Growing up, my family had lots of Christmas traditions, but one of my favorites was listening to A Christmas Carol. My parents had an audio recording of A Christmas Carol read by Patrick Stewart, and he does a phenomenal job. We would pull out our Christmas coloring books, a new set of crayons, and color by the light of the Christmas tree while listening to the famous words of Charles Dickens. My parents also always bought a tin of popcorn to snack on while we listened. The classic butter, caramel, and cheese popcorn tin was one of the highlights of the season for my siblings and I!

Now my parents usually just buy a big bag of Chicago Mix popcorn from Costco, but the rest of the tradition has stayed strong for decades. It’s now something I do with my own family. My husband bought our own copy of Patrick Stewart’s reading so that we could enjoy the same tradition, and I make sure we always have coloring supplies and popcorn to complete our evening. It’s a very beloved tradition, and just might be my very favorite from my childhood.

The great thing about popcorn is you can do SO much with it. There are so many ways to enjoy it, you’ll never get sick of popcorn. Salty, sweet, or a mixture of both- it’s the perfect snack.

You can always stick with the popcorn tin from the grocery store- it’s a classic for a reason! I also really do love the Chicago Mix from Costco. The caramel and cheese mixed together is such a great combination! You also don’t have to do anything fancy- just a bag of plain, regular buttered popcorn is a tasty treat anyone can enjoy.

If you do just prefer regular buttered popcorn, you can make it special a variety of ways. You can try seasoning it with cheese powders (and other flavors) specifically made for popcorn, or you can add your own seasoning combination of your choosing!

You can also create a popcorn bar: set out a plethora of goodies you could enjoy with popcorn and let everyone create their own mix. Hot tamales are one of my family’s favorites to eat with popcorn- the hot, sweet and salty combo is so addicting. You could also set out marshmallows, M&Ms, Milk Duds, chocolate chips, cinnamon bears, mini Reese’s cups or Reese’s pieces, candy canes, etc. The fun part would be seeing everyone’s unique mixes!

Of course, you can also create your own snack mix with a popcorn base and melted white chocolate. Toss together popcorn with your choice of goodies- Christmas M&M’s, pretzels, Cheerios, Chex cereal (regular or Chocolate!), mini Reese’s, peanuts, marshmallows, Bugles, Sixlets, Rolos, Cadbury chocolate ornaments, etc. Just mix them together with melted white chocolate and let it cool on wax paper until it’s cooled and you’re ready to party!

Of course, you don’t have to stick with popcorn, but it’s just such a simple snack and an easy way to make something a little more special! I have so many memories of munching on popcorn while listening to the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Whether you like popcorn or not, I highly recommend listening to or reading A Christmas Carol every Christmas season. It’s a classic for one, but I also love how it demonstrates what Christmas is truly about. The ability to change, to become better, to be forgiven- all because of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world. I love Christ, and I love Christmas. I hope you and your family can find fun ways to remember Him this Christmas season by making memories together- with or without popcorn ;).

    Camille Hoffmann
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com