Welcome to our Holidays Issue! And I mean that with all sincerity. I love Christmas. Christmas is awesome. Hanukkah? Kwanzaa? Don’t know anything about them, but Christmas? Christmas I love. (I feel so super-white right now.)
It starts at my house at the beginning of November, when we listen to Christmas music and Christmas music exclusively. Much like any other genre, Christmas music also has sub-genres. We limit ours to Bing Crosby/Andy Williams-style, instrumental/churchy, and jazz. Yes, Coltrane’s versions of “My Favorite Things” and “Greensleeves” count as Christmas music. So maybe this guy’s family isn’t as corny as you thought, right? (I’m wearing Snoopy Christmas socks as I type this.)
In years past, we Weeklyteers would publish a holiday guide, a glossy insert that was more of a catalog than anything really journalistic. We decided to expand it issue-wide to: A.) save some money (apparently, glossy-print costs have skyrocketed) and B.) to do something different this time of year, when papers like ours typically don’t move too well. (That’s industry-speak for, “Most people have better things to do November through December than read the local news.”)
We hope you enjoy all we have to offer. In addition to a little retail section (pg. 26), there’s a story about dealing with asshole relatives (pg. 8), one about how to host a party on a budget (pg. 47), one about spending December 25 in the drunk tank (pg. 16), another about all things tamale (pg. 35), and so much more.
So raise a cup of (hopefully spiked) eggnog and join us for the first of what we hope will become an annual tradition.
Great Christmas issue! Each of the featured stories was well worth reading. Didn’t miss the glossy gift guide a bit. Job well done.