Make a Booze for Your Family Traditions
Festive traditions are wonderful because we observe them every year. The worst thing about holiday traditions is that we observe them every year. A booze (or non-alcoholic equivalent) may be just what you need to add a little spice or sauce to your annual meetings.
At some point, my husband (and I, I think) decided that we would start two family traditions: every Christmas we watch one of the Mighty Ducks films and one of the Star Trek films. This year – for D3 and Finding Spock – I ‘m going to use what we’ve learned from our views to, well, gamify the experience.
At the heart of the drinking game is a love of repetition and clichés. As with this popular Hallmark Movie drinking game, drinking games all boil down to defining the image of a movie, TV show, or genre. It’s perfect for Christmas movies and movies you’ve watched a million times. (You can also always arrange a drinking game for a family dinner – every time someone says Trump, finish your glass – but you probably want to keep that between you and your cousins, as well as on DL.)
Done right, it won’t make you drink more than you would otherwise, just at a more strictly fixed time. If you’re not thirsty, you can use lollipops – and, as with alcohol, end up with confusion and stomach pain – or you can make bingo cards. (If you google “bingo card generator” you’ll find tons of options, but it could also be a craft project.)
For the booze game, variety is key – depending on how widespread the event is, you can earn a sip, sip, or finish the drink. Pick enough clues to keep you busy (and stimulate to pay attention), but no more than you can remember to pay attention to.
Let me share one caveat from an overly effective drinking game that my friends and I once made to watch The Tudors : if you do it for a TV show, set a home rule to prevent “before …” from catching up. They tend to squeeze whatever the show creates, and god that can get rough.