The Christmas Holidays: A Celebration of Chaos in Cowboy Boots with a side of BBQ
Ah, the Christmas holidays — the most wonderful time of the year for this gal. A magical season when everything is wrapped in sparkling lights, and we all radiate joy, patience, and goodwill. Or so we hope. In reality, Christmas for some can be less about peace on earth and more about stress and overspending — so let’s unwrap the real spirit of the holidays in Texas, one brisket and cornbread story at a time.
I feel like I can poke fun of Texans just once a year in my writings. After all, I get poked fun of the other 364 days of the year with my Canadianisms of “supper” instead of “dinner,” “phoning” someone instead of “calling,” “pecan” instead of “pukkhan,” and a host of other perfectly fine vocabulary-isms in my repertoire of words.
In Texas, Christmas isn’t just a holiday — it’s a whole mood that starts long before December does. Football is a mood, and Thanksgiving is a week-long event, and let’s not forget the 4th. All big moods. And everything IS bigger in Texas.
Forget snowy landscapes and sleigh bells ringing and frigid temperatures. In the Lone Star State, Christmas is all about barbecue pits, big skies, and holiday cheer with a side of cowboy boots. Traditions come with a hearty dose of Southern flair and a sprinkle of good ol’ Texas pride. And it all starts at midnight Thanksgiving night. We wake up and ‘Bam!’ Christmas. Still full from cornbread stuffing and turkey from (was it just yesterday?) the full Christmas show is ON. Black Friday is in full swing, and every small business owner is hoping for a cut of the brisket pie.
Who needs a stand-alone roasted turkey or honey-glazed ham when you’ve got brisket and ribs? In true Texan fashion, Christmas dinner is often celebrated with a side of smoky barbecue cooked low and slow. And I recently learned that my sweet neighbor Susan does lasagna on Christmas. Nothing horrified me more than to hear that.
Texans never seem to run out of BBQ, however. If it can be deep fried or cooked low and slow, it’s on the menu. Add some jalapeño cornbread, tamales, and pecan pie to the event, and you’ve got yourself a feast worthy of the season. Chili without beans is just sacrilegious to me, and I have not yet learned to live with it. No gracias! Margaritas? Si, por favor!
Decking the halls — and the house — sounds delightful until one realizes it involves untangling a ball of lights that somehow quadrupled in size since they were put away last year. Oh, and one bulb is out. Which one? Nobody knows. Time to test them individually… and of course it’s a race with the neighborhood because some folks started this Halloween night…. Go big or go home….
Christmas music is delightful globally… for the first 10 days. After the 800th rendition of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” the festive spirit might start to wane. Oh, but don’t worry — there are hundreds of holiday classics, and we shall hear every single one on repeat at every store, party, and gathering until we are humming “Jingle Bells” in our sleep and we cannot get Mariah out of our head.
But here in this great state, there’s the same-old holiday classics for sure, but in Texas, Christmas music often comes with a country twang. Songs like George Strait’s “Christmas Cookies” or Clint Black’s “Milk and Cookies” make their way onto holiday playlists, alongside Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper.” And maybe he is stoned and maybe he isn’t. Matters not here, he is a state treasure.
And, leading up to Christmas are the 408 parties we shall attend from neighbors to friends all showcasing the latest fashions of ugly sweaters to T-shirts and the proverbial white elephant gifts – and you guessed it – BBQ of some sort.
For many, the holidays mean traveling to see family. Airports and highways transform into festive obstacle courses where patience goes to die. The joys of delayed flights and traffic jams are unparalleled — what better way to kick off the holiday spirit than spending five hours stuck next to a screaming toddler or the guy who forgot to shower. DFW, the hub for all things American, projects 4.5 million travelers mid December to January 2. If the flights are full. Texans will readily drive — and poorly at that, I have long since lamented. So it’s better to just hunker down on Randle Lane with a good book, and Baileys, because that “dog don’t hunt,” and Texans will do what they want.
As the day winds down and we sit amidst the chaos of torn wrapping paper and half-eaten desserts wondering where the magic went – our thoughts start wandering to the next event. New Year’s Eve. Nothing cures holiday exhaustion like New Year’s resolutions we won’t keep, and the credit card bill that comes in the mail as a painful reminder of the season.
When the sun finally sets on Christmas Day, Texans light up the night sky around the lake, and there will be days of fireworks — or the 12 days before and the 12 days after. Fireworks aren’t just for the Fourth of July here. They’re also a beloved part of the holiday season. Families gather around bonfires, sipping hot cocoa or maybe margaritas – and maybe some folks will be in shorts and some might wear an actual coat – and watch the skies light up with bursts of color while all the neighborhood dogs cower in fear.
But despite it all, it really is the most delightful time of the year, and I do love the Texans. Because even amidst the stress, mess, and madness, they keep coming back for more, because they just are a good bunch of folk who I have come to appreciate more each year.
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year everyone. Thank you for supporting small business and keeping the American Dream alive for so many. I hope 2025 brings peace, happiness and of course good health to you and yours. And cheaper eggs. 😉
Colleen McCullough is the owner of The Virginia May B&B at Eagle Mountain Lake You can follow the B&B on Instagram and Facebook @thevirginiamay and a healthy dose of Southern hospitality.
