Happy Holidays!
Do you have a favorite holiday movie? Personally, mine is “A Christmas Story.” I watch it every Christmas Eve, there’s just something so enduring about the family’s absurdity, and the realistic depiction of how things don’t go as planned (ruining Christmas dinner and ending up at the local Chinese restaurant or Ralphie finally getting his dream gift, and, right away he actually does what his mother has been warning him the whole time.) I don’t think I’ve ever described something as fragile without first going “It’s fra-gee-lay!” And living in Minnesota, the scene where Ralphie’s brother is all bundled up and can’t move with all his winter clothes on never fails to make me laugh at it’s (only slightly) exaggerated reality.
According to this article, “Here’s why Christmas movies are so appealing this holiday season”, 2020 is the season of holiday movies. There were 82 new holiday movies released for the 2020 season! Which, I don’t find surprising at all. Given how this past year has gone it’s really no surprise that people are looking for an escape in the form of a nice, feel good story. A good story where COVID doesn’t exist. An alternate reality where everything gets tied up nicely in a pretty bow in 90 minutes.
The article also states that these movies remind us of what the holiday season is all about - celebrating with friends and family. In 2020, that’s not something easily done; it’s no wonder we want to escape into a world where we can hug, eat with, and celebrate with our family and friends. In person, not a Zoom call.
2020 reminds me a little bit of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” The Grinch comes through town, taking down all the decorations, stealing the presents, all around trying to destroy the holiday spirit. And yet, even he couldn’t do that. Even with everything destroyed, the Grinch couldn’t steal Christmas. Whoville’s Christmas that year looked a bit different, but Christmas “came, somehow or another, it came just the same.”
I wish you all a safe and happy Holiday season.
-Jess