Tonight is New Years Eve!  We’re glad to be here to celebrate the close of another wild year.  We’ve all been through so much the last year or two, and we deserve a night off.  So we thought we would use today’s blog space to suggest some fun activities to let loose, unwind, and relax!

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We’re celebrating National Bacon Day with a list of amazing local restaurants that could use your support!  You’ll find amazing brunch restaurants, brunch recipes to make at home for the holidays, and fun bacon themed gear.

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National Short Film Day was created to honour and celebrate the birth of “film.”  Did you know that on this day in 1895, The Lumiere Brothers premiered their collection of short films in front of a public audience for the very first time.  33 guests joined Auguste and Louis at the Grand Cafe in Paris, France, to view the first ever series of 10 short films.Although each film was only about 50 seconds long, each of them truly captivated the audience since there had never been anything like it before.

In fact, their first projector was called the  “Cinematographe” (based off of the Kinetoscope concept) and is where we derived the word “cinema!”  The first ever motion picture captured by the brothers was titled “Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory” and is the earliest known video recording.  Yes, that’s right, you have the Lumiere Brothers to thank for all of your favourite car, racing, and automotive blockbusters!

The brothers captured their movies using their Lumiere apparatus: a single camera used for photography and projecting moving images at just 16 frames per second.  They used this device to capture daily life in France, creating more than 40 films in 1896 alone!  In addition, they helped create the first newsreels and documentaries. They even sent a crew of cameramen across the globe to capture additional footage as well as show their work to new audiences!  One might be able to call them the great great great grandfathers of Youtube and TikTok, if you will.

We’ve come a long way since then from short films to major motion pictures and blockbuster films, and the industry continues to grow by leaps and bounds.  We can even watch movies on the road in our car now!  Pretty cool, if we may say so.

If you’re craving more Short Film content, we recommend browsing streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Each of these services is host to a litany of short films in multiple genres!  In addition, you can also find incredible content for free on sites like YouTube or Vimeo, and even TikTok!

Check out our picks for some great short films and film festivals:

Chicago International REEL Short Film Festival

Chicago Comedy Film Festival

Illinois International Film Festival

The MKE Short Film Festival

The PBS Short Film Festival

The Midwest Indie Film Fest

McHenry Fall Film Fest

Short Films to Stream Right Now:

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Winter is here, and the weather outside is about to get a little frightful.  That means saying goodbye for now to the weekend joy rides and long trips “on the road.” Instead, it’s time to hunker down with some exciting books about cars and automotive history to live vicariously.

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Maybe you don’t celebrate Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa but want to get into the holiday spirit nonetheless?  Well, there’s good news, because today is Festivus, the celebration for the rest of us!   The inventive holiday first appeared in 1997 on the hit TV show Seinfeld. Key components to the unique and wacky holiday include the Festivus dinner feast, the aluminum Festivus pole, “Airing of Grievances” and “Feats of Strength.”  This cheeky pseudo-holiday from TV has evolved from clever gag to an ever growing pop culture seasonal celebration!

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Huzzah, winter break is here!  We’re ready to kick back, relax, and celebrate the holiday season with our favourite people.  And what better way to do just that, than with a plethora of fun destinations to check out during your time off!  Whether you’re enjoying these activities with family or friends, we know you’re going to round out 2021 on a high note.

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What is the Winter Solstice?

The Winter Solstice is on Tuesday December 21st at 10:59 EST in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s the shortest day and longest night of 2021. It has many names around the globe including Midwinter, Yule, Longest Night, and Jol.  Learn more about different global solstice celebrations here! Celebrate with your loved ones and our list of festive Yuletime traditions on today’s blog.

Did you know:

• The word Solstice is based in Latin, combining the word for sun (sol) and word for standing (stit) as in “the sun stands still.”
• Ancient Romans celebrated the agricultural god of Saturn at the Midwinter Festival of Saturnalia.
• The days get colder following the Winter Solstice, contrary to the fact that the days get longer and it stays lighter each day.
• December 25th is the Yuletide celebration, inspired by the Sun Day, where people would burn a tree to celebrate the return of the sun and longer days.
• The Winter Solstice in China is celebrated as the Dongzhi Festival, a lucky day when the sun is more active, the past is gone, and hope is on the horizon.  Traditional foods consumed are dumplings or glutinous rice balls.

