We’ve got a new monthly blog series coming your way featuring recommendations, insights, and fun facts about Derby Public Library’s remarkable staff!
For our first installment, the blog has two questions for our staff:
“What are some of your favorite holiday movies?”
Sheila, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloging: “I have two favorite holiday movies, White Christmas and The Family Stone.“
Maycie, Public Support Services: “Christmas doesn’t start in my house until we watch Christmas with the Kranks!”
Hannah, Youth Services Coordinator: “Love Actually, Home Alone, Scrooged, Spirited, Die Hard (I will die on this hill…)”
Tabbitha, Youth Services: “My all-time favorite Christmas movie has to be Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”
Eric, Library Director: White Christmas
Tami, Office Manager: A Christmas Story
Alyssa, Adult and Teen Services: “I’ve been watching The Preacher’s Wife with Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington every year since I was little, and Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is epic!”
Megan, Outreach Coordinator: “My top 2 favorite Christmas movies are Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story.”
Ashley, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloguing: “Scrooge starring Albert Finney and Sir Alec Guinness”
Miranda, Youth Services “My favorite Christmas movies are A Christmas Story and It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Shane, Public Support Services: “My favorite is the Grinch (Jim Carrey version) and I also love Krampus (2015)”
Grace, Youth Services: “Small One (a 1978 Don Bluth classic that still makes me cry every year, even though it’s only 26 minutes long. It’s on Disney+ now, and I get to watch it whenever I want! We owned the Small One book adaptation that came with the story on tape, so you could read along) and A Charlie Brown Christmas (I play the album on vinyl every year when decorating my tree)
“Does your family have a special holiday recipe or food that they make in a unique way?”
Shane: “My mom makes lasagna every year for Christmas. It is a tradition that started with her as something easy to make for dinner, now it doesn’t feel like Christmas without it.”
Miranda: “Our passed down family recipe is the stuffing. Why is stuffing only a holiday food? Its too good!”
Ashley: “Our family has a traditional Mennonite meal of Verenika (or Vereniki), German sausage and zweiback. I have taken over the preparation of this meal from my Oma (German for grandma). Verenika is a cottage cheese dumpling that is either boiled or fried then topped with gravy. Zweiback is a traditional Russian Mennonite dinner roll.”
Megan: “We have a long standing Christmas tradition with my side of the family to have breakfast for dinner then open presents.”
Tami: “As far as food, I have a favorite special food every year, but it’s not one I make. I have wonderful neighbors who also volunteer at the library, John and Sheila Maksimowicz. Every year they make baklava and I have been blessed to receive it for more than 5 years. I think they are making it this week!”
Alyssa: “For the New Year, my mom makes her homemade Cajun black eyed peas, rice, and cornbread as a symbol of good luck. The recipe comes from my grandparents who grew up in Louisiana.”
Eric: “As far as food goes, my family has been having a Swedish (immigrant influenced) dinner for years. This includes fruit soup, potato sausage, pickled herring, lutefisk, and ostkaka.”
Tabbitha: “While my family doesn’t have unique family recipes, we do have a tradition of baking holiday treats and cookies around Christmas. We package them in cute containers and give them to loved ones.”
Hannah: “My aunt makes these candies with peanut butter and fritos. It sounds a bit weird, but they are SO good.”
Maycie: “No festive gathering in my moms house is complete without the family’s secret potato casserole…. Legally I can’t tell you what’s in it.”
Now it’s your turn, readers! What are some of your favorite holiday movies and does your family have any special holiday recipes or traditional foods?
Happy Holidays!!