Culture

Gonzo and Kermit sit on a wooden bench and there are Christmas decorations in the background. Gonzo is holding a ukulele and looking over at Kermit.

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is chaos incarnate — with a solid heart

The Muppets have been an essential part of the Christmas season for as long as I can remember.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse sit on a magenta couch smiling, each holding a wrapped gift for the other.

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: Escape from reality with Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas

As I approach my fourth December in university, you’d think I’d be more used to balancing my academics with the holiday spirit. But I’m not.

Lauren Kasowski December 5

A young woman with brown hair looks concerned as she speaks on a dark green landline phone, with the blurry outline of a Christmas tree decorated with lights in the background.

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: Black Christmas is a festive sorority slasher

Have you found yourself walking on campus late at night, shivering, looking over your shoulder one too many times and wondering what might be hiding in the shadows?

Ava Dunkel November 28

The March sisters, four young adult women, are inside a house looking through a window, pictured from outside.

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: Little Women is the ultimate Christmas comfort film

If I had a nickel for every time Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet graced the screen in the same film, I would have three nickels — which is not a lot, but it may cover the cost of a ticket to see Little Women again, and that’s all I really need.

Sofia Campanholo November 28

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: A temporary escape into The Shop Around the Corner

The James Stewart film that’s traditionally played around the holidays is It’s A Wonderful Life, but for those who aren’t like the other holiday movie watchers, The Shop Around The Corner is the more sophisticated choice.

Anahita Niksirat December 31, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: Arthur Christmas is a reminder of the true meaning of the holidays

Christmas is my favourite time of year. I always look forward to sitting in my cozy pyjamas with a cup of hot chocolate, and spending time with the people I care about most.

Maya Levajac December 30, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: Spider-Man is my holiday superhero

Oh, the holidays. After we’ve all collectively endured a gruelling exam season, we are rewarded with the most wonderful time of the year — full of kinship, cheer, hope and seasonal films.

Tommy Chung December 23, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: Spirited is a little confused, but it does have some of the holiday spirit

You know A Christmas Carol. It’s been done and overdone a thousand times — The Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooged, Barbie in A Christmas Carol, Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

Lauren Kasowski December 23, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: An obscure origin story in The Santa Clause

Santa Claus’ origin story has never been told quite as twisted as in Disney’s The Santa Clause.

Rhea Mann December 22, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: EXmas is more than just its cast

Would you spend Christmas with your ex’s family? Graham, Robbie Amell’s character in EXmas, cannot think of anything worse.

Daniella Diogo December 21, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: The healing power of home cooking in Little Forest

It’s hard to be alone during winter, especially when it seems like everyone else is spending their holiday season with family or friends.

Prisca Tang December 18, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: Alvin and the Chipmunks is an irritating fever dream (and I love it)

If you’ve been friends with me within the past two years, you’ll know that I have oddly strong opinions about the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies.

Elita Menezes December 14, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: The romanticization of obsession in Sleepless in Seattle

I needed time to sleep on Sleepless in Seattle before laying out my thoughts in a way that wasn’t laced with psychoanalytical frustrations towards our female lead — I didn’t prevail.

Fiona Sjaus December 11, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: The Holdovers is a contemporary Christmas classic

Like the film’s characters, I found comfort in The Holdovers where I least expected it. I laughed, cried, then did it all over again.

Alexei Villareal December 6, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide: The Polar Express taught me that Christmas is what you make of it

My family did not celebrate Christmas growing up. We lived in a tropical Southeast Asian country where it was 30 degrees Celsius year round, so most things typically associated with Christmas were alien to me.

Cher Yeo December 4, 2023

Twelve Days of Completely Secular Yuletide