Holiday Traditions from around The Jim Henson Company Lot
With the Holiday comes the season of yummy savory foods, delectable desserts, holiday music and shows, and of course shopping! And most have a family holiday tradition that involves one or more of those things.
The Holidays and family traditions go hand in hand, with people looking forward to both all year long. With the Holidays in full swing, family traditions have begun! From eating turkey, watching football, or serving meals at shelters during Thanksgiving. To watching the ball drop followed by watching parades (and again football) on New Year’s Day and making tamales or latkes between the two. Most families have special Holiday Season traditions that get passed on to the next generation.
One of my favorite traditions is to drive around our neighborhood and look at the Christmas lights and decorations. The kids get all snug in their pajamas and I usually will wear a Santa hat while my husband drives. Another of my favorite family traditions (aside from watching all the Christmas specials on TV – looking at you Emmet Otter!) is on Christmas eve. My Mom and I (and now my Mom, my Daughters, and I) bake chocolate chip cookies. We then do a gift exchange where everyone gets new pajamas to wear that night, usually matching. We end Christmas eve with my husband reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” to our children. It is such a wonderful tradition that we forward to each year.
My friends and colleagues here at work shared their favorite traditions as well. So if you are looking for some new ideas for your own family, here are some favorite traditions from the folks around the lot:
“Christmas dinner is always a big deal (Prime Rib and Fresh shucked oysters)—but no matter what I always watch Home Alone on Christmas Eve and order ‘a lovely cheese pizza just for me’” ~ Anna Moorefield, Distribution
“My Mom and Dad host an extended family Hanukkah party every year for all of us at their home. We do a gift exchange, light the Hanukkah candles, and indulge in chocolate covered matzah which is really also a Passover thing but we love it so much we make it for Hanukkah each year. Recipe included! https://www.marthastewart.com/319427/homemade-toffee-chocolate-matzah “ ~ Melissa Segal, Consumer Products
“For many years of my youth, my siblings would play up the whole Santa thing, and so, when the adults were ready for the younger kids to go to bed, one or two of the older boys would climb up on the roof and make a ton of noise as if Santa and his reindeer had just landed and then would yell down the fireplace “Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas! Please tell me, are all the children asleep?” That’s all it took and we were racing for our beds and snoring away. Given that I was the youngest, and by many years, I think my family maybe played that one up for a little longer than needed. I think I was 34 when they stopped! Additionally, for many years we had this unofficial challenge. When you received a present that had one of those bows with the sticky back, you would take the bow and stick it to your head (I come from a long line of Balding Burfords, so it made it that much easier. The ladies had a harder time sticking it to their hair). Anyhow, as they would continue to unwrap their gifts, you would take any of the discarded paper from one of your already opened gifts, crumble it to a ball and attempt to knock the bow off the other person’s head. I must admit, Mom was not a fan of this game. I must also admit, that while Dad backed up Mom on this, he was one of the biggest instigators of throwing the crumpled wrapping paper” ~ Mark Buford, Production Finance
“Since I was a kid, my family would always go over to my Grandmothers for Christmas Eve and the kids would stay the night. Then we have a big feast the next day including my grandmother’s honey ham that she always makes. It’s so delicious but definitely not kosher, funny we have this tradition when everyone is Jewish!” ~ Josh Cohen, Children’s Television
“My Christmas tradition has always been making cookies as gifts for my family. And after I had my son, we do it together and now he decorates them!” ~ Cynthia Barron, Legal
“I love to eat a Stollen or two (German fruit cake with Marzipan) amongst all the other holiday foods throughout the month.” ~ Lily Cameron, Corporate
And as we close the year, my family will once again host a New Year’s Eve get together that involves family members and our next door neighbors. We will serve a buffet of hot appetizers and desserts, sing bad karaoke (ok, that is just me. The others are pretty good singers!), play a few rounds of Uno, and lift our glasses of Martinelli’s sparking grape juice as we ring in 2020!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Stephanie Wise
Be sure to gather the family around and make watching Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas part of your holiday family tradition! You can currently stream it on Amazon Prime.
