I love seeing movies during the holidays. In fact, we have a long-standing family tradition to go to the theaters on Christmas day after opening presents. It’s a welcome rest from what has inevitably been a few busy days. I’m excited to introduce a new movie coming out for the holiday season (it’s in theaters TODAY!) and to give a reader the opportunity to head to the theater with their family this season. Samples & prizing are provided by CBS FILMS, but all thoughts are my own. Amazon affiliate links may be used.
When I was growing up, Christmas Eve was the best night of the whole year. Part of what made it so special was that my entire extended family on my mom’s side would gather at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house for a fantastic feast. The kids would all run around Grandma’s house while the adults would get the food ready. We’d eat and then we’d gather around the Christmas tree for caroling and gift exchanges.
I remember my grandma or my uncle sitting at the piano, with my aunt often accompanying the piano on her harpsichord. We sang and sang…and even after 20 years or so since my last Christmas Eve with my extended family, I still miss singing Christmas songs together.
(Left to right) Amanda Seyfried, Jake Lacy, Olivia Wilde, Maxwell Simkins, Blake Baumgartner, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Alan Arkin, Diane Keaton and Alex Borstein (back to camera) in LOVE THE COOPERS | CBS Films and Lionsgate.
Another highlight of Christmas Eve was the annual gift exchange. The cousins would all get another cousin’s name to exchange gifts, but as much as I loved opening a present that night, the real fun was in the adult’s white elephant exchange. We had several gifts that made it back to the exchange year after year…like the infamous taco bender (the trick was disguising the package so no one would know what was inside).
This year, we’re spending Christmas in Florida with my extended family of in-laws, and I can’t wait. We may not sing Christmas carols around the piano and harpsichord, but I think Christmas Eve on the beach will do just fine…
How do you celebrate the holidays? What are some of your favorite memories from holidays of the past?
LOVE THE COOPERS – In Theaters Today!
Love The Coopers follows The Cooper clan as four generations of extended family come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. As the evening unfolds, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Directed by: Jessie Nelson
Written By: Steven Rogers
Produced By: Michael London, Jessie Nelson, Janice Williams
Starring: Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Diane Keaton, Jake Lacy, Anthony Mackie, Amanda Seyfried, June Squibb, Marisa Tomei, Olivia Wilde
(Left to right) Jake Lacy and Olivia Wilde in LOVE THE COOPERS | CBS Films and Lionsgate
- Visit the Official Website
- Like ‘Love The Coopers’ on Facebook
- Follow @LoveTheCoopers on Twitter
Enter to WIN a $50 Visa Gift Card
One (1) winner will receive a $50 Visa gift card to see LOVE THE COOPERS in theaters with your family! This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only. Giveaway ends 11/22 at 11:59 PM ET, after which a winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck! Prizing courtesy of CBS Films.
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lisa brown comment on post – https://foodfunfamily.com/2015/11/cinnamon-pecan-crunch-cheese-log.html
My favorite holiday memory is driving around with my family looking at Christmas lights.
We still string popcorn for the Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols around the tree on Christmas eve.
My favorite holiday memory was my sister and I trying to stay up all night so we can see santa.
I loved cooking and baking with my mother for the holiday meal.
i love baking cookies with my mom
My favorite Christmas memory was when we had a family reunion In Florida and we got to leave cold Chicago and I saw the beach for the first time!
My favorite holiday memory was a trip we took to Maine.
the yr my brother surprised my mom with the best dog ever
My favorite holiday memory is baking sugar cookies with my aunt who recently passed away. She was the best baker!
I have lots of fond memories of baking with my Grandma who passed away several years ago.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
My favorite holiday memory was baking pie with my Mother.
My favorite holiday memory was actually on Christmas Eve. Some have the 7 fishes dinner on Christmas Eve but I was raised in an English household so we had Lake Erie perch and shrimp for our dinner. Afterwards we had the silly gift exchange. It was hilarious some of the gifts that we got and a good way to relax and release some of the tension from preparing for the holidays. robeader53@yahoo.com
When my youngest sister was real young, my Dad put a tiny puppy under his jacket without her knowing and asked her for a hug. She was so surprised and so happy to find a squirming puppy.
my favorite was when we met at my Grannys house years ago. it was wonderful
I enjoyed the time I went to Washington to see my aunt that I had not seen in seven years.
My favorite holiday memory is when my Dad made a surprise entrance dressed as Santa when I was just a kid.
My favorite holiday memory was the first one after my oldest son was born because my Husband was deployed and surprised us by arriving for Christmas.
My favorite memory was my grandmother’s last Christmas. All of our extended family gathered from around the country and made it a truly special day.
My favorite holiday memory is going to the winter carnival to see Santa. Froze my butt off watching the kids do on the swing ride, but they had a blast.
the last chrsitmas my dad was alive
My favorite holiday memory is looking at the lights around the neighborhood with my family.
My favorite Christmas memories are going to my grandparents house to open presents and eat. They have since passed.
My favorite Christmas memories are from my childhood. I loved going to my grandmas and playing with all my cousins.
I love getting together with my family Christmas night and having our party.
My favorite holiday memory is my mom teaching me how to make Christmas sugar roll outs.
thank you
One of my favorite Holiday memories was last year at thanksgiving. My mom, sister and I had spent all day in the kitchen preparing a huge meal. We all sat down as a family and our daughter (3 at the time) looks at the elaborate table and simply states “Oh man, I thought we were having pizza”
My favorite holiday memory was when my grandmother was alive and we replaced her kitchen appliances.
