Master Bartender
15.
“I have not spent the holidays with my blood family for over 30 years. I am a middle-aged guy who lives by myself. I have friends who I spend time with during the holidays, but for the most part, I am alone. Over the years, I think I have perfected the one-man Christmas celebration. Here’s my traditional Christmas schedule: On Christmas Eve, I am typically the person who goes into the office because I don’t have family obligations. I don’t mind, and nobody squawks when I take off days around the 4th of July. They let us go around noon anyway. After work, I go to my local bar early and tip the bartender $50. I will get some food if the kitchen is open and tip the cook $50. I head home around 7 or 8 p.m.”
“After I go home, I open and put on a new pair of flannel PJs. I open a fresh bottle of some decent Irish whiskey, pour two fingers of it into a glass, and watch Christmas Vacation while eating mail-order treats. In the morning, I get up and make a nice breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast, and some fruit. After a shower, I’ll head out and go visit two friends and their families. I never stay more than an hour, and I always bring a gift or two. I’m back home by 3 p.m.
Once home, I bring out the gift box and Christmas cabinet. The box is full of gifts people have bought me and stuff I’ve bought for me. The Christmas cabinet is a cardboard box from the liquor store full of candy and treats. I start stocking both around October. For Christmas evening, I always order a new DVD or DVD box set to watch. I also buy some books, in case the power is out or whatever. I also get a new video game just in case I’m bored.
For dinner, I have a mail-order ham that I heat up, and I’ll make side dishes and gravy. Sometimes, I’ll order dinner from a local restaurant, but I like having the leftovers from cooking the meal. Some years, I’ll roast a turkey and make soup out of it the next day. The point is to have a full-sized meal with all the trimmings. I find that planning and purchasing things specifically for myself takes some of the expected loneliness out of the holiday.
Over the years, I’ve tried many different mail-order shops and love the fancy candies and cookies available. Mail-order ham is brilliant! It takes some planning and order, but in the end, it is 100% worth it.”
—55, Boston
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