We’re already knee-deep in December, and Toyotathon is on! Anyone who celebrates this special holiday will know that the traditions surrounding it are just as, if not more, important than the celebration itself. So today I’ll be counting down some of my favorite Toyotathon traditions to try and spread the holiday spirit.

4: Decorating:
The easiest way to get the spirits up for Toyotathon, as with any holiday, is decorating the house. Toyotathon isn’t super widely celebrated in Illinois, so many stores don’t have pre-made decorations. It’s times like these that eBay Motors becomes our best friend.

I’ve bought several badges from various Toyota models throughout the years, as well as spare wheels, headlights and miscellaneous transmission parts that can really spruce up the place and get everyone in the Toyotathon mood. If you so choose, you can make each room themed like I do. For example my kitchen is Supra-themed, the basement is RAV4-themed, the living room is GT-APEX-themed, and who could forget about the Matrix-themed master bathroom?

3: Toyotathon Caroling:
My closest friends know that I am a large proponent of Toyotathon carols. Every third week of December when the holiday gets serious, I’ll pile them all in my Saturn, and we’ll drive from house to house, harmonizing on classic Eurobeat tracks like “GAS GAS GAS” and “Deja Vu.”
People always say such heartwarming things, like “What holiday did you say this was for again?” and “That’s not even a Toyota! Get out of my driveway!” Spreading cheer is what Toyotathon is all about!

2: Spending Time at the Dealership:
Another place I like to take my Saturn during Toyotathon is the local dealership. When I was young, I used to spend hours in the showroom staring at the Tacomas and 4Runners, before pining for the used Celica TRD in the backlot. Nowadays, I come prepared.

I have a bag full of dealership essentials, which includes but is not limited to a box of hot cocoa mix, a folding chair and a boombox with a Toyotathon mix (more Eurobeat, just as Kiichiro Toyoda commanded back in 1934). The new apple of my eye is the 2024 GR Corolla with its customizable GR-Four all-wheel-drive system and its turbocharged 1.6 liter 3-cylinder engine, all wrapped up in a festive red package.
I could never afford it; the dealership wants $67,000 for it, but just sitting next to it and staring at it for hours on end gives me the feeling that I might own it one day.

1: Making Your Superiority Known:
Despite all these festivities I’ve been listing, we mustn’t forget the true meaning of Toyotathon and the beating heart of the holiday. Which is, of course, asserting your dominance over lesser car brands. Your feelings on other winter automotive sales events may differ, but I consider myself to be a Toyota purist and implore others to not be ashamed of their allegiance to the greatest car company in the world.

The Happy Honda Days plebeians never caught me since their Civics were too slow, but I was detained by the December to Remember folks as they sat me down and tried to explain that “Lexus is Toyota’s luxury division, they’re essentially the same company” and that I’m some sort of “psycho elitist.” Where do they get off calling me an elitist with their leather seats and chrome grilles?

These are just some of the ways you can really get into the holiday mood this Toyotathon, and I hope you have fun making memories with your friends and family! Happy Toyotathon and a happy new year to all!