Everyone does Christmas differently. We have our favourite foods, celebrations, and the songs we either can’t stop playing or simply love to hate. For me, Christmas means friends, family, my traditional punch recipe, mince pies, too much chocolate, and hearing A Fairytale of New York (only the version by The Pogues will do!) at least once before the season’s over. This ritual starts for me sometime around late November, but for some, Christmas hasn’t truly come until Mariah Carey defrosts and trills her declaration like some kind of operatic groundhog.
Since moving overseas from England to Canada, I’ve found these little routines even more important to my mental health at Christmastime, and learned how they’ve extended beyond just my wellbeing too. By sharing my punch and shortbreads and favourite films and games with my husband and our friends, I’ve been able to continue my family Christmas traditions and help boost the spirits of those close to me for whom this time of year is hard. Through something as simple as cutting fruit together or picking up a control pad, we forget our troubles for an hour or two and instead find new things to talk about, shape new memories, share some laughs, and have a little something to look forward to each time a year is drawing to a close.
I hope to incorporate some more food-based content into this blog and my YouTube channels sometime in the future, but for this year, I wanted to share my favourite media must-haves so I can share just a little taste of our Christmas with you. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a new tradition of your own somewhere in this list!
Classic Movies
There’s nothing like a good movie at Christmas to make the world feel alright. Growing up with two older brothers, the Christmas movies we watched every year usually included Christmas-adjacent family friendly titles like Uncle Buck, Home Alone 1 and 2, Ghost Busters 1 and 2, and Gremlins. Since moving out, my additions to this list of holiday adventures have included The Muppet Christmas Carol and Star Wars. Shrek 2 (perhaps the king of the Shreks!) is also a great one for a very merry Christmas. Grab yourself some snacks, a warm drink, and your very best people (whether those people have two legs or four) and try out these classic films for a guaranteed good time!
Nostalgic TV Shows
You’ve got to have some TV shows in the mix, bonus points for Christmas specials! Since I grew up in the 90s in England, the TV was usually showing stuff like Father Ted, Blackadder, One Foot in the Grave, Only Fools and Horses, and a healthy dose of The Chase. For me, my personal go-tos have included The Vicar of Dibley, ever since my GCSE Psychology teacher would put it on as a special treat around the holidays to keep morale up. Despite not sitting down to watch a lot of it as well (I know, you’re going to judge me!), Doctor Who usually makes an appearance around the holidays with a Christmas special.
Musical Moments
My Christmas playlist on Spotify is something that has grown to unhealthy proportions, so it would be impossible to list all of my recommendations, and many of them change every year. The constant tracks I’ve loved since I listened to them on my cassette player though were, “A Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues feat. the late and great Kirsty McColl, “A Spaceman Came Traveling” by Chris de Burgh, “In Dulci Jubilo” by Mike Oldfield, “Merry Christmas Everybody” by Slade, “I Wish It Could be Christmas Everyday” by Wizzard, “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses, “Mary’s Boy Child” by Boney M, “Do They Know it’s Christmas” by Band Aid, “Can You Stop the Cavalry” by Jona Lewie, and “Driving Home for Christmas” by Chris Rea. The old classics everyone knows about, I reckon, but I’ve also found some new favourites in “Snowman” by Sia, “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande, “Hey Sis, it’s Christmas” by RuPaul, and “The Yule Fiddler” by Patty Gurdy. Whether I’m making Christmas dinner or just need something to keep my spirits high while I write, this list usually does the job.
Something Square
The first video game console I ever had to myself was a PlayStation 2. Prior to that, my older brothers had very generously shared their Sega consoles with me and introduced me to the world of video gaming, for which I will always be grateful and hold dear to my heart, even if their interests have since moved on. The first series I fell madly in love with on the PlayStation 2 was SquareSoft’s Kingdom Hearts, and throughout the years I’ve spent finding new games and stories to enjoy, Square has maintained its grip on my heart like nothing else. Naturally, then, Square’s games have also been a part of my perfect Christmas!
Kingdom Hearts 2 offers the most Christmassy look into the world of The Nightmare Before Christmas, with Sora and co. visiting Christmas Town and even meeting Santa himself. Jack Skellington wears his Santa costume from the film, Sora’s menu throughout the level is the perfect blend of gothic and Christmassy (much like his own outfit once he passes into Christmas Town proper), and level completion earns him a candy cane keyblade to use in future battles.
Parasite Eve is perfect for the kind of person who says Die Hard is their favourite Christmas film. Following NYPD officer Aya Brea, the player investigates the mystery of spontaneous combustions and body horror evolutions happening throughout New York during Christmastime. This will take Aya through the Natural History Museum where exhibitions are coming to life, and even to the Chrysler Building if players are feeling bold.
The last Square Enix title I associate with Christmastime is Final Fantasy XIV, and not just because there are seasonal events and decorations strung up through the hub cities every year. The reason I love Christmas is because everyone I love has the time to be together, even if it’s just for a day. That means it’s reliably been the best time for me to grab my husband and our friends, get a party together, and challenge ourselves to the many levels of the Palace of the Dead. If you’re really feeling festive, you can even put a cute seasonal outfit together!
Hogfather
No Christmas list of mine is complete without a good book, and for me, that book is The Hogfather by the much-missed Sir Terry Pratchett. Replete with Pratchett’s trademark humour and a British feel that helps me lessen my homesickness, The Hogfather is a Christmas classic that tells the tale of a very different kind of Santa. I admittedly haven’t seen the film version, but maybe I should add it to my movie roster? Perhaps that can be my new thing this year!
Whether you found something new here or not, I hope this list has helped you get into the Christmas spirit. The world is a frightening place to be right now, but it’s my wish that you’ll find ways to be happy amongst all the mess, cruelty, and confusion happening around us everyday. 2025 is just around the corner, so let’s see 2024 off by remembering the good things in our lives, whether it’s our health, our homes, or some other fortune this year, all while doing what we can to think of and help those whose struggles surpass our own.
Thinking of you, wherever you are, happy holidays to you, my friends! And an even better New Year!
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