Tacky Tree Tradition

We had some close friends over for lunch yesterday and the topic of discussion was holiday traditions. Beth Langston had a good explanation. Traditions begin as a treat. If they continue they become a trend. And if they last the test of time they become traditions. Sue Guenther and her family have several interesting Christmas traditions including the Tacky Tree Tradition. Every December Sue's husband Richard decorates an ugly artificial tree with the gaudiest of tinsel and ornaments. If nothing else gets done around the house for Christmas you can bet Dick will have his tacky tree up by mid December. His children would have it no other way. I think humorous traditions are important. They help defuse holiday tension. The more we laugh the lower our blood pressure during what can be a most stressful time of year. Maybe that's one of the reasons so many people pack Memorial Auditorium every December to watch A Christmas Carol by Ira David Wood. This humorous adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic massages the funny bones of young and old and has been a perennial hit for what seems ages. What about you? What funny traditions have taken hold at your house for the holidays? I will give one of my "Christmas in Carolina" CDs to the person with the funniest and most interesting tradition.