The Queue: Holiday Edition
An unofficial list of things to be consumed this holiday season
Tis the season! It’s beginning to look a lot like family time, credit card debt, and seasonal depression. Stores across America have begun their holiday playlists, and Salvation Army Santa is ringing his bell across the nation. Even snowflakes have made their entrance, the first batch dusting my windshield earlier this week.
Jokes aside, I do enjoy the holidays, and there are so many things that bring me joy from December1st to January 1st. I love holiday cards, candy canes, string lights, tinsel, gift-giving, tourists and more. So here’s the holiday queue: my list of things to consume over this holiday season. Hopefully, these festive delights will get you in some kind of mood and maybe bring you a jingle of joy in this chaotic, often stressful, time of year.
The Holiday Queue
The Holiday: Starting strong with the name itself. This movie is everything you want from the early aughts. 1. A star-studded cast: Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law. 2. A fashion icon so good it gets annual articles, this year’s coming from Vogue. 3. The best settings around: English countryside and movie-bougie LA.
(side note: if you are like me, maybe you also wondered what Jack Black has been up to recently. Well, he’s been around. He’s done several voice acting gigs in animated films, had a cameo with Lizzo in The Mandalorian, and has released some new singles with Tenacious D.)
Claire Saffitz’s Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies: the cookies I make once a year. There goes my secret! The recipe is no small feat and typically ends with messy counters, a burning smell, and some screaming.
Scented Candles: bold, headache-inducing, too specific candles the size of a beer stein. I can already smell it.
The Last Holiday: Starring the one and only Queen Latifah, this “life lessons” romcom goes back and forth between New Orleans and an unnamed, wintery central European country, and includes LL Cool J as a supporting actor. TBD if it’s technically a Christmas movie, but it gets me in the mood.
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris: A friend lent me this book awhile back, and it took me over a year to get it back to her. Funny, silly, touching, gut-wrenching: all the feelings you get from other Sedaris works but with extra oomph from the holiday spirit.
Influencer Gift Guides: Will I be taking their suggestions? No. Will I be purchasing anything they recommend? No. Will I watch until the end to see every item on their shopping list? Yes. Why? Because I do want to see a plush, pin-striped bathrobe and a tiny magic 8 ball.
Love Actually: Season after season, year after year, this movie does something to me. If you haven’t watched it yet, give it a go, and see if it's for you. 20 characters are all unknowingly interconnected, and somehow all seeking love. Maybe you’ll watch it this year, maybe you’ll watch it next year or in 10 years. Because of this movie, I consider “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys a definitive holiday song.
Carol: I haven’t seen this one, so it is on my personal watchlist. Its fanbase is strong, its women are classic, and it will give a good warmup to Todd Haynes leading up to May December.
Eggnog: Eggnog runs through my veins. Most people don’t get it, but that’s okay. Most people can’t even drink dairy these days, but who am I to judge them. I’m here to keep it stocked on the shelves and continue my family’s dairy-guzzling legacy.
Home for Christmas: Hear me out. This oddball Norwegian show is one of the best shows I’ve seen in the past 10 years, specifically season 1. Characters include: Johanne, Jørgunn, Jorid, Jonas, and Tor. What could be better? It features both sleds and nightclubs. Nothing beats the vibes.
Festivus: Another one in my personal queue. Watching Seinfeld sometimes feels like pulling teeth, like I’m forcing myself to watch something people have screamed at me to watch for years, but I always find myself midway through an episode, laughing, confused, and a bit annoyed that everyone around me was right.
Cheers, and happy watching.