Let’s face it: the holidays—no matter which one of a few is celebrated in December—can be not so great sometimes. There are people we miss, traditions we wish had never ended, tensions in relationships that’ll either explode over the punch bowl or get stuffed away in a stocking for yet another year, and hauntings by past not-so-merrys… and that’s just for starters.

But it’s these darker undercurrents that make the happier times more joyful. As sad as the holidays can be, if we didn’t have those downers, we wouldn’t have the intense moments of magic. Those moments when the world simply stops and we’re given the gift of perfect happiness, even if fleeting.

Writers always talk about their playlists—music they work to. I have them for 34 Orchard, too, and I even have some just for the holidays. Here’s mine. It’s nostalgia and pain, starry dark and eclipse sharp. I put them in an order that tells a story, too—well, sort of, anyway. I don’t really expect anyone to get it because nobody’s in my head, but I hope you enjoy it. The full Youtube playlist link is below, and for your convenience, I included the link to each individual song as well.

Thank you for supporting 34 Orchard—for submitting, for donating, for opening up these blog posts and reading them, for sharing our magazine. And above all… for reading. The goal with every issue is for every reader to find a piece of writing that hits home, that speaks, that says, ‘hey, I’m not alone,’ that will never be forgotten.

If you’d like to suggest some titles of your own? Leave a comment! I have to pre-approve the comments, so if you don’t see it, don’t think I didn’t receive it and I’ll approve them as quickly as I can. Or, you can drop us a note through the Contact Page.

Wishing you all a gleefully melancholy holiday season,

Kristi

A 34 ORCHARD HOLIDAY PLAYLIST

1 “Taxi (Ave Maria)” – Perri Alleyne/arr. John Murphy (from the motion picture 28 Days Later)

2 “Every Day is Christmas” – Colby Caillat

3 “Save Some Christmas” – Rob Thomas

4 “Do You Hear What I Hear?” – Pink Martini 

5 “Last Christmas/Leave Before You Love Me Mash-Up” – Anthem Lights

6 “Long Ago” – Adam Sandler, Alison Krauss and the Eight Crazy Nights motion picture cast

7 “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Rascal Flatts

8 Magnificat (2010): 6. Suscepit Israel – Kim André Arnesen

9 “In the Bleak Midwinter” – Gustav Holst (Instrumental)

10 “Blue Christmas” – from the Rankin Bass special Year Without a Santa Claus

11 “In the Bleak Midwinter” – the cast of BBC’s Ghosts (Ghosts UK), Season 2, Episode 7

12 “Blue Christmas” – Peter Cetera 

13 “Save the Snowman” – Dan + Shay 

14 “Secret Garden” – Theodore Shapiro (from the motion picture Last Christmas)

15 “Somewhere in My Memory” – John Williams, from the motion picture Home Alone

16 “Eventually” – Lawrence (from the motion picture Noelle)

17 “Just Like That” – A Christmas Story Live! – Maya Rudolph

18 “A Long December” – Counting Crows 

19 “Merry Christmas, Alabama (Never Far From Home)” – Jimmy Buffet

20 “Christmas Gifts/The Best Gift” – Sandy Bainum and Euan Morton

21 “A Christmas Festival” – Leroy Anderson

22 “Last Christmas” – Emilia Clarke (from the motion picture Last Christmas)

23 “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” – Nancy Wilson

24 “Auld Lang Syne” – Lea Michele (from the motion picture New Year’s Eve) 

25 “Auld Lang Syne” – Zooey Deschanel; score by John Debney (from the motion picture Elf)

26 “Let There Be Peace on Earth” – arr. Irwin Fisch, performed by Young People’s Chorus of New York City