Clark Griswold

The Clark Griswold Guide to an Old-Fashioned Family Christmas

Christmas is almost upon us, and with that comes years of holiday traditions. There’s presents, big meals, cookies, methodically lying to children in order to control their behavior throughout the year, and oh-so-much more. Above all, however, Christmas is about family. It’s about children opening that one coveted gift. It’s about parents toasting themselves with a cup of coffee (or a cocktail) after a job well done. It’s about grandma and grandpa passing the torch (or carving knife) to the next generation. It’s about the crazy drunken uncle setting the Christmas tree on fire and it’s about the patriarch of the family, doing everything he can to hold it all together while waiting for his sacred Christmas bonus.

At least, that’s how Christmas goes at the Griswold house. Though unfortunate events befall Clark and the gang at every opportunity, they still do their best to make every adventure a memory that lasts forever. Never was this more apparent than during the legendary Christmas Vacation. Through the good, bad, and in-between, the Griswolds stuck together and, in doing so, Clark Griswold himself taught each of us how to create the perfectly imperfect old-fashioned family Christmas. This is how he did it.

Cover Photo: Warner Bros.

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