I love Thanksgiving. All the time with family, cooking our favorite foods, no pressure or expectations to manage. It was my favorite holiday. I secretly used Thanksgiving to block Christmas from coming sooner than I wanted it to with all the holiday’s exhaustion, stress, and dread due to strained family relationships in our blended family. Thanksgiving was my safe harbor in a rough sea, a buffer to that “wonderful” time of the year. Bah humbug!
When my children were growing up, every Thanksgiving we went to the movies after stuffing ourselves with all the delicious food and filling our hearts with the time we spent with our loved ones. As home video became available, we enjoyed snuggling on the couch watching our favorite movies before decorating for the holidays. Shared moments watching movies with the kids was something I looked forward to, and it was fun to share my passion for the arts.
As a former English teacher, most people assume that my taste in the arts are sophisticated, maybe even highbrow. While it’s true I love literary fiction, museums, and art house movies, you might be surprised by my confession here. Though I am woman of a certain age, I hate sentimental holiday movies. Hallmark movies? Eww. It’s a Wonderful Life? The worst!
My favorite is Die Hard, a 1988 action film starring Bruce Willis. And it IS a Christmas movie despite what some people think. I’ve been arguing that it belongs in the Christmas movie canon since its release.
The party, the music, and the decorations all point to Christmas. The plot takes place on Christmas Eve, the wife’s name is Holly, and a man is wearing a Santa suit (although he is a dead terrorist.) But are these details enough to support my claim?
Consider the themes of Die Hard. Family, reconciliation, and hope. Togetherness, second chances, and standing up for what is right. Putting other’s needs above our own desires. Most importantly, redemption. These are the things Christ did when he came to earth, and these are the messages of Christmas.
One Thanksgiving, after we had watched Die Hard for the third year in row, my youngest son (who hated decorating) pronounced that Thanksgiving was over, and he was ready to get out the ornaments and stockings. Eyebrow raised, I looked over at him, and he said, “Well, it’s not really Christmas until someone says, “Yippee-ki-ay!”
Since I’m in a new house this year, I decided to start new traditions, and I put up my Christmas decorations at the beginning of November, and this didn’t detract from my love of all things Thanksgiving. Continuing to try new traditions, I actually have watched a few more Christmas movies, and it turns out, I like them – even some of the sappy ones. But I still like Die Hard the best.
So yippee-ki-ay, my friends. Christmas is here.
All my love,
Jules
P.S. – This is a GREAT time to INVITE a friend! Don’t forget our Christmas Eve services are December 24 at 5:00 pm – 814 West Ave, Cartersville, Georgia!!
