneaks of Halloween in the kitchen and the dining room and the bedrooms. When people visit, every part of the house is a little bit special about Halloween.
And from my standpoint, Halloween antiques especially are a little bit about the loving spirit of those people that actually kept that pristine Halloween antique over the decades. I end up getting something in my possession, and it brings me such joy because I know the love that that person had for the holiday has now entered my house and my collection. So it’s really special.
Jason: Do you have a favorite item in your collection?
Chris: Well, you know, I love my Halloween postcards and greeting cards, because that’s where it gets kind of personal. People are talking about the time of year and the harvest and missing the family, and “I can’t wait to see you during Christmas,” you know, things like that.
It’s interesting because the addresses are not like you have a long numeral address. It’s like 12 Central Street. I mean, that’s all it is, and even when they say “Give me a call,” the telephone number’s like three digits.
Kim: Wow.
Chris: Way back in the ‘20s and ‘30s, that’s all it was. So that kind of thing is very endearing to me because it was special enough that someone kept that close to their heart, and now I have it as part of my collection, so it’s wonderful.
Jason: So, as a trends person, how have you seen Halloween change over the years?
Chris: You know, I think it changes, but it changes fashion-wise, it changes in color. But I have to believe that everyone goes back a little bit to their childhood when they think in terms of Halloween. Of course, it’s like that as Christmastime as well. I think when you talk about Halloween to people and they bring up their memories about Halloween, they smile.
I think it’s a little bit about the fact that they remember when they were children and running around the neighborhood and getting candy. And going to school in costume and having a great time, and also the memories with their family at that time.
So when I talk in terms of what’s happening in the way of product, it’s a little bit of looking back, but looking back with an eye towards where color is going to be a year from now, or where styled art is going to be.
But yet, the subject matter and the warmth in the copy is always going to be there, and maybe a little bit from where you’ve come from. And in terms of what decade you grew up in. And then how can we put that into our product? So it’s a little about looking forward and looking back at the same time.
Jason: And it seems like adults really are taking Halloween back.
Chris: Yes, they really have. I mean, next to New Year’s Eve parties and Super Bowl Sunday, Halloween is the third largest celebration that adults involve themselves in. It’s become a $5 billion industry. You can just go through suburbia and people are decking out the outside of their homes with the lights and spider webs and all kinds of wonderful things.
And I think it’s just a wonderful release for people at this time of year with the pressure they have at work and all of that. They just kind of go back and say, “You know what? I remember how this used to be. And as an adult, and maybe part of a wonderful family, I’m going to continue to celebrate this.” So I think it’s just a wonderful time of year.
Kim: What was Halloween like for you as a kid? Obviously you say it was really great and you have some awesome memories. What do you remember the most?
Chris: Well, you know, it always started probably a week before when my mom and dad would get one of the largest pumpkins there were. All of us kids would carve pumpkins that we knew were going to be put out on the front porch. And of course you would have to make the yearly scarecrow in the front yard.
My mom would bake apple pies and things like that, so you’d have that smell in the house. And of course, it’s all about the smell outside, because with the turning leaves and the way that the light and the sun changes outside as well, it creates warm shadows at this time of year.
You can tell I’m excited just to be talking about it, but it’s what you see visually and the smells and everything else I think that gets you going. Then all of a sudden it’s a couple days before Halloween, and of course time has changed, so there’s no light out at 6:00.
You know, it’s the anticipation of going out and just running yourself ragged trick-or-treating with your friends. It’s just wonderful memories.
Then as you get older, instead of watching, going to the movies of course. And I remember as a child going to horror movies – they were black and white at that time – and being scared to death. And now of course it’s all DVDs and cable television but it’s just a wonderful time of year.
Jason: So what about these days? What do you do for Halloween? What’s your favorite Halloween activity now?
Chris: Yes, I have to say I’m running around now as an adult. I mean, there are probably three or four different neighborhoods that I need to go to, and I only have two-and-a-half hours.
And I have my video camera, my normal camera. My wife is with me, we’re running around, I’m trying to photograph families. I’m photographing the way people have decorated the outside of their homes. I’m invited inside homes now because people know I’m coming every year, so they need me to come in and they take pictures with me and their family.
Kim: It’s Mr. Halloween!
