little b: holidays

Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Happy B Day!

I hope your day is positively delicious!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Christmas Things I Do Not Understand

This is the post where you're all gonna hate me!

Okay, okay, maybe not hate. But there are some things about Christmas that people hold sacred that I just do not understand.

I'm not saying these things are wrong or bad. In fact, they look sort of fun. All I'm saying is that being a Member of the Tribe, I grew up without Christmas, in a very Jewish town, and didn't ever learn what an Easter basket was until I went to college. (The Easter Bunny brings it, apparently!) So it's not that these are bad things, they're just things I never participated in growing up. It's more like you're all in on some joke that I don't get. And while in my adulthood I've tried to counteract my anti-Christmas upbringing with holiday overload in December (see: Chrismukkah party; love of holiday themed anything;etc.), these things below are things that I'm still left scratching my head over.

Take, for example, this beloved movie:

To be fair, I've never seen this movie, so I'm aware this is not a fair post. However, our local WB affiliate would run commercials for it what seemed like every other minute when I was growing up. They ran them so frequently that I can still narrate them. From what I can gather, this kid has some annoying relatives. Why do I want to watch a movie about them? Then he gets a bunny suit. Then he gets his tongue stuck to a pole.Also there is a leg lamp that people freak out over? And yet, people go nuts for this movie.

Then, there's Elf.

I've actually seen this one, and Will Ferrel is pretty funny in it, even after 2 hours of the same joke of him running around in an elf suit. But it immediately loses points in my book because it prominently features Zooey Deschanel singing a twee song and then Santa's sleigh takes off because of her Christmas spirit and joyful melodies? I'm not sure I get it. Am I a Grinch? Maybe I'm a Grinch.

Another thing we never did growing up was send Christmas cards, or holiday cards. Then I got to college and realized the entire Western hemisphere sends them.

Source

This shouldn't really fall under the category of "things I do not understand," because I think it's a really nice tradition. However, I never did anything like it growing up so I don't send them today. Am I doing something wrong? If they are supposed to be a snapshot of your family life this past year, am I supposed to send a card to show people what I've been doing? This concerns me, because if I'm being honest people would be receiving a card of me, in sweatpants, eating Puffins on my couch in solitude.

So, there you go. Confessions of a Jew in Christmas season.

Go on, hate on me in the comments. Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Party Tips by Little B

So, our Chrismukkah party was a great success. You haven't heard anything about it yet because my old bones needed an extra day to recover. Let's just say that I broke my three drink rule on more than once occasion this weekend. Little B, you're not what you used to be.

(Of course, if "what you used to be" was a person who willingly used Sutter Home Rose in your games of beer pong, that might not be such a bad thing.)

Anyway, without further ado: How to Hold a Successful Chrismukkah Party.

1. If you are feeding a crowd, don't kill yourself. Buy the boxed mix. I swear, it'll be okay.

2. Provide a festive "tablescape," in the words of Sandra Lee. If you're like me, the thought of Sandra Lee makes you gag and you just call it decorating. Dreidels = gambling and chocolate, always a fun time!

3. Welcome any and all thematic treats your guests may bring. These were our friend Matt's creation - cream cheese, sour cream, lox, onion and capers on rye bread, or Jewish breakfast spread. Delicious!

4. Provide fried food.

5. Let folks go nuts with the tree decorations.

6. Gaudy ornaments can be fun. Just go with it. (This is SK's newest and most favorite ornament. I'm not exaggerating when I say its the size of my face.)

7. Make sure to include Hannukah so it doesn't feel left out.Also make sure that your Costco box of oatmeal is in the background so the Quaker Oats guy doesn't feel left out either.

8. Make sure your neighbors don't forget about Hannukah either!

9. Unless these are your neighbors, who seriously know how to do Christmas lights right.

Happy Chrismukkah, every one of us!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Friday Five: Chrismukkah Party!

Tonight's the night - the Chrismukkah party!

When SK and I started dating, we started a tradition of eating latkes the same night as we decorated his tree (I like to say it's to appease my grandmother,who is rolling over in her grave at the idea of me decorating a Christmas tree.)

Last year, we invited a couple of Jewish friends of ours to celebrate with us, and they were so delighted with the idea of trimming a tree that we invited them back this year. Soon word had spread to some more of my fellow MOTs (that's Members of the Tribe) and they wanted to partake in all the forbidden Christmas pleasures as well. And thus, the Chrismukkah party was born!

I'll be back with a full recap on Monday, but for now here's the menu, Fridy Five-Style!

1. Mulled Cider with rum. A holiday party necessity!

2. Mulled wine. Too much mulling? No such thing, I say.


3. Latkes. Of course. Normally I like to make them from scratch, but to feed a crowd tonight I'm going to cheat and use boxed mix. Sorry, Mom. source


4. Candy Cane Joe-Joes from Trader Joes. The pinnacle of all holiday treats!


5. The Tree. Okay, it's not a menu item, but it's an integral part of the festivities! (This is last year's tree. We've decided to name this year's tree Piney the Elder. #HistoryNerdPuns)