Susan's Scribblings the Blog

Tag: christmas

• Yule Blog 2025

  Posted at 3:11 pm by kayewer, on December 20, 2025

  The holidays of 2025 have descended upon us again. By “the holidays,” I mean Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s. And those are just the most commonly known ones. December 21 is Winter Solstice or Yule, the shortest day of the year. There is also Boxing Day (referring to the donation receptacle for the poor found at churches, not pugilism), and a little-known celebration on December 26 called Zarathosht Diso which commemorates the death of a prophet worshipped by the Zoroastrians for over 4000 years. Followers trek to temples or spend time in reflection and readings.

  For the second year in a row, I decided to make limoncello. Those of you who tuned in a few weeks ago know how the initial prep went on Thanksgiving. Since then my hacked-up finger has healed, and the infusion is now ready for simple syrup and distribution into jars to give to excited consumers who enjoyed my first batch.

  I still plan the usual beef for Christmas dinner and pork for New Year’s, though my beef this year will be a decent brand of hamburger as the eye roast prices are seriously over budget. A trip to “Ack-a-me” brought out the “Ack!” response upon seeing the price per pound. Albertson’s is having a bad year.

  As to other holiday traditions, I and others will tune into a Turner network at some point between Christmas Eve and late Christmas Day to watch Ralphie shoot his eye out with a Red Rider air rifle (A Christmas Story), and folks in Sweden will watch Donald Duck (or “Kalle Anka”) and the legacy Disney ensemble in a traditional holiday broadcast promptly at 3:00 PM on Christmas Eve. Also I will be bingeing a few episodes of my newest diversion on Passionflix, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. And for those rolling their eyes, there appears to be nothing about channel owner Tosca Musk’s character that screams negativity, so I’m checking out the broadcast story before reading the books and supporting the performers.

  The mall parking lots are the fullest they’ve been all year, a testament to the return of holiday shopping madness, so I have not set foot in any mall since before Thanksgiving. Also, the stomach virus has infiltrated nearby towns to our west, and so I’m trying to stay more than a lightyear away from anything or anybody from which I could pick up that gastrointestinal terror from the microscopic world of germs.

  Next week will be a recap of 2025 and a look ahead. One must have something to look forward to, and a major event is our 250th anniversary as a nation, flaws and all.

  Be safe, don’t overspend, and don’t forget to watch something holiday themed on television.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged christmas, family, holiday, holidays, life

• You Can Keep Your Nakatomi Tower

  Posted at 6:10 pm by kayewer, on December 13, 2025

  This past week I have seen a few social media references to the 1988 film Die Hard being a holiday movie most popular around Christmas. The film is set around the holidays and has thus become action aficionados’ best present to themselves on television during the year-end broadcasting festivities.

  Not to be outdone, another post appeared in my feed about something I had not realized before: that December 11 is considered “Psycho Day” in the quaint city of Phoenix, Arizona. The mayor at the time, Thelda Williams, made the date official in 2018, and people are now asking if Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller is also considered a holiday film.

  The city of Phoenix was the backdrop for the movie’s action, which opens with a timeline of Friday, December 11 at 2:43 PM. Phoenix was decorated for Christmas in several shots featuring actress Janet Leigh and the cast before her doomed character of Marion Crane sets off to meet a ghastly fate (no spoilers here: not every human being reading this has seen the movie).

  The film itself began principal photography on November 11, 1959, meaning the cast and crew were rolling film just before Christmas. Janet Leigh herself has said in quotes that she spent seven days filming her crucial scene in a small bathroom set. Hitchcock himself oversaw everything and kept only a limited crew on hand for the most vital roles. What a Christmas present to get out of there.

  Also, December 11 did fall on Friday during filming in 1959. I know, because I looked it up.

  So, when deep diving into such a subject, the question becomes whether it matters.

