My family has always gone all-in for Christmas Eve. We’re a family of band/choir geeks and drama nerds, all grown up. This isn’t one continuous memory, but rather a collection of remembrances.

I grew up with a fraught relationship to Christmas. For some reason I love it, even though every year wound up kind of miserable—my dad was a maudlin and then aggressive drunk; my mom would try to put together a reasonable Christmas for the kids even though every year was worse, financially and personally, for her,…

I’m not going to say that this is my best holiday story, but today I got an awesome gift- a gift that brought me this bang-out of joyful suprise that I didn’t think was possible for any reasonable adult to have:

I have a fluffy owl atop my enchanted forest themed tree and I love it. 

Honestly, I have always been a bit of Grinch when it comes to Christmas. I didn’t grow up celebrating it, and was really overwhelmed by it and all the expensive stuff when I started attending my boyfriend’s (now husband’s) family Christmas. This year I have a 2 year old and seeing Christmas through his eyes has…

Hey, Maria - thanks for organizing these each week. I really look forward to the threads.

And now this is the thread in which we share the things we have as Christmas tree toppers:

I’ve told this one pretty recently on another thread, but I still love it.

Because it’s not a White Chris list so much as a Marvel Chris list as much as Jez likes to insist otherwise.

Meloni seems like he could have had Jon Hamm’s career—i.e., a good-looking leading man type whose real talent lies in comedic character acting.

I once worked for a government official who was being investigated by the feds. I saw how the feds had kept stuff entirely secret, then started "leaking" stuff purposely, to turn up the heat. If Giuliani sweated off his shoe polish-hair dye before, just wait till the party actually starts. That fucker is fucked and I…

Mulaney was open about his drug use in many of his stand up specials.  I love his comedy (I grew up in similar circumstances, so many of his bits hit home perfectly) and wish him nothing but the best.  I hope he, his wife and Petunia get through this and come out stronger at the end.  

Well do you have flag?

I had one once, but it was in the 80's when we called them “bi-levels.”

I think it will be that way for many of us. Honestly go for new traditions. And TexMex sounds divine. Also who cares how the presents look. It’s the thought behind the present inside that counts ! 

My mom used to do the wrapping and the Easter baskets at her aunt’s store. Her stuff was always beautiful- magazine perfect and it is what I aspire to but never attain.

I’m sorry for the rough Christmas—the first year after a loss can be particularly shitty. I’m glad you have your mom for company and it sounds like you’re good together.

I agree with the comment below about new traditions. I spent passover with a friend in Israel once, her first without her kids who had gone to their father’s for the holiday. So many friends kept inviting us to seder, insisting that neither of us should miss it (me as a first timer, her as a first time alone-r) and we…

Count yourself lucky. My Mom is in an assisted living facility (slowly dying) and they’ve been locked down with a Covid infestation. Not that it matters much since she can’t climb the stairs to my apartment, and my friends who I usually spend Christmas with (and bring her) are accepting no visitors this year. Wisely,…

Loves me some Tex Mex! Bring on the enchiladas.