Nothing says happy holidays like good old-fashioned family traditions. We’re all familiar with “usual” traditions like watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, putting up the Christmas tree, exchanging white elephant gifts, drinking eggnog and so on, but come on—everybody does that stuff. At Access Marketing Company, we’re way more interested in the weird, eccentric, maaaybe a bit edgy traditions that aren’t part of the usual holiday canon.
Here are a few kooky holiday traditions from around the AMC team.
Competition and comradery
Ruthless baking and a capella duets
One of the craziest and most insane things we do is baking with AT LEAST one other family member – and the more, the merrier! While we make a variety of things, our favorite is Harvest Loaf. Mama got the recipe for this pumpkin bread from an Italian neighbor when I was in elementary school, and we still make it. (Okay, don’t tell, but we switched TWO YEARS ago because Mama’s was always incredibly dry! We didn’t tell, and she couldn’t tell, so we lived through the conversion!). My sister and I also perform an a capella duet at an annual candle lighting service. – Barb, Operations Manager
“Want your present? Here—go find it!”
We make a multi-step scavenger hunt for the kids to find their “big” present each year. They have to decipher cryptic, rhyming messages to find all the clues to the end destination. The kids love finding glitter and hoofprints in the yard, after Santa and his sleigh have come through the night before ?. – Amy, Marketing Team Lead
Family contests, blind taste tests and ice skating
We’re kinda competitive so we do many fun family challenges like gingerbread house building and pizza-making contests. There’s also the uber-fun yet wacky event of the blind taste test! We’ve done everything from ice cream to Pringles to M&Ms to soda pop. Each year we try something new to taste. It’s an amazing time for all ages!
Ice skating at Crown Center in Kansas City is also a fun way to burn off holiday cabin fever or blow off steam from a crushing loss in the pizza making contest! – Joy, Founding Partner
Crown Center’s outdoor rink
“It’s not real if you don’t cut it down yourself”
We enjoy putting up a GIANT decorated tree in our great room. It’s always real, and I chop it down myself… – Brandon, Managing Partner
The tree Brandon chopped down…by himself
Food, food, food
Chinese food on Christmas Eve
My family participates in the classic holiday tradition of ordering Chinese food on Christmas Eve. – Jacklyn, Graphic Designer
Is there such a thing as too many holiday treats?
First, we go to Georgetown and walk around the shops while eating chestnuts and indulging in holiday desserts. Then on Christmas Eve, we go to Jelly U Café for pancakes, French toast and hot chocolate with Santa. – Ed, Creative Director
Prime rib comas R Us
Every year my family always chows down on prime rib for Christmas dinner, then fights off the urge to nap while opening presents. – Hillary, Content Developer
The Southwestern Person’s Christmas Breakfast
My favorite holiday tradition is making tamales and eating them for breakfast on Christmas morning. It’s a Southwest thing… – Matt, Social Media Manager
Adult Beverages…
High-brow European drinks
Mulled wine…enough said. – Brandon, Managing Partner
Drinking plus lewd card games with family. What could go wrong?
We like to drink too much as a family and play awkward games like Cards Against Humanity. – Ed, Creative Director
(Not-so) family movies
“Bend over and I’ll show ya…”
The best Christmas movie of all time, Christmas Vacation, came out the year I was born. Every year we watch it together as a family, and every year the exact same scenes make us laugh hysterically. Side note: It’s remarkable how much funnier the jokes in that movie are as you get older… – Aaron, Sr. Content Developer
My personal, simple, favorite thing is watching the classic Christmas stop motion and cartoons with my boys on prime-time TV. Something they should NOT be watching on Youtube! – Mark, Sr. Graphic Designer
Now we’re curious about your favorite holiday traditions. Maybe they’re like ours and involve too much competition and not enough balanced meals. Or, maayyybe they involve putting together a kick-a$% marketing plan for the new year. If that’s the case, we’ll just leave this here:
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Happy Holidays from AMC!