  For me, this movie serves a few distinctive purposes. I was a newborn when the filming began (I probably wasn’t out of the hospital yet, as they kept new moms there for a few days back then) and didn’t see it until over a decade after it was released in theatres in 1960. My first viewing was on 1970s evening television. I was probably too young for a PG movie with that type of content (it was rated M for mature audiences at first release). It was quite a shocker, and I consigned it to my “one and done” viewing list of classics (up there with less than a handful of films such as Saving Private Ryan). I still followed up over the years and know a lot about it, but I probably will not view it again in my lifetime.

  When a film has elements of the holidays in them, is it a holiday film? My opinion is this: if you like to watch movies with holiday references in them during the holidays, it’s fine. It may not be Christmas classic material, but even a scary movie can contain elements of the season.

  Phoenix residents capitalize on the tourism aspect of the movie’s success, because quite a few of the landmarks in the scenic parts of the movie’s establishing shots are still present in town, particularly the Westward Ho tower which appears prominently, along with a half dozen other historic buildings still standing. Not to mention Arizona’s natural beauty surrounding the city.

  In Phoenix the film first screened on August 11, 1960, at a theater which is apparently still in business as well. People nationwide allegedly fainted at screenings, and film students are regularly given Hitchcock’s classic canon to examine in detail and see what makes it hold up.

  In this case, Psycho is still relevant after 65 years. The movie has earned a position of historic significance and is preserved in the National Film Registry. It has outlived its characters, its director, and appears on cable at least once on classic networks such as TCM around Halloween time mostly, but not at Christmas. It’s no more a true holiday movie than any of the Harry Potter films are, even when Hogwarts is decked out with trees and floating candles. No matter.

  And speaking of Harry Potter/Die Hard actor Alan Rickman, I’m not sure if Mr. Rickman’s plummet off Nakatomi Tower or Maltin Balsam’s detective Arbogast’s fate on the Bates house’s staircase was more exciting or gruesome, but whichever you watch on your TV, enjoy. It’s all good during the holidays.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged alfred-hitchcock, christmas, film, horror, movies, phoenix-az

• Jingle Kisses All the Way

  Posted at 4:50 pm by kayewer, on December 7, 2024

  Christmas is the only holiday with its own set of nostalgic rules which every American must follow. For example, department stores will receive boos if they put up one string of tinsel before November, the Macy’s parade must be held on Thanksgiving Day despite rain or alien invasion, and it isn’t the holiday season until certain legacy commercials appear on television.

  During Thanksgiving weekend, I saw a perennial favorite appear; the Hershey’s Kisses ad featuring a choir of the red and green confections as finely tuned bells playing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The third red Kiss in the second row of the ten Kisses (with a silver Kiss choral director) wears itself out with the final extended note, swiping its tag like a hand across its pointy “brow” with a “whew” at the end. It’s cute, and a classic.

  In 2020, somebody in the marketing department at Hershey decided to bring out a second version of the commercial. As the Kisses begin the tune, a child’s hand appears and snatches a Kiss away. And not just any Kiss, either. The darling snatches up the third red Kiss just seconds into the performance! And we then see the owner of the hand–a little girl and who we assume is her father–putting Kisses into the tops of thumb print cookies.

  Like Lil’ Abner’s friends the Schmoos, whose goal in life is to be eaten, we understand that Kisses are eaten as is or baked into other treats, but the bells are also replaced in the new version by a light jazzy version of the song. Some find the overall effect jarring.

  Within hours, somebody posted the original ad on social media, and the protests exploded. It seems a lot of people do not like Hershey toying with the good old ad. There have even been video parodies online of the terrified Kisses as they are picked off by the kid one by one as they scream in terror, and armchair commentary from somebody hoping they get to see the original ad on TV but must endure the new one, to their vocal discontent.

  Not many things divide the online community to such extremes as when somebody is messing with something familiar. Movie remakes undergo the same criticism, along with renaming sports teams and trying to introduce new soda concoctions.

  We are used to commercials which tout all sorts of crazy gadgets with the tag, “makes a great Christmas gift,” or “order now for holiday delivery.” Watching those Kiss bells toll out a simple tune is an ASMR tradition which, as per popular vote, can’t be toyed with (to coin a phrase), and it doesn’t say to buy the bright packages at all. But we do, in massive amounts.

