"12 Dads of Xmas" Day 8: Michael of TheHipsterDad

1. Why don't you start by introducing yourself to our readers:

I'm Michael, 1/4 of TheHipsterDad.com, 1/4 of the Moniz Family Clan, 1/2 of NextHYPE Providence, aka Michael Savant, aka you forgot to do the dishes! I have 2 children: Christian (10) and Hendrix (3) and am eternally engaged in the most joyous of matrimony to Adriana. My family is based out of Providence, Rhode Island which is also the home of NextHYPE, the one stop everything for the worlds best party ever shop (www.nexthype.net). I am a career DJ, have been going strong since 1999, and my wife is the head womans stylist for Karmaloop and MissKL. Sorry if that was a long read, here is the short version: We are awesome.

2. When does "the Holiday Season" start for you?

I can definitely "feel it coming in the air tonight" shortly after Halloween. Once we make our annual apple picking trip and the crisp Autumn air sets in, you know its ON! Officially it begins when either Adriana or I pulls the trigger on the Christmas station we put together on Spotify.

3. What do you and your family do to keep the magic of Christmas alive?

Thats a GREAT question (mainly because I thought of it). Being that we are a family of Atheists, Christmas is about family and celebrating the love that surrounds all of us. I think its important to keep the magic innocence of childhood alive as long as you can and what better time of year to talk about fat flying men who spread joy and magical chocolate ball shitting reindeer with light up schnoz then Christmas? One of the most important things my family does is "adopt" another family and provide christmas gifts for their children. I feel this is a season of giving and to us, nothing is more magical then a kind gesture that spreads the love my family has in their hearts.

4. What's your favorite holiday movie?

The Gremlins, that counts right? It all happens right around Christmas time, amirite? I love Holiday Inn, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire really throw down the gauntlet in that one. As far as family holiday movies goes, Home Alone is whats up. Buzz. your girlfriend,  WOOF! Bring me back something French!

5. Is there anything you always wanted for Christmas as a child and never got?

I have to hand it to my parents, they both worked their asses off to support my brother and I, and we never came up short on Christmas. There is something to be said for seeing your parents pull doubles around the holidays knowing they were doing it for the sake of your family, thats something that, to this day, warms my heart. I hope to be able to instill values like this into my own children. As far as gifts go, the only thing I can recall always wanting was an Apple II computer to play Karateka on, but that was a reach. Those things (Apple products) were not any cheaper when then came out then they are now!

6. Holiday Tree or Christmas Tree: Real of fake? Discuss.

What do you even put on a holiday tree? I never understood that, a tree is erected for Christmas, I dont think anyone else puts one up and decorates it as tradition, do they? I could be, and probably am wrong.  Either way, Christmas tree to the max. In 2005 the city of Boston declared their official decorated tree to be a "Holiday Tree" and the tree farmer that donated the tree said he would rather it end up in a wood chipper then be referred to as that.

 Always real, always bitching about dragging its dead carcass out through the house and stepping on random POW pine needles for months to come that get lost in the cracks of our ancient wood floors. I love the smell and most of all I love strapping that son-of-a-bitch to the roof of our car, using 28.1 miles of twine to strap it down tighter then the Apollo space capsule to our Chevy HHR rocket. Fingers frozen to the bone, a look of false confidence on your face when you slide behind the wheel and give a nod to your woman. The tree is on the roof, lets get this bitch home and light 'er up!

7. Do you have any unique holiday traditions?

We always go to the same tree farm to cut our tree down every year, aside from that we just try to spend as much time together as possible. Life definitely slows down as often as we can get it to around the holidays.

8. I love Holiday movies, but there is a common old time representation of bumbling Dads in most. How do you think you and other great, involved dad of today differ from Dads that are often characterized in movies and Television.

I would be hard pressed to find a holiday movie that doesn't include a dad that does a ton of stupid shit while getting his family ready for the holidays. Usually this really pisses me off, especially when its used as a tool to push products to women that will "help" their men. Or even better "look at this idiot man trying to do this simple task like change his kids diaper" starring Dick Soandso and Gary Whatshisface, the smash comedy of the season "Dads that cant do shit to take care of their kids II: Dad tries to get little Billy dressed". That being said, around the holiday times, I tend to find more humor in it. Take the movie "Christmas Vacation", a lot of what Clark does we can all relate to, especially with decorating his house, thats some man shit right there! I guess I am saying, for me, Christmas movies get a free pass because being a Dad around the holiday is really stressful, especially when you are trying to bring some extra income in and spend as much time as you can with your kids. That stress alone is scientifically proven to shut down 87 percent of your neural core, dont believe me? Well I read it on the internet, so there!