In college, my roommates and I held an annual Christmas centered on the movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. What started as a watch party inevitably became a house party - and an annual tradition. We continued the tradition for a few years after college, largely because we were still relatively co-located, and, more importantly, devoid of the kinds of responsibilities that can cause such traditions to fade into the background. Although, one of our crew maintained the tradition like a champ.
This move has long been one of our favorites. In fact, it's not uncommon to watch it immediately after Thanksgiving dinner. In some ways, the first viewing is the official start to the Christmas season. When I told Ray Ray about the aforementioned watch party, she lit up like a Christmas tree and insisted we not only host the party now, but that we do so annually going forward. Thus, we held our inaugural Bend Over and I'll Show Ya' party this weekend. (You may need to watch the movie if that line means nothing to you.) Here's the added twist: attendees must dress up as a character from the movie. This is not a new idea. Do a Google Image search and you will see thousands of people have held such an event. Still, it's fun.
With the help of some friends and some creative use of outdoor sporting equipment, and because we live in a climate that allows for an outdoor event in December, we turned our yard into an outdoor theatre. There, among friends, we took in the hilarity of the fun, old fashioned, Griswold family Christmas; each of us resembling a character. Extra points were awarded for reciting the line of your respective character at the right moment.
We had a very motley crew this year and are impressed with the level of creativity shown by our guests. I mean, look at the level of detail of Clark In the Attic. That's dedication.
And so it begins, our new annual holiday tradition.
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