Enjoy Christmas time in Kansas City

Here is The Examiner’s Top 10 Kansas City Christmas traditions:

10 Ice skating at Crown Center

9 Whining about another lost season for the Chiefs or, alternately, smugly sailing toward a 13-3 regular season record, not realizing that January will bring a first-round playoff loss. At Arrowhead. Again.

8 Christmas in the Park at Longview Lake. Lights, lights, lights.

7 Busloads of school kids going to see “The Nutcracker.”

6 The Mayor’s Christmas Concert in Independence and Spirit of Caring Concert in Blue Springs, both showcasing local talent and raising money for the Community Services League.

5 Barbecue. It’s Kansas City, so barbecue goes with anything, including egg nog. Turkey is for Thanksgiving. Ribs are for Christmas Night. (Did anyone catch the story about Jack Stack on MSNBC this week? A little mainstream media love for KC.)

4 Secret Santa. No coal in stockings. Just cold, hard cash for some people in the area.

3 “A Christmas Carol,” the Dickens classic performed annually by the Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

2 “Messiah,” performed in late November at the Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence and, now, a second performance in Leawood. Hundreds of local folks prepare for months to make this happen. Come to the show, and be ready to join in and help sing the “Hallelujah Chorus” at the end.

1 Christmas lights on the Plaza, starting with the lighting on Thanksgiving night. This year the switch was flipped by “American Idol” winner David Cook and his 8-year-old neice, Aylish Hulme. The lights silhouetting the buildings looked great, the weather was good, the music was, well, loud, and the fireworks were bright. It’s festive. Go sometime.