Celebrate The Winter Solstice with These Winter Traditions

• Create a Yule Altar – A Yule Altar is created to welcome the return of the sun and the lengthening of the days. To create one, you’ll need golden, silver, or yellow candles to symbolize the sun.  Gather items that represent the winter season: pinecones, evergreen branches, pieces of cedarwood.  You’ll want to burn some sage or sweetgrass to cleanse the altar with positive intentions.

• Burn a Yule Log in the Fireplace or a Fire Pit – Historically, Nordic tradition was to burn a whole tree across 12 days leading up to Christmas.  Since that’s not exactly sanctioned by apartment management or condo associations (and definitely not feasible for modern hearths) the Yule Log is a popular alternative.  If you don’t have a woodburning stove/fireplace in your home, you can always cue up the digital version on Netflix (in regular or birchwood options!)  Don’t have a Netflix account? You can always bake and serve a Yule Log cake instead. 

• Enjoy some Yuletide “wassail” cocktails! Wassail is a festive warm drink with mulled spices consisting of: 2qts apple cider, 1.5 cups of orange juice, ¾ cup pineapple juice, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, and cloves.  You can also add a splash of Rum or Whisky if you wish!
  

• Take Some Time to Meditate – Since this is the longest night of the year, set aside some time to meditate and so some soul searching.  Reflect on the quiet and peace that blanket the world on snowy evenings.  Think about your goals for the upcoming year, and how you can grow as a person and focus on propelling yourself forward towards your goals.  Reminisce about the past year, and what you would like to accomplish in the new year as the world begins to thaw and usher in Spring.  Focus on being present and how you can connect with your peers, loved ones, and yourself within your own space.

• Exchange Nature-Related Gifts with Loved Ones – Yule is a time to celebrate the changing of the seasons as the days grow in length and nights get shorter. Get your loved ones gifts that remind them about the beauty of the world around them!  Focus on things made from natural elements, plants for their home, bulbs or seeds to be planted in spring, or perhaps some books about nature or a documentary celebrating Earth!  Make some Orange Pomanders with your family.  Take small, firm oranges and whole cloves to create this craft.  You may use a sharp knife or citrus zester to create patterns on the orange skin (save the peel for your wassail or baking!)  Poke the cloves into the orange in pretty patterns (you can use a toothpick or chopstick to pre-make the holes for little ones!.)  They make a gorgeous holiday gathering centerpiece, or temporary ornament for live Christmas trees.
  
• Read a Wintry Theme Book with Family and Friends –  You can try “The Mitten” by Jan Brett; “The Winter Solstice” by Ellen Jackson; “The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice” by Carolyn McVickar Edwards; “The Solstice Badger” by Robin McFadden; “The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice” by Wendy Pfefer and Jesse Reisch.

Sending our best yuletide wishes to you and yours from all of us here at Classic!

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For National Christmas Wreath Day, and we’re highlighting wonderful local businesses in the community who have natural wreaths for sale. And if that’s not enough, we’ve got a mix of virtual DIY Classes and events where you can make your own festive decor.  Check it out on today’s blog!

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Show up in your holiday finest to the rest of this month’s gatherings in any of these festive picks for goofy fashion on today’s blog.  Or check out these tips to hosting an ugly sweater party, and then get to it with these fun recipes and shirts!  Whatever way you celebrate the holidays, today is the perfect day to highlight the best and boldest in Ugly Sweater party outfits.

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If you’ve got a pal on your list that is hard to shop for, we’re here to help.  You can never go wrong with a box of chocolates for gift giving, and since today is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, we’ve got a list of great local candy shops!  Give your loved ones something sweet to look forward to for the holidays.

Why not try your hand at making your own chocolates? We’ve gathered some easy to make recipes and moulds to make your own candy!  Treat your loved ones or yourself this Christmas with these beautiful goodies.

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