Get in Loser, We're Going Christmas Shopping

After Halloween ends, I'm usually the person who immediately skips over Thanksgiving and jumps straight into the Christmas festivities. As soon as November begins, I put on my bright red Christmas pants and tell Alexa to blast "All I Want For Christmas is You" through every speaker in the house. I spend about 2 hours jamming out to whatever Christmas playlist Spotify has to offer, and it always includes the classic "Jingle Bell Rock." I don't know if anyone else does this or if I'm particularly odd, but every single time I hear this song, I immediately think of Mean Girls. More specifically, I'm reminded of the iconic scene where the Plastics dance to this song while Regina's mom hypes them up. I can't make it though the holidays without this scene crossing my mind.

The first time I saw Mean Girls was with one of my best friends, Kate, when we were in middle school. We watched this movie a few days before Christmas, and looking back, I was probably way too innocent at the time because half of the jokes went over my head. Still, it was the funniest movie I'd ever seen. My friend and I ended up re-watching Mean Girls another two times in the same month. I probably have half of the script memorized at this point. Kate and I can't have a single conversation in which we don't reference Mean Girls at least once. I think we even went through a time where we tried to dress like them and everything. Hopefully any pictures from that phase have been burned. 

I'm not sure exactly how many times I've seen Mean Girls, but the number is definitely somewhere in the double digits. Every time I hear "Jingle Bell Rock," and I'm reminded of this iconic film, I get the sudden urge to watch it again. I always end up reaching out to Kate and asking her to come over. We make hot cocoa, decorate cookies, and watch Mean Girls on my couch while wrapped up in the warmth of hundreds of blankets. Even if we aren't able to hang out for the entire year, I know that we will make time to keep this tradition alive when the holidays roll around, and no matter how much time has passed, we can talk like we just saw each other yesterday. Watching Mean Girls with her is my favorite Christmas tradition by far.

This year, I turned in my November 1 college apps, pulled out the leftover Halloween candy, and blasted my favorite Christmas playlist like I always do. Sure enough, "Jingle Bell Rock" played, and I was reminded of Mean Girls and all of the memories I have associated with this movie. This time Kate texted me first, and we've already set a date and time for our tradition. I really like having this to look forward to, and I think I'll really miss it next year after high school ends and we go our separate ways. But for now, I'll put on my bright red Christmas pants, grab some hot cocoa, and watch Gretchen Weiners try to make fetch happen. 

Comments

  1. ErinNovember 26, 2019 at 11:57 AM

    Okay, wow, this is really cute. I love that you and your friend from middle school have a tradition where you still get together to hang out, even though you don't see each other regularly anymore at different high schools. This is something that is really important to me and I have a similar tradition with some of my middle school friends around my birthday. Related to the song, I also definitely think of Mean Girls when I hear that song, so you're not the only one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Prithika RaviDecember 3, 2019 at 4:03 PM

    Whoa! This is such a cool tradition!:):) I can't remember the last time I reached out to my middle school friends that didn't come to Uni with me. I think it's really cool that you guys unknowingly created this tradition that you can look forward to in the hustle of school and senior year. It's such a cool way to get into the holiday spirit:)

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  3. Ify AllanahDecember 7, 2019 at 7:55 PM

    This was so cute. I loved all of it, from the reference from Mean Girls, to the tradition that you and your middle school friend have. I also most definitely think of Mean Girls when I hear Jingle Bell Rock.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Elisha HamDecember 17, 2019 at 12:57 PM

    AWW I LOVE THIS! It's so great that you have an ongoing tradition with a friend from middle school. I also think of Mean Girls every time I hear jingle bell rock (especially that iconic thigh slap).
    You're also definitely not the only Christmas fanatic - Jenna and I were singing carols back in October, which is maybe a little extreme. (When you mentioned Christmas songs I immediately thought of THAT snap video where you're singing to "All I Want for Christmas is You"!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ethan SimpsonPDecember 24, 2019 at 11:13 AM

    This the most wholesome thing I have read in a long time, this will truly make my day. This is honestly really cool that you are able to still do this with your friend. Having this kind of relationship with somebody that stays consistent enough for you to do this every year is truly something special. And I really hope that moving away from each other doesn't make it impossible for it to happen again.

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