The holidays are a special time of year where our beloved traditions typically overflow. Whether it’s decorating a tree, lighting a menorah or counting down until midnight, the holidays and all of their traditions bring comfort, anticipation, and joy.

So this year, in this year of years, we asked our social media followers what traditions they especially treasure at the theatre. Here are the top five (or six) reasons that draw people to the theatre year after year:

1) FABULOUS FOOD
Yes, the overwhelming compliment to an evening at the theatre is a well-prepared meal. Popular favorites are Sam’s No. 3, Ocean Prime, Cheesecake Factory, Little India, Maggiano’s, Which Wich, and Snarf’s.
Favorite quote: Eating a Toblerone at intermission. —Christine Doyle Phillips

2) QUALITY FAMILY TIME
Whether it’s a married couple, an aspiring-to-be-married couple, a parent, or a grandparent, the theatre is a place you enjoy going with those you love.
Favorite quote: Every show I perform in my family comes to the first matinee and they buy me a dozen roses. —michaelaanne726

3) TIE: HOLIDAY HAPPINESS and PICTURES WITH POSTERS
Two things you can be sure of — people love to spend the holidays at the DCPA and they love to remember every minute of it with some super selfies! Whether it’s ushering in the season, watching A Christmas Carol, or seeing a show on New Year’s Eve, many families make an annual pilgrimage to the sights and sounds of the theatre and want a photo to preserve the special occasion.
Favorite quote: [We’ve enjoyed] ushering in every Christmas for many years with A Christmas Carol. Just doesn’t feel the same without it. — Ben Saunders
Favorite quote: We are terrible at taking selfies, so now it’s a running joke to take and post a #theaterbadselfie before each performance. — Patricia Demchak Billinger

4) DRESSING UP
Many of you love to turn a trip to the theatre into a memorable occasion — complete with dressing up in your best suit, fancy dress, and high heels!
Favorite quote: My husband and I dress up, tuxes even…lol! — Steve Romo-Murphy

5) VISITING THE STAGE DOOR
Whether you speed walk to the stage door like royall.rent or give your son the opportunity to collect as many signatures as possible like Dave Lewis Jr., our audiences like to get an up-close-and-personal moment with the cast by visiting the stage door after the show.
Favorite quote: My daughter and I go to the stage door after every show. The performers are always to gracious. They chat and sign programs for all the kids waiting to see them. We always walk away smiling! — tasharaef

And as Dillon McWhite very succinctly summed up, the tradition we miss the most about the theatre this year…”Going.”

No matter your motivation for making a habit of attending the show, we’re delighted that you make the DCPA a regular part of your life. Until we meet again in 2021, we invite you to preserve your traditions for years to come with a gift to our Recovery Fund.