Now don't get me wrong—I love stereotypical, plain old Christmas traditions as much as the next guy. I'll take a hot chocolate while we drive around and look at Christmas lights any day. Just don't try to convince me that Christmas dinner is anything other than those wonderful noodles, rice, veggies, chicken, and signature white sauce from Kobe Steakhouse.
Our Kobe Christmas dinner is probably the most uncommon Christmas tradition my family follows, so I was curious to see what other families do to celebrate the holiday. Below are some uncommon Christmas traditions I've gathered from friends and online submissions. Maybe you'll find one you want to start too!
1. Lasagna Christmas Eve dinner!
Keep it simple and classic the day before the big celebrations!
2. A movie and mimosas!
Honestly, just another excuse to drink mimosas. Sit back with the bubbly and relax while watching "Elf" or "A Christmas Story" or the "Prep and Landing" cartoons!
3. New toothbrushes in your stockings!
Too many Christmas cookies? No worries! Santa's got all your dental needs covered. He's teamed up with the Tooth Fairy to make your smile merry and bright for the holidays.
4. Ornament wishing game!
"Make a wish when placing the first ornament on the tree. If the ornament falls, the wish didn't come true."
5. Sub sandwich Christmas dinner and a movie!
"My family makes open faced sub sandwiches for a late lunch or early dinner and watches Oliver Twist in the evening. My mom told my dad to pick out a Christmas movie to watch the first year they were married and he picked that one because it had snow in the background on the cover. Oliver Twist is not, in fact, a Christmas movie."
6. New calendar on Christmas!
The rest of the year can be a bit of a blur sometimes. Make sure you have a way to keep track of how many days until next Christmas!
7. Traditional British Christmas crackers!
They're so cool. You pull them apart and inside are prizes, jokes, and a paper crown. Maybe this is normal in England, but in America, this is something fun and different than any old Christmas activity.
8. Keep your decorations up until April!
Just because you love Christmas that much. Keep that festive spirit going into the rest of the year.
9. Don't send Christmas cards!
It's okay! Just post a bunch of pictures on Facebook! Your friends and family will get the idea.
10. Go see a movie!
There's no traffic on the way to the theater and then the theater itself is practically empty. It's almost like watching a movie in the comfort of your own home, but not!
11. Special wrapping paper!
Use new, surprise wrapping paper to reveal on Christmas day—a different one for each person! This makes gifts easy to find and keep track of before you open them.
12. Celebrate with ESPN!
Not Christmas movies. In fact, don't even watch a Christmas movie. Focus on your favorite sports team and bring Christmas cheer cheering them on!
"We've got spirit, yes we do!"
(#10hana)
13. Christmas dinner at a hibachi restaurant!
You just cooked a nice dinner on Thanksgiving. Who wants to go through all that work again so soon? Head to Kobe Steakhouse or another hibachi style restaurant for a Japanese Christmas dinner! The best part is you'll have leftovers for the next day too! Plus, the white sauce. Ugh, now I'm hungry.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
" God bless us, everyone!" —Tiny Tim, "A Christmas Carol"
