Tis the Season for Some Holiday Reading

Picture this—It’s December in the northeast. The weather is so frigid your breath floats in the air, and there’s a faint scent of chimney smoke wafting about. It’s winter. It’s the holiday season. You have every permission to indulge in that steaming cup of peppermint mocha as you curl up on the couch while the fireplace Youtube channel crackles in tune with your thermostat. You have your fleece blankets and a good book.

But what book?

If you’re anything like me, when winter comes around you’re probably more willing to re-read (or re-watch) some holiday classics even if they lack some basic diversity. Let’s face it—the classic Home Alone was premised on wealthy White Chicago families getting robbed, and The Santa Clause movies aren’t straying away from a European Noel anytime soon (although, shout out to our beloved Tim Allen who will be reprising his role in the fourth installment). There’s magic in these classics even if the only POC character you can ever remember is the girl from Polar Express. Now, don’t get me wrong—movies and series have done a much better job recently with representation in the holiday genre. If you’re perusing Netflix anytime soon, I highly recommend the following: Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story, a musical tale about a magical toymaker; Dash and Lily, a live-action teen romance based on the book of the same name; and Love Hard, a story in which both love interests cat-fish each other in terms of looks and personality on what’s supposed to be the most romantic season of the year. Each movie promises diverse casts and interesting stories that I found absolute delight in.

OK, wait—aren’t we supposed to be talking about books here? You’re right, and I suppose by straying away into the movie realm I’m actually hinting at a problem I face with this holiday genre—the difficulty in finding good holiday reads with diverse leads. When representation is so easy to find on film and television, it makes traditional books easy to overlook. I’ve done some digging on two interesting stories that not only meet the criteria in question, but also share a little bit of their cultural celebrations that happen around the same season. It’s not always about Christmas, you know?

A Holly Jolly Diwali, by Sonya Lalli

Starting on Diwali and ending just on Christmas, this holiday romance follows 28-year-old Niki Randhawa who, despite leading a cautious and practical life, has just been laid off. With nothing going for her except her practical personality that has caused her to abandon her love for art and music, Niki makes the bold and spontaneous choice to join her friend in India for their wedding. Arriving just in time for Diwali, she meets the love-interest, Sameer Mukherji, a London musician who gives Niki absolute butterflies. The story is about Nikki reconnecting with her passion for the arts as well as her own Indian roots all while taking a chance on this new, romantic encounter. Complications hit when Niki is offered a job back home, forcing her to reconsider what she truly wants for her life. Holly Jolly Diwali has been noted as a beautiful romance that blends both Indian culture and the magic of the holiday season into one lighthearted read.

Although this takes place in India where it probably feels the least like winter even in November, Diwali is still an important holiday for the season. Known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is a 5-day long celebration of light over dark, and is also known as the start of the Hindu year. Its significance can be equated to that of our New Year and is often celebrated with food, music, prayers, and the lighting of diyas (small lamps lit for worship).

The Matzah Ball, by Jean Meltzer

Often overlooked during the Christmas season, Hanukkah is represented in Meltzer’s story about once-childhood enemies that fall for each other as adults. The main lead is Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt, a Jewish girl diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and is stubbornly-obsessed with Christmas. She’s a Christmas romance novelist but hides this from her family. Challenged by her publisher to focus less on Christmas and something more diverse for the holiday season—aka a Hanukkah romance—Rachel struggles to write. It’s obvious that the two holidays do not mean the same to her, but she relents and volunteers to work the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah.

There’s just one problem—enter the enemy, Jacob Greenburg. Having some spoiled summer camp memories, the adult relationship kicks off on a sour note. But, as the two spend more time in preparation for the ball, Rachel begins to fall in love with her Jewish holiday…and Jacob too.

Hanukkah, also known as Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish celebration often referred to as “The Festival of Lights” in Judaic traditions. Historically, its celebration reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival. It usually falls between November or December.

The delightful thing about both stories is this intricate balance of romance and different holidays. Diwali. Hanukkah. Christmas. Each holiday is important to its own audience for very significant reasons and spark a level of joy, love, and intimacy within its community. These plots speak directly to readers like myself who enjoy the magic of an American Christmas as well as their own cultural holiday. For many, even traditional European Americans, Christmas stands on its own outside of religion. It’s fun to see diverse leads get caught up in Hallmark-level romances during Christmas as well as other holidays in a way that marries the experiences organically.

Now we just need these to hit the big-screen, and soon!

Edited by Lindsey Huddleston.