  I haven’t seen the newer version on television this year, but I also am reminded of other long-gone ads such as the Norelco shaver which featured a Santa gliding through snowy hills atop an electric razor, and the company dropped the R to make the name NOELCO instead. They didn’t change a thing. That’s smart. We won’t see those ads anymore, because No(r)elco was bought out by the Phillips company (the folks who sell electric toothbrushes). Unless the marketing department wants to put their new logo at the end of the old commercial, which has been done successfully in the past by others, that ad is lost to history or old video clips.

  However, the electric razors of today are not ergonomic mouse-like devices anymore, so children today would not know what they were looking at. They might ask, “Daddy, why is Santa riding a mouse with circley things on them?”

  A third classic commercial does change every year, and nobody minds: the Hess toy truck ad is filmed sometime in summer, and features kids in winter gear hoisting a new version of an old classic toy to the tune of “My Boyfriend’s Back.” This is the 60th anniversary of the toy. Hess gas stations were bought out and renamed Marathon, but the trucks (or variant transports) are still sold. Batteries included.

  Whew!

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged christmas, fantasy, food, hershey-kiss, hess, kiss, music, norelco

• Party Time

  Posted at 2:41 pm by kayewer, on December 9, 2023

  I had the privilege of having dinner out twice this week because of the holidays. This is one of the best times of the year to enjoy food prepared by somebody else, whether it’s in the form of a group meal at a restaurant or just at another home of friends or relatives. My meals are prepared by a ghost kitchen for my delivery plan, but that doesn’t count.

  My first dinner was with a friend whose family has a past in the restaurant business, and we have eaten together a few times. I knew I was in for some good home cooking. Our plan was to enjoy the meal and then decorate the brand new–and deeply discounted from last year’s post-holiday sale–Christmas tree. It was a joy to work on the replacement for last year’s version, which had lost its sturdiness too late to replace. The ornaments, a collection years in the making, came out of storage and were lovingly placed individually on the branches, along with some plotting for branch adjustments and gap widening. I brought along a new ornament to add to the collection, in a matching color scheme. The end result was posted to social media, and I headed home with the vision of a lovely tree and lingering memories of a fine roast. I bought two roasts for the holidays for my own meals, but I don’t think they’ll measure up to having somebody else cook for you.

  The second dinner was a group affair at a restaurant in it’s third or fourth rebirth; the most memorable version was devoted to French cuisine, and that was the last time I had visited. For another group luncheon, for which I have forgotten my place in it. I chalk my poor memory up to it being a different decade and long enough ago that it, like the French decor, has passed into distant history.

  Like so many other eateries, this establishment set up an enclosed outdoor dining experience for groups and catered events, well heated by overhead warmers instead of posts. The place was cozy and inviting. We dined on bread by the basket, dunked in quality olive oil. We indulged in multiple appetizers of antipasti and salad. The place was determined to leave no belly unstuffed before the main course arrived.

  Many of us, being of an age where health at dinner is a must, dined on the salmon from among the selections available. Plates of it arrived at the tables, perfectly coordinated. And enjoyed immensely.

  Along with the water, coffee and tea, we had the option to BYOB, so I “B’d” and came with a bottle of California chardonnay. I should stress that I am not a regular drinker, but I have learned over the years that wine is a great part of visitor culture, and a good bottle is welcome nearly everywhere, so I am in the habit of bringing some when the suggestion is made. To me, BYOB means, “But You Outta Bring.” Once the bottles available were uncorked, I got hold of a glass and slipped a small amount into it for my own knowledge of how good a choice I had made. The bottle was empty by the end of the evening. I also learned that chardonnay pairs nicely with salmon. Good call.

  The best part of visiting somebody (or someplace) else for a holiday meal is the variety of it all; the different place, the new outfits, the occasional new person, food you would not otherwise get to try, and the joy and camaraderie of togetherness we indulge in once a year.

