Category:Holidays

The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: The Christmas Truce

Posted on Updated on by Geoff CarterCategories:Holidays, Movies

Attribution: Frederic Villiers (1851–1922), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The Christmas Truce By Geoff Carter The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions are what makes our holidays special. But some people are …
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The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: “Christmas on the Border, 1929”

Posted on Updated on by Geoff CarterCategories:Holidays, Immigration, Social Commentary

Attribution: YIRO5005, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Christmas on the Border, 1929 by Alberto Rios By Geoff Carter The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions are what makes our holidays special. But …
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The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: “Ice Dance”

Posted on Updated on by Geoff CarterCategories:Holidays, Michael DiMilo

Artwork by Michael DiMilo Ice Dance from “Edward Scissorshands” By Geoff Carter The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions are what makes our holidays special. But some people are hurting. Many are …
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Kickass and Dog in the Manger

Posted on Updated on by Bill StokesCategories:Holidays, Humor, Kickass, Politics

Attribution: Harrison Weir, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, noting the keeper and Phyllis’s confusion with some of the seasonal stories now circulating, some using a “manger” setting, suggest that “dog in the manger” is a more appropriate theme this year than baby Jesus “asleep in the hay.” Defined …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to Holiday Movies: An Embarrassment of Scrooges

Posted on Updated on by Geoff CarterCategories:Holidays, Movies

(Originally published December 17, 2024) Attribution: MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter It’s only a couple weeks until Christmas, and we’re into the full swing of the holiday season. Shopping, decorating, traveling, baking, wrapping, entertaining, and all the other painfully joyous activities are part of the annual hustle and bustle of the …
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Kickass and Santa Letter

Posted on Updated on by Bill StokesCategories:Holidays, Humor, Kickass, POTUS

Attribution: Photo by Y M on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper and Phyllis receiving the POTUS list of executive facts to help the kids compile this year’s Letter to Santa. 1.     Santa’s address has been changed from North Pole to Mar-a-Lago.   2.     Santa is still a fat man but he no longer has facial …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to Holiday Movies: Review of “A Disturbance in the Force”

Posted on Updated on by Geoff CarterCategories:Holidays, Movies, Social Commentary

(The Worst TV Christmas Special Ever) Illustration by Michael DiMilo When Worlds Collide: A Review of A Disturbance in the Force (Originally published December 11, 2024) By Geoff Carter Own work based on unknown original creator, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Sitting in a crowded theater watching a movie is in many ways a solitary …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to Defining the Holiday Movie Genre: The “Die Hard” Question

Posted on Updated on by Geoff CarterCategories:Holidays, Michael DiMilo, Movies

Originally Published December 19, 2024 Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter At this festive time of year, many of us observe the holiday traditions of Christmas like trimming the tree, singing carols, buying the presents, visiting Santa, and on and on and on. Part of our celebration of the holiday includes seeing the myriads …
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“Just Like the Ones I Used to Know”: The Pen in Hand’s Guide to the Ten Best Vintage Christmas Movies

Posted on Updated on by Geoff CarterCategories:Holidays, Movies

Photo by Geoffrey Carter By Geoff Carter Well, the Christmas season is upon us in full force. The commercials are everywhere. We’ve seen that ad for the car—or Energizer Bunny, wrapped in a bow and sitting in the driveway on Christmas morning at least one hundred times. Sometimes it’s hard to find the spirit of Christmas amongst all …
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