Chris: Yes. It’s kind of fun. But for me it’s always about going out on trick-or-treat night and just hearing the laughter of the children and the wind blowing through the trees. And hopefully it’s going to be a night where it’s cloudless and there’s a moon out casting a wonderful shadow on everything. Oh my God, it’s wonderful. I can’t wait!
Kim: It’s coming soon!
Chris: Yes, it’s coming soon.
Kim: Well, we always end our interviews with a question that gets you thinking back to childhood.
Jason: Which is not too hard for you at this time of year.
Chris: No, it’s not.
Kim: This is a very easy one, but what was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?
Chris: Well, there was a time in my life when I was a teenager where I’d get pretty decked out. And I think one time I was a werewolf, and I spent hours and hours and hours on it. This was before I really bought rubber masks and things like that.
I made myself up really, really good. I would actually be on all fours a lot and then come up to the door and I’d be on my haunches. But I was so good that I’d scare everybody away.
So I just had to go in the house at that point because my mom and dad were going, “You know, no one wants to come to our house this year.” And so I ended up having to go out because they didn’t want me around. But from my standpoint, I created such a buzz in the neighborhood and everybody wanted me to go up to their house.
Kim: It must have been pretty convincing if people were so scared of it, Chris.
Chris: Oh, I know, but it’s all about the trick and the treat. People don’t remember that, I would always tell kids when they used to come to the house, “So, what kind of trick do you know, because it’s trick-or-treat? Do you know why you’re saying trick-or-treat?” and all that. There’s a little bit of that history that a lot of kids don’t know.
Jason: So, tell us about that. What was the original concept behind Halloween?
Chris: Well, boy, Halloween goes back so far, but I would have to say it started way back in New England, way back in I want to say the 1860s. There were farms back then and people had a lot more parties in those days. You’d go to a barn party and you’d have to entertain in order to get anything, whether it be the food or it was part of the harvest festival. So people put on skits, and actually had to do things. They just couldn’t come. You had to come with something in the way of an entertainment.
So it’s a little bit about the “trick” in treat-or-treat and you’d get a treat. In New England, they kind of said to people, “Well, is it a joke? Do you have to come in and say something? Something to make them laugh? What kind of trick?” You’re doing something magical or something when you ask for a trick-or-treat, and you have to do something in order to get a treat. So it kind of goes back to that, and I don’t know if people even know that these days. But it’s so funny to hear kids going “trick or treat.” They usually don’t want to do it anymore.
Jason: It’s all about the magic words. I guess kids will do whatever they can do to get candy!
Chris: Absolutely, yes.
In this episode of the Escape Adulthood Show, brought to you from studio 315 in Madison, Wisconsin, we talk about adults who are ruining Halloween, how the economy is affecting things, and a restaurant that is serving snake on its holiday menu. We also read some fun and funny Halloween memories submitted by Club K&J members. Just click “Play” to listen to the show, or you can subscribe to the show with iTunes…
Show Notes…
• Snake on Menu for Halloween (The Sun)
• Halloween Sales Reportedly Up (CBS59.com)
• Let Kids Enjoy Halloween (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
• Halloween is Best Left to the Kids (TulsaWorld.com)
• Cool Thing: BBQ Sword
• Show Music: Coyote Sleeps by Ethan Elkind
• Show Length: 38 minutes, 32 seconds
• Shout Outs: A big thank you to everyone who shared their Halloween memories!
• Feedback: Do you think adults are ruining Halloween? Would you eat a snake? What’s your favorte Halloween candy? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Add a comment below, e-mail us, or give us a jingle via the exclusive Club K&J Hotline at 608-554-0803.
Halloween is the time of year when kids and adults alike exercise their creativity and imagination, often in the form of being gross, creepy, and scary. If this isn’t a childlike holiday, we don’t know what is! It’s no surprise that Halloween has become the favorite holiday of many adults. Hey, no gifts to wrap, cards to send, or birds to cook. It’s simply about having fun. Now you may be a bit too tall for trick-or-treating, but that doesn’t mean you have to eat healthy (boring) grown-up food at your Halloween party. Have some fun getting creative with your menu. From Boogers on a Stick to Kitty Litter Cake, we’ll get you started with 9 gross and gruesome ideas that are guaranteed to get your guests having a good time!
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