I was raised Catholic, so my family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day itself is a quiet one since we are pretty much done as soon as the stockings are opened.

In the spirit of the season, I braved the snow and went to the movies last year on Christmas Day. I was surprised to discover how completely packed the movie theaters were. I could not even get into Sherlock Holmes and had to go home and come back later. I had no idea so many people went to the movies on Christmas Day.

I wondered how many of those people had also gone out for Chinese Food first.

Check out this song, “Chinese and a Movie Day” composed and performed by singer-songwriter and Temple Beth Emeth member Diana Lawrence.

I love the lines:

“Aside from the United Nations, there’s no better way to make Buddhists, Muslims, Jews and Hindus hang out for a day. In peace and love and mushu and perhaps a matinee. Oh Chinese and a Movie is my favorite holiday.”

Temple Beth Emeth will not be hosting their annual movie and sing-along at the Michigan Theater this year, but they are still organizing a Chinese dinner and a movie event for congregation members and the community at Dynasty Restaurant, 4683 Washtenaw, at 5 p.m., followed by a movie at RAVE Movies, 4100 Carpenter Road, at 7 p.m. Each family pays their own way the day of the event. This event is open to the community. Please RSVP to hcallow@templebethemeth.org to help in reserving restaurant space.

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang is a second-generation Chinese American from California who now divides her time between Ann Arbor and the Big Island of Hawaii. She is editor of IMDiversity.com Asian American Village, lead multicultural contributor for AnnArbor.com and a contributor for New America Media's Ethnoblog. She is a popular speaker on Asian Pacific American and multicultural issues. Check out her website at franceskaihwawang.com, her blog at franceskaihwawang.blogspot.com, and she can be reached at fkwang888@gmail.com.