that's what Clark Griswold extols the virtues of in the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. As we famously remember this includes digging a Christmas tree out of the frozen ground, lighting the house to the point that auxillary nuclear power must be used for the rest of the city (we have a neighbor with these aspirations), and having the entire extended family stay in their home.
So, what really constitutes a "good old fashioned family Christmas?" We all think of Norman Rockwell and Currier and Ives prints, but let's get real. Families are scattered across the country and globe now. While lots of moms and dads are thankfully able to stay home with kids now, a lot cannot and even those who can are not always able to create mammoth feasts and elaborate desserts. And then there is a debate as old as Charlie Brown, artificial or real Christmas trees. Not all of us are Clark W Griswold's who will go on the search for the perfect real tree. Many of us cannot be bothered and prefer the new artificial models that settle themselves. And then there was a man I saw on tv who said, "Artificial tree, artificial Christmas."
I think what makes a 'good old fashioned family Christmas' is two things. Jesus and family. Celebrating the birth of our Lord might include Santa or cookies or caroling but it should include family. Whether it involves visits over long distances or short ones or even telephone calls to those we hold dear, spending holidays with family are what it's all about.
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