Start a new one, or invent one to heighten holiday cheer
Kidsguide Magazine Online
Dec. 18, 2009

What’s your fondest holiday memory?

In Part 4 of The Buzz’s four-part Holiday Survival Guide series, we get a little nostalgic. At the heart of every yuletide celebration is a family tradition – picking out the perfect tree to bring home, marathon viewings of “A Christmas Story,” or baking all things gingerbread.

Whether you’ve refined your family traditions or are in search of new ones, The Buzz shares some of its staff’s favorite things:

A Holiday Movie. There are many perennial favorites. Here’s our picks: The one-week long run of Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” at the Long Beach Art Theatre begins today, with a special $8 rate for all evening shows. During Christmas week, the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro will feature a live stage adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ classic.

Caroling. Nothing quite gets you in the mood like a holiday tune. Hear some heavenly singing this weekend: the Bellflower Civic Chorus at Bellflower’s Rejoice Noel; the Southern California Children’s Chorus at Calvary Church in Santa Ana and the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, where they sing alongside the Pacific Chorale. Our pick: You! Start your own neighborhood caroling tradition. Here’s how.

“The Nutcracker.” With numerous productions on stage throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties, you need not drive far to catch a performance. Our picks: Long Beach Ballet Academy’s Dec. 19-20 and 22-23 “Nutcracker” performances, which will be accompanied by a live orchestra. We also like California Nutcracker Ballet for its up-to-date listings of every “Nutcracker” performance scheduled this month. Find the production nearest you here.

Water Worlds of Light. What we lack in snow, we make up with brilliant displays of light. Our picks: Dec. 19′s 63rd Annual Naples Island Boat Parade, where small and large boats will brighten the Long Beach peninsula’s waterways; Newport Beach’s Parade of Lights illuminates Newport Harbor Dec. 19-20; and in Cruise of Lights, guests are taken on a narrated evening tour along the Huntington Beach coast. Bonus pick: Prefer solid ground? Plot your own route to the Southland’s prettiest displays with some help from the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Holiday Lights Guide and the Orange County Register’s Holiday Lights Contest.

Parade of Lights image courtesy of www.daveyslocker.com