What’s your favorite nerdy holiday memory?

I’ve got a ton but… my favorite is probably Christmas morning when I was 6 or 7. My parents bought me the GI Joe Defiant Space Shuttle Complex playset and my dad spent the whole morning putting it together with me - and carefully putting on the (100 or so) stickers it came with.

I’m an only child and my parents divorced the next year, so that might be the most “wholesome” family Christmas memory I had.

I am the only "nerd" in my family so nerdy holiday memories are sort of rare, but I tend to come back to the year when my parents got me a Nintendo... and got my brother a television and had the genius idea that it would somehow force us to have to play together.

It did not.

I have both a good one and an unfortunate bad one. The good one, was the one I woke up to literally a He-Man Christmas. There was an about 6 figures, both cats, and Greyskull. I had a “powerful” Christmas that year.

The unfortunate bad one, was partly due to grandparents. They lived a bit of a distance from us, and, that one year, didn’t get to visit till beginning of January. Like some grandparents do, one of the gifts was a stocking of candy. One of them had a contest for some sort of prize. And, unfortunately, I had one wrappers, that had one of the bigger prizes. The reason for why it was unfortunate to get, the contest had ended, and the final date to send it in to claim you prize was Dec 31, just about a week or two prior to knowing I won.

Probably when TMNT figures first came out. My mom fought the crowds to make sure I had all 4 original turtles. Another great one is when I had a "military" Christmas and everything was Rambo, camouflage, and G.I. Joe.

Edited November 30, 2025Nov 30 by FantasticJerome

Probably Christmas 2006/2007 when I was like 12 and really really deep into Lost. Completely obsessed. I don't even think my grandparents watched the show, but they surprised me with a ton of Lost merch.

2 hours ago, Allison Schonter said:

Probably Christmas 2006/2007 when I was like 12 and really really deep into Lost. Completely obsessed. I don't even think my grandparents watched the show, but they surprised me with a ton of Lost merch.

It's funny I was thinking of Lost yesterday lol I wonder if it's worth watching again. I doubt it would come close to the first watch through, but could still be fun.

When I was a little Evan, I asked my folks for the latest Spider-Man game for the Sega Genesis. I couldn't wait until Christmas so I started searching the house when my parents were out to find the game. I ended up finding it, unwrapped it, played Spidey for about three hours, put it back in the case and re-wrapped it.

I'm POSITIVE they figured out my scheme so I'm glad they played along when I acted surprised opening it.

I would often ask for the latest new Pokemon game for Christmas, since they often came out a few months before the holiday. I have fond memories of unwrapping presents, then settling in to meet my new starter and start a new Pokemon adventure.

59 minutes ago, Amanda Kay Oaks said:

I would often ask for the latest new Pokemon game for Christmas, since they often came out a few months before the holiday. I have fond memories of unwrapping presents, then settling in to meet my new starter and start a new Pokemon adventure.

It had to have been when I was in second or third grade ... that time in the mid-to-late '90s when Pokemon was huge ... I wanted a Game Boy Color and a Pokemon game for Christmas. I opened all my presents and there was no Game Boy. Got down to the last gift and it was a shirt box, so I was expecting clothes or something. And then boom - surprise Game Boy with Pokemon Yellow. I was so happy.

Xmas 1986. My two brothers and I tore open this mysterious present my parents saved for last: it was that new NES home video gaming system, with the Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt combo cartridge, the light gun, and Mike Tyson's Punchout as a secondary present from another relative.

My whole fam / extended fam played that thing non-stop over Xmas dinner and celebration; a day or two later, while shopping and doing returns at the King of Prussia mall, my mom decided to purchase this golden game she heard people talking about, and brought it home to us, just as an Xmas bonus. I put it and started it up: The Legend of Zelda flashed on the screen. My life changed.

As you can see, I still vividly and fondly remember this formative Xmas in my fandom.

53 minutes ago, KOutlaw said:

Xmas 1986. My two brothers and I tore open this mysterious present my parents saved for last: it was that new NES home video gaming system, with the Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt combo cartridge, the light gun, and Mike Tyson's Punchout as a secondary present from another relative.

My whole fam / extended fam played that thing non-stop over Xmas dinner and celebration; a day or two later, while shopping and doing returns at the King of Prussia mall, my mom decided to purchase this golden game she heard people talking about, and brought it home to us, just as an Xmas bonus. I put it and started it up: The Legend of Zelda flashed on the screen. My life changed.

As you can see, I still vividly and fondly remember this formative Xmas in my fandom.

Duck Hunt remains such an elite game. I will never get over Duck Hunt.

One year I got to open a present early on Christmas Eve and it turned out to be Pokemon Gold, but I didn't have a Game Boy Color yet. I was like oh this rules can't wait to play someday thinking my parents just got it for the OG GB without realizing it. Cut to Christmas morning and I got a purple Game Boy Color! Changed my life

On 12/1/2025 at 6:28 PM, Evan said:

When I was a little Evan, I asked my folks for the latest Spider-Man game for the Sega Genesis. I couldn't wait until Christmas so I started searching the house when my parents were out to find the game. I ended up finding it, unwrapped it, played Spidey for about three hours, put it back in the case and re-wrapped it.

I'm POSITIVE they figured out my scheme so I'm glad they played along when I acted surprised opening it.

Now that's mischievious LOL