Holly Jolly Sabbath

It is time to run the record brush over the vinyl, hang the tree upside down, and listen to Black Sabbath all night.
This festive occasion began years ago when I was a bartender. One of the regulars, Chuck, was a bartender at a nearby establishment, Art Bar where I think you can still find him.
One Sunday during the season Kayrock and I had gone against the owner's wishes and decorated for the Holidays.
He is a quite a piece of work and a whole other a-hole story. We were relaxing and enjoying our festive labors when Chuck arrived. He sat and ordered a drink as the sound of rain began to fill the speakers and a church bell began to chime over the sound of distant thunder. The glass of bourbon struck the surface of the bar as the music screamed out. The groove diminished and flickered at almost the same rate and volume as the lights upon the white plastic tree. Chuck twisted and looked around and began to explain how everything that was going on in the bar was transporting him into a memory. The Black Sabbath pulsing with the Christmas tree flashing brought forth his tale. He explained that when he was young and his parents would leave the house during the season he would create a moment of adolescent joy for himself. He would turn off all the lights in the house excepting the Christmas tree and then then bring forth the special shoebox from under his bed. He would light up a bowl as the first Sabbath record dropped on the family stereo console. Everything just seemed to come together perfectly.
It was decided then that THAT could be a holiday tradition we all could get behind. My next shift was a Tuesday and I drew a flyer for the first Holly Jolly Sabbath on the way to work stopping off to copy it at the corner store. It had a few poorly drawn wizards walking and a tree or two proclaimed: The 1st Annual Holly Jolly Sabbath (that's right kiddies get in on the motherfucking ground floor on this one) This Sunday before Christmas!
The evening came and passed and everyone there has a story about what happened. I mostly remember Fitz and Etain stopping by and having that be the night solidify our friendships. Etain passed out rather quickly but has ended up attending more of subsequent HJS eves than anyone else.
After the next year, Kayrock and I grew weary of repeated requests for Rat Salad upon anyone especially drummers entrances. We decided there should be some rules for the eve. They have been clarified but remain only as rules if you follow them. Chuck and Ian Christe have been the only two people to break flow for a request because one of them invented the holiday and the other wrote a book on Heavy Metal. Ian has already put in a request for a Dio interlude this year for several reasons.It was also thought that mulled wine should be served. We found the oldest recipe we could and started the search for all the spices required for Clarée. We have nailed down almost all of them. The last few years a candlelight vigil/singing during Changes has become standard for the evening.
With the help of our one true Holly Jolly Sabbath intern, Jason, and some of the other HJS worker monkeys like Holly, Maya, Casey and Alethia; we will be ready for the eighth Holly Jolly Sabbath to go later than late but not long enough for a record with Tony Martin singing.
This years flyer is a collaboration between Christeen Francis, Wolfy, and Kayrock.