In my childhood home, waking up to the clang and clatter of pots and pans, and that Milly Quezada song, could only mean it's the morning of Christmas Eve. After brushing my teeth, I would head downstairs and inspect the work that those who had woken up before me had done. Regardless of the time, I managed to get out of bed —which was never that early if I'm honest— there would always be an impossible amount of tasks already completed. Vegetables would be sliced and prepped for the many salads that would grace our table that night; rice sat ready to be cooked in various measuring cups throughout the kitchen, and pork would be marinating in a foil pan on the counter.
My family has never been the type to take Christmas lightly. Growing up, most of my aunts and uncles would come to New York to have dinner and exchange presents at midnight. Yeah, the details of how Santa Claus managed to get us our gifts during the day were a bit fuzzy. Nonetheless, readying for the festivities was usually an affair that was started at least a couple of days, if not weeks, in advance. The house had to be spotless because, apparently, Baby Jesus cares about that kind of thing on his birthday. But with the help of Milly, Johnny Ventura, and the prospect of seeing those we dearly missed, we pushed through.
That doesn't seem like it will happen this Christmas since most people can't, in good conscience, host their usual get-togethers. This holiday season, families around the world have to deal with quite an ethical dilemma. The debate of whether or not Christmas should be "canceled" has begun circulating the Internet and inspiring impassioned responses. Although many believe breaking long-standing traditions to reduce the spread of a deadly virus is a worthy sacrifice, the realization doesn't make the decision any less difficult to make. Given that we've all been spending a lot more time with the people in our households than usual, we will miss our extended families a little more this time around, and that's okay.
I hate to use the phrase "We're living in unprecedented times," but we really are. Our moms and dads and grandparents aren't able to give us any sage advice on masks, social distancing, and quarantining because they too are living this for the first time. It's a hard concept to process, and the greater good isn't always everyone's primary concern. As a result of that, you'll probably encounter more than a fair share of COVID-19 spreading holiday dinners and celebrations on social media. During these moments of pandemic fatigue, taking inventory of what's most important in your life will help you come to terms with your reality, regardless of how unfortunate you may think it is.
Finding something to be grateful for might seem silly right now that the world appears to be disintegrating bit by bit, but staying sane by any means possible remains our most important goal. Maybe, holding on to the people we do have near us and cherishing their health this Christmas can aid in that effort, even if you end up having to take some time away from them after. Ultimately, pretending we're going to have a typical Christmas this year would be doing its distinctiveness a disservice.
However, there's no reason to abandon our usual traditions completely. If Zoom calling your extended family at the dinner table makes you feel like things are a little more normal, then go ahead and do that! If blasting music is the only way to make you feel like it's Christmas, then hook up your speaker and your streaming service of choice.
Everything is what you make it this year, and I, for one, can't wait to make downscaled versions of all of our dishes with villancicos playing in the background like we do every year.
Perhaps the Cosas We Like title is not totally right for this one, or maybe it is?
The demise of Man Repeller was not surprising for those of us who had been feeling alienated by the elitist and very niche (ahem, white) stories and content monopolizing every pixel of the once-coveted and —without exaggerating— pivotal corner of the internet. As this Fashionista article puts it, the site and its creator helped “pave the way for the fashion industry we know today, both by pushing the boundaries of what fashion writing and styling could be and by inspiring a significant cadre of younger talent that's still shaping the trajectory of the future.”
As someone that referenced Man Repeller’s style, content, and marketing countless times, I am more excited than sad. It feels like the end of an era, but a fitting one. We must now create space for the next wave of fashion writers. Ideally not another white rich lady, por favor.
Carmen Rita Candelario, Founder
Are you ok?
Such a simple question and there probably wasn’t a time more fitting to ask it than this year. While this op-ed by Meghan Markle came out right before Thanksgiving, the sentiment prevails. During a season that will look nothing like previous years, with many suffering in silence or alone, we love her prompt to commit to asking others: Are you ok?
