A Christmas tree can be a time machine. Antique or even modern baubles, summoning a land of lost content . . . or so it seems in wishful memory – where happy moments are magnified, all pain and trivia tinselled away. But the Christmas tree is a paradox: cheerful hope and wistful melancholy combined. The distorted reflections in its decorations are either heartening or defeated. Deep purple is the most extreme perhaps . . . or green or blue, who can say – the mood changes as swiftly as the rules of covid. To look up through the wire and plastic branches of a fake tree, bedecked in glitter and lights, induces a simple childlike delight, a heathen joy, or a queasy question mark. Holding a twisted mirror to sincere religious belief, this spangled trophy can also appear a profound embodiment of the debased human situation. And the ghastlier a decorated Christmas tree is, the more dislocating its presence might become. To get completely carried away, a contemplation of this presenc
It s getting to look a lot like… wait, wait, don t tell me
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When one becomes enlightened one kills the fool within -Jack Conroy
To do a 2020 Christmas show or not to do a 2020 Christmas show – that is the question! And, given the pandemic, it’s a hard question. But we’re doing one (although we’re not including any songs that would encourage gathering in large groups :-)). Usually I put together a primarily British voices/tradition Christmas show heavy on uncommon carols, wassails and songs of joy. This year, I focused on presenting the Christmas story in song, with familiar material in predominantly American iterations (although I still tried to include a couple of songs/song variants/artists I’ve never included before).
Around this time of year, people like to default to wine with bubbles, both as an easy gift and as a personal beverage of choice for the celebrations the month brings. But most of us are paring down our gathering sizes these days, so you may want the bottle of cava, crémant, or pét-nat you pop open to be enjoyable for another day. or two or three.
For Bianca Sanon, the sommelier curating December’s Eater Wine Club wines, a proper Champagne/bubble stopper is a can’t-live-without tool, especially this time of year. Just like a can of Coke or a bottle of San Pellegrino, all sparkling wines will slowly start to lose their effervescence from the moment they’re opened (especially if you pop the cork out with a dramatic bang, forcing out even more air). Gadgets that protect your bubbles are a worthwhile purchase, both for saving your own bottles and for gifting to a friend (along with a nice fancy Champagne).