Anyone else do family holiday plays?

[mountainjogger]

About 15 years ago, a family member came down with a terminal illness. To lighten the mood, I wrote a Christmas play. Actually, the first one was a mock newspaper with funny stories about family members.

Our family get together at Christmas is about 35 -40 people. Over the years, we have ditched the gift exchange in favor a group donation to a charity, and just get together for lunch and the Annual Christmas play.

After doing remixes on the classics (A Night Before Christmas, Scrooge, It's a Wonderful Life,), we have evolved into stories about the stupid stuff we each do during the year. When someone does something embarrassing, I usually get an email, sometimes with pictures. My spouse and I then come up with stories to go with the embarrassing moments and weave them together with a theme for a Christmas play. As long as we also poke fun at ourselves, everyone takes it well, and looks forward to it. Just finished this year's and went with Darwin Awards Season II.

May sound strange, but it works. And each time a member of the latest generation gets old enough to read, they want a part also.

So, no anxiety about giving the right gift for a gift exchange. Just getting together for a some fellowship and a few laughs.

Anyone else do something similar?

Oh, and I almost forgot. Happy Holidays to everyone!

[DJ TT 2002]

Does the drama my family brings to the Holidays count?


Seriously though, you’ve got a wonderful tradition there. Very, very clever too!
We have done similar things from time to time (on vacations) but nothing quite so grand

[JTL31]

Very creative - sounds fun but afraid we couldn’t pull it off.
We have 21 people (and counting - w/pregnancy). We do a modified gift exchange via playing cards where “stealing” gifts given high cards is allowed. That usually takes up an hour or so of our time and can be very comical based on gifts brought.

[mountainjogger]

Originally Posted by DJ TT 2002

Does the drama my family brings to the Holidays count? :

Absolutely!

[mountainjogger]

Originally Posted by JTL31

We do a modified gift exchange via playing cards where “stealing” gifts given high cards is allowed.

Sounds neat. Here's hoping you draw a high card this year.

[Blansky]

We generally do Fiddler on the Roof.

Sorry just being a smart ass.

The OPs idea sounds great. My Christmas experiences have never been with more than about 4 people growing up, and just 2 people since.

[mountainjogger]

Originally Posted by Blansky

We generally do Fiddler on the Roof.

That might work but I can't sing.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by mountainjogger

That might work but I can't sing.

You can be a dancer or a prancer....

Actually though, I love the idea of people making up their own traditions for things.

Makes events a lot more special.

[mountainjogger]

Originally Posted by Blansky

You can be a dancer or a prancer....

Actually though, I love the idea of people making up their own traditions for things.

Makes events a lot more special.

In my humble opinion, the traditions that work for each of us are best.

Be it watching Scrooge and having a burger on Christmas ever, or hiking though your favorite park. They are as great as the people that keep them.