He’s mean, he’s vile, but he does it in style. You cannot deny that. It’s Grinch day! We love the Grinch at our house so of course we dedicate an entire day during our 12 Days of Christmas to this villain we all love to hate…and then we love him again. He tries so hard to be nasty, but just like Cindy-Lou, I can’t dislike him. I love is jolly rancher sour green apple color, his crazy elaborate scheming, and I even love is famous grinch expression of disgust. I love that he puts reindeer antlers on his dog, Max. He even has his own villain tribute song. Seriously, the Grinch really isn’t so bad. He’s cranky in the morning and you could say he likes his alone time. He chooses to live out in the country, away from suburbia in the wide-open spaces with spectacular views. He also gets annoyed by, well, people. Especially the perky, Christmas-loving kind. I am talking about the kind of people like Molly Shannon’s character in The Santa Claus 2. Most of us would run away screaming if we went on a blind date to find the person across from us singing a re-written Christmas version of a Shania Twain song. Check please. Honestly, most of us can relate to at least one of those and on a bad day, probably all of them. Yes, the Grinch takes things a bit far but just like Gru in Despicable Me, it’s fun to watch. That brings me to the film portion of our Grinch Day. Now, the original Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a classic. It is beloved and nostalgic just like A Charlie Brown Christmas. However, I would also recommend The Grinch (2018). This is an adorable, animated version and it has become a favorite at our house. The cast is amazing, starting with Benedict Cumberbatch as the green man himself. Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Angela Lansbury, Cameron Seely and Pharrell Williams join in the fun as well. This adaptation is clever, funny and even introduces some new characters including an enormous reindeer named Fred and a screaming goat. My boys love to play the screaming goat scenes over and over. Sometimes they sneak up on me and become the screaming goat. That’s fun, especially when you’re holding a hot beverage. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this film. It is back by popular demand for Grinch day at our house.
Now, the Grinch goes through several moods throughout the film on his adventure and to coincide with that, here are some recommendations for items you can enjoy so your taste buds can do the same.
- Jones Green Apple Soda: The Grinch wakes up in the sourest of moods, so crack open a bottle of this soda as you start the film. The kids will enjoy this fun green beverage that tastes like a jolly rancher. You can pretend the picture on the bottle is the seasick crocodile referenced in the song. Altough, fair warning, each bottle has a different picture so you may or may not actually get the crocodile pic on your bottle, but you never know! Here’s to you, grand master of the holiday heist.
- Grinch Popcorn: As the Grinch’s plan gets into full swing, he takes on a whole new level of sass (just like my 8-year-old at times). Loaded with determination and sarcasm, he strategizes and executes operation ‘Steal Christmas.’ This is a sweet and salty snack to go right along with the Grinch and his wonderful, awful idea.
- Grinch Cupcakes: Eventually, of course, (spoiler alert), the Grinch has a change of heart and welcomes Christmas and all that comes with it. In honor of his decision to come to the sweet side, we made these Grinch cupcakes. Now, I know mine look more like Oscar the Grouch than the Grinch, but we had fun and they tasted good. I’m including a link to an article with lots of cute cupcake ideas for various themes and the Grinch picture is included.
One of the best parts of the movie, was when the Grinch’s heart grew three times in size. In this 2018 version, he tells Cindy-Lou’s mom, her kindness changed his life. In honor of our green friend, we thought it would be a good idea to start a tradition of tripling the love throughout the holiday season. I asked the boys to come up with 3 things they can do show kindness by giving and wanted to make sure we help them accomplish those things, whatever they are.
Here’s what they came up with :
- Make hearts for everyone in the family and celebrate Jesus’s birthday.
- Write a letter to some friends or Christmas cards since we aren’t able to see them much.
- Donate some toys that we probably have outgrown.
Of course, one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, is,
“It came without ribbons; it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. Maybe Christmas (he thought) doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”
The Grinch had it right, I think, to be somewhat annoyed with commercialism because Christmas, of course, does not come from a store. The joy is present whether there is anything to open or not. Joy to the world, regardless of circumstances. The Whos had joy and they couldn’t help but sing. Also, while alone time is good in small doses, we were made to be with one another. People need people.
Here’s a little Dr. Suess/Joy to the World combo to bring it all home:
So, come down the mountain and join in the feast!
Hopefully, your menu includes something other than roast beast!
Being surrounded by family and friends is a wonderful thing
But even if this year looks a bit different,
Let’s join in with heaven and nature and sing!
Joy to the world, the Savior Reigns!
Whether we get the items on our list or not
We can all be grateful for what we’ve got
Not a sweater, a game, a book or a toy,
But a reason to repeat the sounding joy!
I hope this gives you some fun ideas for a Grinchtastic day with your kids. Let’s all embrace those who seem a little bit green this year. We have all been there. I will leave you with one final quote from The Grinch. The inspiration for our new found tradition.
Narrator: “And the Grinch raised his glass and led the Whos in a toast.”
Grinch: “To kindness and love, the things we need most.”
Of course, as moms, here is another one you are probably going to quote often, as I do.
“Sorry, I can’t hear you, I Don’t speak ridiculous”
Stay tuned for Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas
