Listen To: Crabs For Christmas At John and Donna McKenna's

‘‘Natty Boh, a lot of empty shells and some very large crabs.' Life can be very good this time of year for a select group of friends who show up at John and Donna McKenna's home in Ellicott City . The McKennas select a day in December to crack open some of the biggest ''mutant'' crustaceans you will ever see.

John gets a bushel or two from The Lighthouse at the end of South Light Street in South Baltimore . Each of his friends then brings a side dish or a special beverage to share. For the next several hours, the melodic sounds of mallets banging on a wooden table fills the air. The hope is to keep the tradition alive annually to bring a little bit of a Baltimore summer into December.

Most of those in attendance hail from the Baltimore area but there are a few ''outsiders''. Mike is originally from Texas , where growing up he recalls seeing massive Gulf Coast crabs being sent to the Baltimore area but never trying them until he became a full fledged Marylander years later. Cindy is originally from Chicago and never had even a chance encounter with a ''big boy'' until moving to Maryland . Bruce is from Pikesville, via Brooklyn , New York and has caught on quickly.

Once the bushel of # 1 jumbos is nothing more than a pile of empty shells, everyone makes their way into the family room for a holiday sing-a-long and great memories!