As this wonderful time of year rolls around seemingly faster every time, holiday traditions are what ground us and keep us connected through it all. Here at Goodman Theatre, and more widely throughout Chicago, we can’t think of holiday traditions without mentioning A Christmas Carol. It’s been a consistent piece in the hearts of so many—including Goodman staff—for nearly five decades.
Traditions keep the pace of our days, seasons, years, and lives. As Goodman Artistic Director Susan V. Booth writes:
“Whether it’s the annual decking of a holiday tree, the weekly lighting of Shabbat candles, or the daily time with one’s morning paper, we repeat rituals and hope for peace in those repetitions.”
Here, we highlight the personal holiday traditions of some of our own staff members. Take a peek behind the curtain to learn more about how the warm and dedicated community behind A Christmas Carol celebrates the season.
Matti Allison, Director of Audience Development
“In my household we observe Boxing Day—that is, the day after Christmas we leave empty boxes out for our cats Shinto and Tanuki.”
Casey Chapman, Director of Outbound Sales
“It wouldn’t be Christmas without decorations! I turn my home into Christmas central and usually do all my decorating on November 1st so I can enjoy it longer. We do it all including 3 Christmas trees, about 20 snow globes and light ups, anything I can get my hands on really. Also, we put on the trifecta of Dolly Parton Christmas albums on the record player while we decorate: “Once Upon a Christmas”, “Home for Christmas”, and “A Holly Dolly Christmas.” This year we added into rotation our new vinyl copy of RuPaul’s “Ho Ho Ho.”
Nora Foster, Facilities Operations Manager
“The Facilities department’s holiday tradition is to have a holiday dinner before the start of A Christmas Carol. It’s a great time to unwind and share a laugh before the holiday season kicks off. We try to wait until Thanksgiving passes, but we decorated our office space a little early this year.”
Alex Meyer, Board Relations & Individual Giving Coordinator
“My Mom (center) and brother Zack (right) live in Kalamazoo, MI. Every year after Thanksgiving, the city has a tree-lighting ceremony with plenty of lights, hot cocoa, and live music. It’s become a new family tradition for us to go watch the entire park light up for the holidays.”
Jordan Washington, Development Communications Copywriter
“In my family, we have varied traditions that occur around Christmas time leading up to the new year. On my mom’s side, my aunt hosts an annual ‘Waffles & Wassail’ and it’s essentially a family get together to celebrate the holiday season with waffles, wassail (a cider), fried chicken, and other hors d’oeuvres. On my dad’s side, a cousin hosts a Christmas Day brunch where we exchange gifts and play a game of white elephant. Years ago, an aunt on my dad’s side would take me, my younger brother, and a cousin out to various outlet malls to spend time together then we’d go get brunch. For New Year’s my mom makes a smorgasbord of food, especially her famous hot wings, and we hunker down as a family and bring in the new year together. I enjoy/have enjoyed the above-mentioned traditions because the warmth of loved ones is always great to be around.”
Don’t miss Chicago’s holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol, this year, with performances running until Dec 31. Get tickets and keep the holiday spirit alive with your loved ones.
Rebecca Racean is the Marketing Assistant at Goodman Theatre.
