masterofmidgets | Writer's Block: Traditional Pursuits

[Error: unknown template qotd]For a family that is a mix of atheist (mom), agnostic (dad), pagan (me), and low-key Christian (grandparents and assorted other relations), we have a hell of a lot of Christmas/holiday type traditions. Among my favorites are:

going up into the mountains and almost dying in an attempt to procure a Christmas tree. The almost dying is the most important part. Nothing, nothing, beats the year my dad's snowchains came off and cut the brake line, leaving us brakeless and halfway up an incredibly steep, incredibly slick, incredibly narrow road with a thirty foot drop two feet away from the edge. Good times!
decorating the tree with the largest collection of amazingly awesome yet completely random ornaments ever. We have everything from Harry Potter ornaments to Cowboys balls to metal frogs. Win.
Dim Sum Christmas Eve. So much wondeful food, none of it ethnically appropriate!
driving around the Bosque and Old Town to look at all the pretty lights. Some of the houses down there are huge, and most of them decorate lavishly. The best part is always seeing the lizard house, but there are also carols, tiny little Old Town shops, hot cocoa, and family members being psychotic.