  I don’t have any other meal plans for the rest of the month, except to jog around my deliveries so I can cook my own roast and indulge in leftovers for a few days. One must eat, but one must also have choices which fuel the need for something different. That’s where the scheduling comes in. Even if you need to cram it into the last weeks of the year.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged christmas, christmas-decorations, sale

• The Perfect Gift

  Posted at 1:30 am by kayewer, on December 9, 2019

  Gift shopping is hard, and the holiday season is just an example of how difficult it is to find something for people to whom you want to show appreciation. Kids are easy: they ask Santa for specifics, and it gets under the tree. Adults, though, have problems. We buy for ourselves all year, so Christmas is usually more of the same.

  There are two camps at gifting season: those who need everything and those who need nothing. Some people decide not to gift on the holidays, choosing instead to do other things like help at soup kitchens, and equal numbers of those needing everything or nothing make up this group. Some folks still wind up getting stuff they don’t need. I thank everybody who has given me candles and shower gel, but I’m set for about two years now on both, thank you.

  The folks at Peloton did a commercial in which a woman got just what she wanted, and folks are suggesting the ad condones “fit shaming.” If somebody wants an exercise bike, what’s wrong with that?

  Of course, all the commercialism and online hoopla gets stranger each year. Instead of stressing out the folks at Amazon and making your pets fat via Chewy, maybe we need more personal gift ideas. A day in the park, a crafting class, a visit to the zoo, may be better than any white elephant trinket under $20.

  Have you seen a friend who might be missing a kitchen towel, a full cupboard or a pair of batteries for the smoke detectors? Empty fridges need filling, so empty bellies will be satisfied.

  Gift cards don’t hurt, but a ride to use them is also a good idea.

  I can’t give away what I’m doing for gifts, but I hope everybody I know shall be content this holiday, and I hope some of these suggestions help as well.

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Commentary | 0 Comments | Tagged christmas, holiday shopping, Peloton

• Take My Money, Please!

  Posted at 2:21 am by kayewer, on November 29, 2009

  We’re in the middle of a bad economy, yet the doors to many department stores opened on Black Friday (some on Thanksgiving Day) to throngs of people who were apparently excited to spend money they didn’t have.

  What is it about the last 40 or so days before the end of the year that makes people think the shopping horizon has changed?  Plenty of products are put on shelves ten months out of the year–some are useful, while others are a waste of resources and manpower–yet everybody seems to wait until the last-minute to release the “good stuff,” the “must have” stuff, the quintessential table cluttering pap that makes the area beneath a dead tree look a hoarder’s last-minute hiding place.  Add to it the perfect wrapping paper, bow, gift tag or gift bag (one of the few inventions that give wrapping challenged gift givers a break), and remember that all that concealment lasts about ten seconds from being lifted out from under the tree until it is shown around to the assembled throng.

  Last year some customers ran over and killed a store employee who opened the doors for the Black Friday crowd.  It’s insane that human beings are so overly excited by the prospect of running a marathon to a pile of junk that they have to wait in an interminable line and pay too much for.

  The only other madhouse I’ve even seen is the annual “running of the brides” at a popular store which deep discounts wedding gowns for a once-a-year event.  Unfortunately they don’t have fitting rooms or boxing rings and officials to referee fights between bridezillas over the perfect gown.

  Supply and demand never coincide, even though the stores have had ten months to figure it out.  The real test of what sold or not is the aftermath on or about December 26, when all that’s left are twenty boxes of odd colored greeting cards, broken ornaments and a bashed-in fruitcake.

  I have to get a Pollyanna gift this year, which is hard because the price limit is $15 and all the decent gifts are $19.99 (before tax).  That means a $9.99 gift and a $5.00 gift card, and the gift bag and wrapping paper don’t count in the final cost anyway. . . .

  Share this:

  • Facebook

  Like Loading...
  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged christmas, holiday, shopping

• Feedback

  	Eden on Getting the Message
  	Eden on The Unasked Questions
  	Eden on And Her Shoes Were #9
  	Eden on The Poison Field
  	Eden on Final Tally