Friday, December 10, 2010

Friday Favorites: Holiday Traditions

We took our sons to see The Nutcracker ballet last night, and it was just as magical as when I remember seeing it as a child. (Although some of the story elements that mystified or left me with questions then remain as question marks today.)

Another Christmas tradition in my house is watching the original animated version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas: Boris Karloff was the perfect choice as narrator for the cartoon, and Thurl Ravenscroft's grisly rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" makes the show complete. Plus, it's just a darn good story.

And of course, no Christmas season is complete for us without listening to the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas, composed by Vince Guaraldi. His jazzy arrangements of classics like "O Tannenbaum" and "Greensleeves" add a different level to the music while maintaining the original feel, and his originals like "Linus and Lucy" are pure holiday funk.

How about you? What are your holiday traditions?

5 comments:

  1. You picked my two favorites! I LOVE the original Grinch. The movie version is just not the same.

    And of course, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Charlie Brown and the peanuts gang.

    Enjoy your holiday.

    Michael

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  2. Ditto Golden Eagle. I love Charlie Brown. I haven't read too much Seuss, though.

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  3. Me and my brothers used lay under the christmas tree and look up at the lights. That's one of my favorite holiday memories.

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  4. Oh I bet that was nice to see The Nutcracker. I'm glad I got out to see Cirque du Soleil (not quite the same)

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