The weeks around Christmas lend themselves to many festive traditions.

Christmas music concerts, community caroling parties, Christmas lighting

parades, arts and craft shows, and then there is the Nutcracker. The very

traditional ballet with beautiful ballerinas dancing on the stage with snowflakes

falling from the sky, a magical giant Christmas tree, feisty, fighting mice along

with a very brave soldier. Christmas events can turn into generational

traditions that start very simple and grow into 40 years of joyful expectations;

from the Nutcracker performance at the Beasley in Pullman, to the Spokane

opera house, to the elegant Fox theater. In the beginning a friend and I took

small daughters, all dressed up, all the way to Pullman to see their very first

performance of the Nutcracker! One daughter sat on the edge of her seat

through the whole show, one small daughter slept through the next half. But

the tradition had its beginning and now, 40 years later, I come along as the

grandma while my daughters bring their daughters who have all been going

since they were small ladies. A few of them sit on the edge of their seats, a couple

nod off now and then. But we all love the excitement of planning the trip to

Spokane in early December, lovely dresses in tow, rooms reserved right across

from the nostalgic beauty of the Fox theater. We order our intermission treats

before the show begins so we can walk right up and get our cookies, hot

chocolate, and champagne while we settle in for people watching and picture

taking. And then there is the after party in the hotel lobby with aunts and

cousins that come too. It's always been a magical night! Even now our tickets

are purchased, our hotel reserved, and outfits are being shopped for, right down

to the jewelry and shoes. If you're looking for a festive Christmas tradition that

you treasure every year, consider tickets to the Nutcracker! And then plan again

next year in August for tickets to a magical evening in December!