Christmas in the Smoky Mountains

Holiday Memories from Ellen Crivellone of Smokey Mountain Sounds

I love the entire holiday season, especially Christmas in the Smoky Mountains! My holidays look different than they did when I was a child. As I recall some of my favorite holiday memories, I’d like you to notice a theme: change.

Change is a beautiful gift. We notice change so much more during the holidays. Traditions highlight change. When a loved one has passed away, the holidays change. As children are born, as they get married, and then as grandchildren arrive, the holidays change.

I’m sharing these holiday memories with you to read as you are heading toward a huge season of change. You’re getting married in the Smoky Mountains! Then as husband and wife, your lives will change. Your holidays will change too.

I invite you to spark a conversation about holidays with your fiance. As you plan your wedding and your future lives together, share your favorite holiday memories and your expectations for new ones. Perhaps you’ll spend Christmas in the Smoky Mountains as a married couple?

Ron and I are a husband and wife duo, and together we own and operate Smokey Mountain Sounds. Ron is a local wedding officiant and he and I also entertain guests as a DJ at weddings in the Smoky Mountains. It’s a pleasure to have fun and work at the same time, and it’s a joy to work with couples as they plan weddings! It’s also a blessing to meet so many friendly people as they embark on a season of change.

Enjoy these holiday memories, and thank you for choosing Smoky Mountain Sounds for your wedding in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and surrounding areas!

Halloween

Starting with Halloween, which is a time when a person can dress up and just have fun. As a child, my mom would let us help make popcorn balls to hand out to trick-or-treaters. It was a different time and we didn’t have to worry about receiving homemade goodies in our Halloween buckets, (really they were pillowcases). Children were safe to go out on their own, and every neighbor was watching out for each other.

There are still some neighborhoods here in the Smoky Mountains where people go trick-or-treating, but the holiday is vastly different now. Even with the changes, it is still fun to dress up and see children in their costumes. One year there were a lot of little girls dressed up as Elsa and Anna from Frozen, and we had snow! Coincidence? I think it was a bit of holiday magic…

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is another great time for loved ones to come together. As a child, my family used to travel two hours to visit my grandmother. The drive was made fun by playing the “alphabet game.” We also called out letters from license plates and signs that we passed. Grandma wasn’t the best cook, but her heart was all in. One year, my mom went in and changed the temperature on the oven as the turkey was baking. It was the best turkey grandpa had!

Going to my Gram’s in San Diego, all the aunts, uncles, and cousins would get together and have so much fun! I always helped to clean up, no matter whose house I was at. I felt that they needed a break after cooking for the large families.

As an adult, one year for Thanksgiving we held a huge breakfast at my place. Then, my son and daughter-in-law made dinner on Friday because he worked on Thanksgiving. It was weird for me not to cook the meal since I had been doing so for the last twenty years. They did a great job, however, and I was very proud.

Christmas

My favorite part of the holidays is Christmas. I love Christmas movies, and I also love to bake. Years ago, I used to bake and make candies before Thanksgiving. Everyone especially loved my peanut brittle. A few years back I sold my baked goods to help make ends meet for the holidays. It was one of my favorite things about the season!

When my kids were younger, I worked two jobs but I still had time for traditions. Christmas Eve was always spent at my Gram’s house. We would have dinner before going out to see Christmas lights. When we returned, a decorated Christmas tree with presents underneath had appeared! That was holiday magic too!

Now I have the pleasure of following my Gram’s tradition, and I get to host Christmas Eve for my family. A great memory of mine is hosting for my grandson’s first Christmas! He enjoyed the boxes and wrapping paper more than the actual presents.

A new holiday tradition for us is to enjoy the lights of Winterfest! Christmas in the Smoky Mountains is magical! We love to drive through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg to see each town’s Christmas lights and decorations. Also, the displays at Shadrack’s and Dollywood are spectacular. If you’re visiting the Smoky Mountains during the holidays, watch out for Christmas magic! The magic is alive in these mountains.

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season, and may God bless each and every one of you!