One year me and my other female cousin wanted to give one of my male cousins a Christmas present but didn’t have any money so we went and raided his dresser – we gave him his underwear and some batteries ;)
My favorite memory was when my mom gave my brother and I a SNES.
When I was about 7 our neighbors horses made their way to our house. We thought we got horses for Christmas….it was disappointing but funny
The Christmas my sister and her husband announced they were expecting after 9 years of trying!
My favorite holiday memory was my daughter being born four days before Christmas.
i always loved our yankee swaps on christmas eve
My favorite Christmas memories are cooking and baking with my Mom :)
My favorite Christmas memory was the last time my grandfather was with us to be there.
I remember going to my Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving. That was so many years ago! I loved it. I’m the oldest of my cousins, I’ll have to ask them if they can remember being there too.
My favorite holiday memory is the family gathering at my grandparents house. Aunts, uncles, cousins. We had so much fun getting to see each other, playing, eating and opening presents. Thanks for the chance to win! Julie smartsavvymama@gmail.com
My favorite holiday memory is decorating the house with my family. It’s such a fun experience.
How about when my dog did some table surfing and knocked over the holiday ham?? funny? you bet.. not funny that we didn’t get ham that year.
My favorite holiday memory is when my sister drove half way across the country to meet her new nephew for the first time! She did’t have the money to fly, but she wanted to be home for the holidays so bad, she drove by herself! It ment so much to me!
One of my favorite holiday memories was when I was really young. I remember my sister giving me the board game I REALLY wanted to get that year, Candy Land. I was so excited and it meant a lot that it came from my older sister!
My favorite holiday memory is when my mom and I would bake hundreds upon hundreds of cookies, brownies, bars and other yummy goodies to give as gifts to neighbors, co-workers, family and friend. To this day I’m a decent cook, but I’m a killer baker!
My favorite holiday memories consist of gatherings at my cousin’s house. She was a fabulous host and all the women dressed in red, the house was filled with music, laughter, kids giggling and screaming (with joy) while running around, all of us consumed with holiday spirit. 13 years ago we lost my mother to cancer, my aunt shortly after that, my grandmother that following year, then a few years later we lost my cousin who hosted our wonderful Christmas gatherings. I have a photo that I love of all the women gathered together in our red outfits, it’s my favorite Christmas photo and memory–even if we are missing 1/2 the women today. I don’t intend for this to be a sad comment, because I truly do love all the goofy, embarrassing, hilarious, and loving memories I have of those holiday celebrations. I will cherish them always.
One year my family rented a cabin in the mountains for the holidays. Somebody didn’t plan too well, because I think it was made to sleep about 15 people, and there were at least 30 of us. But it was one of the best holidays ever!
Would love to see this! My childhood memories are all of Christmas Day; we never celebrated on Christmas Eve. My favorite was Christmas morning waking up to the beauty of the tree & Santa gifts under it!
One of my favorite memories was when my grandma was still alive and we would gather around her Organ while she played and we all sang Christmas songs.
My favorite Holiday memory is when my Grandma had Santa come visit us at her house on Christmas Eve. I said “That’s not Santa, we saw the real Santa at the mall.” Haha!
One of my favorite holiday memories is having “antler practice” with our dog, trying to get her used to wearing some silly reindeer antlers. She would let us put them on her, then she’d look at us with the funniest expression–she didn’t like it, and she knew she looked ridiculous, but she put up with it. She was a great dog!
Mt favorite holiday memory is when we would go out caroling to the senior’s centers, it was wonderful to see the smiles on their faces, some of them didn’t have family for Xmas, and it was nice to bring some smiles and Christmas cheer to many. It’s a tradition I passed on to my kids, and they do as well each year.
My favorite holiday memory is when my grandparent’s were still alive, and we had a big family gathering at Christmas, everyone got together at our grandparent’s, it was so much fun, love, laughs, and good food. Christmas is not the same without them, and I always cherish those memories.
My favorite holiday memory was when my mom, brother and I put on our pajamas and drove around all night looking and Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music.
My favorite holiday memory was to meet my new born niece and celebrate with the whole family.
My favorite memories are these last few years of Christmas. My son has autism and doesn’t like things to change so he wouldn’t let us unwrap the Christmas gifts for that would change it. We would have to take the Christmas gifts in the other room and unwrap them. Then he would take them. Now he has no problem unwrapping and enjoy the gifts and enjoying Christmas. It is so enjoyable to see him having fun at Christmas.
My favorite memory was going to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show.
My favorite memories of Christmas were as a child and waiting for Santa, the best years.
My favorite Christmas memory is when we all go out to see the lights on Christmas Eve and we wear our ugly Christmas sweaters and ugly Christmas hats and take along a big cup of hot cocoa and act goofy when driving around looking at the lights! It is so much fun.
My favorite holiday memory is the Christmas after my son was born. It was fun celebrating with our first child.
Going to see the Christmas Tree at church at midnight mass with my family.
My favorite holiday memory is baking Christmas cookies with my grandma
My favorite holiday funny memory was wrapping cat poo for my brother as a gag gift. He was so surprised when he opened that gift!! ;)