For Christmas, every year, my parents threw some really amazing parties. And every year came with a new theme.
One year the theme was nutcrackers. You know, those cute but sometimes creepy, Christmas soldier figures. Usually made out of wood with a lever in the back that opens and closes their mouth and beard… their mouth beard. They are pretty heavy, and can probably be considered a weapon too, when wielded by a child. Believe me, it hurts when you get hit in the head with one of those bad boys.
Let me tell you, we had those wooden nutcracker dolls of all shapes, colors and sizes everywhere! There were even crystal bowls filled with nuts all over the house so you could actually use the mouth beard of these wooden soldier dolls. Come to think of it, there were handheld silver nut cracking utensils (not sure what those things are actually called) next to each bowl, and whether I was supposed to or not I remember only using the man dolls to crack my nutty snacks anyway! I think I may have broken a few of those soldiers too. In fact, I’m sure I did.
For this particular nut themed event, guest dressed up in their best suits and dresses. We sat down for what felt like a 10 course meal. (Longest meal ever when you’re a kid). Soup, salad, turkey, ham, all the traditional sides… I think we even had sorbet palate cleansers between each course. For dessert, well, I can’t actually remember what the dessert was, but the individual bowls that each guest’s dessert was served in is something I will never forget. My mom spent days preparing for this dinner party and I remember watching her make all of these bowls that would hold this now forgotten dessert. The bowls were made of ice and inside the ice she placed real live rose petals. They were the most gorgeous bowls I have ever eaten out of!
Enough about the bowls, back to the party…
After we finished our mystery dessert in the spectacular floral ice bowl, we each received a little gift. I believe the gift was attached to a chocolate bar that was, of course, in the shape of a nutcracker. Confused, because we had already exchanged gifts, the guest were told to open their envelopes at the same time, as to not spoil the surprise too soon. The surprise gift was a ticket (for everyone) to the Fox theater (here in Atlanta) for the Nutcracker Ballet! We were then informed that the show started in an hour and we all had to pile into cars to get downtown to make it on time! It also explained why the party attire was SO formal.
Once we arrived at the theater (on time) we were ushered to our seats that were all together, bottom level, center stage! And if that was not enough, after the show, we were led on a backstage tour to see the sets, hear the history of the theater and we got to meet some of the dancers too.
Everyone in attendance was surprised by the unexpected gift and still talk about that evening (which happened 20+ years ago) today. It truly was a magical evening for adults and children alike!
What are some little things that you experienced during the Christmas season that made a lasting special memory for you when you were growing up? Please share in the comment section below!
