The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Celebrating Christmas is a yearly adventure for Marlys Myers. She has a blast centering her decorations around the 1989 cult comedy National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie. She loves the movie and watches it every Christmas. She asked me if I had ever watched it, and I laughed out loud. My children and husband completely memorized that movie. I can't even remember how many times we've watched. So it was a blast walking into a Christmas Vacation celebration.

Marlys even told me she has had Christmas dress-up parties for the season. She even had relatives dress as Cousin Eddie and his wife, Catherine, one Christmas. They all had costumes.

She has Christmas ornaments for the characters in the movie. Each ornament also had a clip of the film to listen to. There is also a small burnt cat rug placed by the Christmas tree. She has a mantel with various resin houses and figurines, creating a small section of town.

This year, she put her tree up on the first of December, but she has been known to put her tree up at the end of October because there was already snow on the ground. Christmas is her favorite holiday, obviously.

Marlys said, "I just love all the lights, and you know, as a kid, when you get up, or now when I come home from work, it'd be dark, and I'd come in, and the house and all the lights on a tree. I do love Christmas."

They open Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, except socks and Santa gifts are open in the morning.

Marlys said, "I kind of feel like Thanksgiving and Christmas sort of a ball together." Of course, they would because she is already gearing up for Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I love that she is so excited for the season. It's inspiring. She mentioned that everyone needs to be thankful, but "I feel like Christmas is the one time of year when I think people are giving more. And it's too bad that we're not that way all the time--give a waitress an extra big tip, but it just seems like we could do that more often. Even kids who give more know the benefits; it makes you feel really good doing it. It really has a big impact on other people, too."

But it's more than that; it's about an attitude or a smile. You don't know what their day was just like.

It's probably the reason she does Christmas all year round. And it is perhaps the reason she loves Christmas Vacation. It's full of laughter, giving, and fun, just like Marlys.