Holiday favorites from our newsrooms

Leading into the holiday season, I try to think of others. I think about gifts and greetings and seeing friends and family, and I try to be as generous as I can without thinking of myself. But I'm still selfish when it comes to a few holiday favorites. Christmas needs to deliver three things for me to really be in the mood: a "Die Hard" retrospective, a good helping of dressing and gravy (with ham, turkey or any other good protein) and a good listen to one of the few Christmas songs I can stomach (generally something by Perry Como, or the DMX a cappella, live-radio version of "Rudolph"). I figured if I needed these things, surely others did as well, so, I put the question to our newsrooms — tell me your favorite holiday song, movie and food. A few movies came up multiple times, as different staff members enjoyed the "Home Alone" films and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Aaron Barlow (Mountain City Tomahawk) said of "Home Alone," "As a kid, I liked watching the bad guys fall for goofy traps. As an adult, I appreciate the soundtrack and themes of isolation and reconciliation." As for "Christmas Vacation," sportswriter Andrew Smith said, "This movie has become a Christmas time tradition in my household. Plenty of quotable lines and pretty humorous overall. Still waiting on my Jelly of the Month Club subscription to come, though…" Other films that made the list include "White Christmas," with Publisher Ron Waite citing it as "the ultimate feel-good holiday movie." Waite said it is "perfect for cozying up with someone you love, a mug of hot chocolate or a hot toddy in hand. The classic songs, the sentiment, and even the inevitable misunderstandings all weave together into a timeless holiday tradition of friendship, love, togetherness and the magic to lift everyone's holiday spirit." Thomas Sherrill, editor of the Tomahawk, loves "The Santa Clause," which he watched growing up. Ben Smith, our statehouse reporter, watches "A Christmas Story" each year with his family. Joy Mazur, our health reporter, spends the holidays re-watching Harry Potter films "while cozied up next to the fire," saying it "is about as Christmas as you can get. I'm teary-eyed thinking about it." Rick Wagner (Kingsport Times News) leans toward the television shows of the season, especially classic shows from the '60s and '70s. "My favorite television Christmas show is the original 'Peanuts' one," he said, "where Linus recites the birth of Jesus from the Bible and featuring the Charlie Brown Christmas tree." The most recent movie chosen by the staff is Brandon Paykamian's choice. The Johnson City Presser picked "Violent Night" from 2022, "which was a ridiculous Christmas action movie. The movie stars David Harbour as a rough-around-the-edges Santa Claus who fights a group of mercenaries that have taken a wealthy family hostage in their home." As for holiday music? We had a couple mentions of Pentatonix, from publisher Waite and reporter Allison Winters, who said, "My favorite holiday song is 'That's Christmas to Me' by Pentatonix. The song reminds listeners what makes the holiday so special and personal, a lot of which I relate to." Living editor Carol Broyles goes for "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams and "We Need A Little Christmas" by Angela Lansbury in the song category. She said you can't beat the classics. She's not wrong. As for classics, Ben Smith picked "I'll be Home for Christmas" by Frank Sinatra. "Even without the lyrics," he said, "it sounds like Christmas." Johnson City Press reporter Olivia Perry equates the season with the "Kings," as she also throws Elvis in the mix. "I love 'Blue Christmas' by Elvis," she said, "and 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.' It's hard to beat Elvis' music, and 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' gives such a full-heart feeling. We've played and sang it during our family Christmas over the past few years, and it just makes me appreciate the little moments spent with the people I love." Brian Woodson and Andrew Smith, the two sports reporters who gave me their choices, both chose "Silent Night" as their favorite Christmas song. Perhaps the noise they endure on Friday nights (under the lights) has them longing for a quiet escape. Joy Mazur picks "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson, "specifically performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra. I play clarinet and maintain that you haven't lived if you haven't played the swing section of this piece at the speed of light with tubas blaring behind you." The most flavor (pardon the pun) was shown with the "favorite holiday foods," which had plenty of good answers. Andrew Smith professed his love for ham, in any shape or form. Ben Smith enjoys fondue with his family. Thomas Sherrill is happy with almost anything — as long as it isn't bone-dry and someone has taken the time to season it correctly, imploring that people "cook your food and add those seasonings!" Brian Woodson is a big fan of sausage balls, especially his girlfriend's recipe, while Aaron Barlow is a sucker for his family's "Oreo balls," which sound decadent and chocolate-laden. Allison Winters loves macaroni and cheese at Christmas — and the rest of the year ("I would probably say that's my favorite food, holiday or not."). Rick Wagner goes for traditional foods — turkey (especially dark meat), dressing, pumpkin and pecan pie and the holiday staple ham. Carol Broyles also loves turkey at Christmas. Olivia Perry makes holiday candy with her father, saying, "We'll put together homemade fudges, haystacks, hello Dollies, scotcharoos — the list seems endless, but it's always so fun to make and share with our family during the holidays." Ron Waite's favorite at Christmas? "Cookies — all of them. Cookies are my weakness, and the holidays bring out so many wonderful varieties. People bake such incredible treats this time of year, and I feel compelled to try them all." My favorite answer of the bunch, though, came from Joy Mazur, who brings a totally different perspective. Her favorite is "a dinner of Kiełbasa, borscht soup, pierogis and sauerkraut, followed with Kołaczki pastries. I'm Polish and German (and a native Chicagolandian), so Eastern European cuisine is my jam. Nothing beats Wigilia (pronounced Vigilia), the Christmas Eve vigil dinner where Poles gather to celebrate once the first star appears in the sky." Not that I have anything against turkey, ham, cookies or anything else (I previously expressed my love for dressing and gravy), but I do love some good Polish food, as well. I may have to ask her for leftovers. So — now that you've seen the choices of our staff members, let us know your favorite foods, movies and songs of the season. We'd love to hear from you. Happy holidays, all, and Merry Christmas from us to you!