My "Home For The Holidays" Tradition

Movies + Naps + Nostalgia = My Kinda Thanksgiving

Nov 28, 2024

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The holiday season can be the best of times—or the worst. It rarely falls anywhere in the middle. Between the relentless pressure to “have fun” and the constant stream of picture-perfect family ads, it often feels like the season is less about joy and more about meeting unrealistic expectations.

For me, a new tradition began in 1995, during a Thanksgiving that was anything but traditional. That morning, I was working an event in another city and caught a flight home that landed too late to make it to the big family gathering, an hour’s drive from the airport.

If I’m being honest, after years of enduring my family’s endless bickering and battling over turkey and dressing—most Southerners don’t do stuffing, y’all—I felt more than a little relief to have a legitimate excuse to skip the festivities.

Instead, I reached out to a friend who worked at the airport, and we decided to salvage the evening by catching dinner and a movie after he got off work.

We chose Home for the Holidays—directed by Jodie Foster and starring Holly Hunter. The film chronicles a chaotic family Thanksgiving—full of dysfunction, fun, and love.

The film also co-stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tommy, the gay brother and black sheep of the family. At the time, I wasn’t exactly “out” to my extended family—but I wasn’t exactly “in” either. I was my family’s Tommy: amusing, annoying, and unpredictable.

Looking back, I’m pretty sure they were just as relieved by my absence as I was.

That night, in the glow of the theater, I decided to embrace a new holiday tradition—one that felt more authentic, more joyful, and entirely my own.

MAKING MY OWN TRADITION

So since 1995—with only a handful of exceptions—I’ve spent my holidays immersed in films about other people’s festive chaos. From the comedic ups and downs of Home for the Holidays to the magical nostalgia of It’s a Wonderful Life and newer gems like The Family Stone, these stories have become the “main dish” of my holiday feast.

Instead of turkey and dressing with extended family, I opt for frozen turkey pot pies—delicious, filling, and perfect for my “homo alono” tendencies.

Wrapped in cozy blankets, I settle into the couch and lose myself in a mix of movies, naps, and nostalgia, crafting my kind of holiday celebration.

CHECKING IN + CONNECTING

For those concerned about my “homo alono” tendencies, rest assured—I don’t skip out on family and friends entirely. Between movies and naps, I stay connected through calls, emails, and texts.

Sharing laughs and swapping memories from afar keeps the season feeling familiar while giving me the freedom to celebrate on my own terms.

My not-so-new holiday tradition has taught me something valuable: the holidays aren’t defined by where you are or even who you’re with. They’re about creating moments of joy, however and wherever you can find—or make—them.

For me, the holidays are less about chasing perfection and more about finding gratitude and showing love—starting with myself. Cheers to celebrating in ways that feel true to you, whether it’s through films, food, or heartfelt conversations.

Thanks for reading and subscribing!
Clint

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ON THIS DAY = NOVEMBER 28

BIRTHDAYS

1632 = Jean-Baptiste Lully = Italian-born French composer 🌈
1757 = William Blake = English poet and painter
1891 = Mabel Alvarez = American painter
1920 = Luchita Hurtado = Venezuelan-American artist and activist 🌈
1929 = Berry Gordy = American songwriter, producer, and Motown founder
1933 = Hope Lange = American actor
1943 = Randy Newman = American singer-songwriter and composer
1946 = Joe Dante = American director and producer
1944 = Rita Mae Brown = American writer and activist 🌈
1949 = Paul Shaffer = Canadian-American musician and bandleader
1950 = Ed Harris = American actor and producer
1952 = S. Epatha Merkerson = American actor
1959 = Judd Nelson = American actor and screenwriter
1961 = Alfonso Cuarón = Mexican filmmaker
1962 = Jon Stewart = American comedian and tv host
1966 = Garcelle Beauvais = Haitian-American actor
1967 = Anna Nicole Smith = American model and tv personality
1970 = Julie Mehretu = Ethiopian-American artist 🌈
1976 = Ryan Kwanten = Australian actor
1982 = Alan Ritchson = American actor, model, singer, and songwriter
1983 – Rostam Batmanglij = American musician and songwriter
1988 = Joe Cole = English actor

CELEBRATIONS

EVENTS

1811 = Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, premieres at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.
1814 = The Times of London becomes the first newspaper to be produced on a steam-powered printing press, built by the German team of Koenig & Bauer.
1895 = The Chicago Times-Herald race, the first auto race in the U.S., is held.
1919 = Lady Astor is elected as a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. She is the first woman to sit in the House of Commons.
1925 = The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting as the WSM Barn Dance.
1942 = In Boston, a fire at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub kills 492 people.
1944 = Meet Me in St. Louis premieres at New York's Astor Theatre.
1975 = As the World Turns and The Edge of Night, the final two American soap operas that had resisted going to pre-taped broadcasts, air their last live episodes.
1988 = Texas State District Judge Jack Hampton sentences the killer of two gay men to 30 years in prison instead of a life sentence because, as he later tells the Dallas Times Herald, “I don’t much care for queers cruising the streets.” The Dallas Gay Alliance joins political leaders across the country in protesting the judge’s decision.
1990 = British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigns.
1998 = In Allston, Massachusetts, Rita Hester is murdered. The ensuing candlelight vigil a few days later was attended by 250 people and inspired the Transgender Day of Remembrance, observed each Nov 20 worldwide.