Holiday Wish List 2010

Don't worry, it's not a present wish list...although if you'd like to buy your favorite blogger something I wouldn't say no *cough* giftcertificatetoflour *cough*. Instead, this is a wish list of holiday activities I'd like to do this year.

1.) See The Nutcracker

Granted, perhaps for true ballet aficionados Tchaikovsky's Christmas classic is considered mere child's fare, but I don't care. I was obsessed with The Nutcracker when I was little and though I'm much more fond of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty in terms of musicality, The Nutcracker captures that childhood feeling of the magic of Christmas, where dreams come true--even if those dreams involve dancing rats and a wooden nutcracker romancing a young girl.

--EDIT--
Ok, so turns out I went to The Nutcracker last night with Katie. It was great and satisfied my holiday/nostalgia sweet tooth. Still....dancing rats and Clara/Nutcracker Prince romance creeped me out.

But, look how pretty!


2.) Go Ice Skating at Frog Pond

It seems like when you're a kid, you go ice skating every winter. Then, suddenly you're a boring adult who can't even remember the last time you laced up. I'd like to change that this year.

3.) 44th Annual Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival at Asylum Hill Congregational Church

Even though my Irish-Catholic Grandmother used to call me her "little heathen grandchild" the holidays bring out the best in organized religion. As such, give me something vaguely medieval with choir music, minor religious overtones and pageantry and I am allll over it. I've never been to this, but I see it advertised in The Hartford Courant every year (and usually most dates are sold out).

4.) The Christmas Revels


Dlo: Is that a lobster?
Me: No, it's a dragon sent to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.
Dlo: Oh. Right. Cause that makes sense...

Again--medieval roots, pagan/christian mysteriousness, singing in costumes=fun times for Emily.

Bonus! It's set in Derbyshire, England! Home to a certain imaginary English Gentleman I enjoy...

5.) Have Fun On New Year's Eve

New Year's is the holiday I love to hate. There's so much pressure built up around the night that it's nearly impossible not to be let down. Sure, I've had some good ones, but usually the weather is absolutely beyond frigid (damn New England), someone gets into a fight, there's no one there to kiss you at midnight, and then to top it all off you wake up the next morning hungover and poorer than you were the night before.