A Christmas Tradition: Carols and Movies

“Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way…”

“We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…”

These iconic carols echo everywhere on Christmas Eve, instantly pulling us into that warm, magical Christmas vibe. Every single time I hear them, something inside me softens—like the world slows down just enough to breathe in the festivity.

Somewhere along the way, I watched a movie on Christmas… and I absolutely loved the experience. That one moment slowly turned into a tradition. Ever since, watching a movie on Christmas has become a ritual for me—and that’s how I stumbled upon a delightful little universe called “Christmas Movies.”

Fun genre, isn’t it? 

The idea itself thrilled me. And once I started implementing it, I enjoyed every bit of the process so much that I felt compelled to share it with you all.

So buckle up, grab your hot chocolate, and let’s dive into some of the best Christmas movie recommendations 

🎄 The Polar Express

One of the finest animated movies I’ve ever watched. I had seen it as a child, and only vague, fuzzy memories remained. So I revisited it during Christmas—and guess what? This was that movie I mentioned earlier.

Fun fact: multiple characters in the film are modeled on Tom Hanks himself. Nostalgic, magical, and deeply heartwarming.

🎄 Home Alone

Let’s be honest—almost everyone on this planet has watched this one. And if you haven’t… please pause everything and go watch it already.

It’s a kick-ass Christmas classic and easily one of the most loved kids’ movies of all time.

🎄 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Sequels usually come with a quality dip—but trust me, this one stands tall. It’s just as fun, chaotic, and Christmassy as the first, if not more. New setting, same Kevin, double the fun.

🎄 Love Actually

Woah. Just… woah.

Love Actually is one of the finest ensemble films ever made. The cast alone feels like half of Hollywood showed up. At its heart, the movie celebrates one simple truth:

Christmas gives you one more reason to tell your loved ones that you love them. 

🎄 How the Grinch Stole Christmas

If you know even a little about the Grinch, you already know he’s the ultimate Christmas buzzkill. But this movie is pure joy.

And here’s the clincher—it stars Jim Carrey as the Grinch.

Jim Carrey, guys. Just watch it. 

So there you have it—my cozy little Christmas movie tradition, wrapped and gifted to you 

If you’ve got your own Christmas must-watch or want more recommendations, let’s talk after all, Christmas is better when shared. 

She Spoke..!

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all doing great. Ta-da, yo-yo, welcome back—blah blah… aisa kuch dhamakedaar intro ka scene nahi hai mere paas, but the story ahead is going to be a pakka pataka, I think so. So if I am right, then please comment kar lo yaar neeche comment section mein (last time bhi koi comment nahi kiya… I’m starting to doubt myself 😔), so that I can believe in myself—at least one intuition has turned out to be true… haha, just kidding. I always believe in myself, no matter what happens.

On a side note, comment down so that we can have some masti talks.

Prah's story continues 

Let’s get back to our very own Prah. If you are aware of Prah’s story, then I can sense that one day or the other, you would have crossed paths with her—I mean, someone like her. So diving deeper into Prah’s life, I can say that she is happy… uhmmm, or pretending to be happy? Omg, I got confused. What’s the difference? Both phrases ultimately say that Prah is happy. Uhmm, something is fishy, right? We need to figure this out and help Prah get out of this ASAP.

Mind-boggling riddle

Are you all with me? I hope so. Come on, let’s tackle this riddle and get her out of this confusion.

As far as my knowledge goes, Prah has a lot on her mind. She never opened up to others, let alone herself. She always refused to show or express her desires or feelings, which, on the other hand, bothered her to such an extent that she experienced many sleepless nights.

On the contrary, Prah is that girl—being around whom there are smiles and laughter. She brings positivity and calmness wherever she goes. Most of the time, she does this with her smile alone, under which there is a lot of turmoil.

I think by now you would have figured this out. If not, you will once this tale ends. Let’s dive a bit deeper.

The smiles and struggles

She went through her studies—which scarred the shit out of her. Every time her father confronted her about education, the fear of failure, the fear of not reaching expectations, and the fear of losing the race—which she never wanted to be a part of—filled her mind. But all of this was overlooked by the “smile,” often remarked as a sign of strength.

She was not comfortable with many aspects of what happened or what was happening, yet she could not resist—not even a single thing—because her refusal might run down as tears on someone else’s face or shatter them completely. The things she couldn’t refuse, despite being uncomfortable, were unseen beneath the “smile” that was viewed as good-natured.

There were situations where friends, or someone close to her, hurt her. Sooner or later, she figured out that it was intentional, which left no sense of regret in any of them. The very next day, they came to her and spoke as if nothing had happened—and guess what, she spoke to them too, despite being deeply hurt inside. This pain was overlooked by the “smile” that was viewed as kind-hearted.

There were situations where she got so pissed off by others’ actions that her composure ran out and she burst into tears—because if she expressed her anger, it hurt her even more once it passed. The tears that held the intensity of her anger were unseen beneath the “smile” that was viewed as patience.

The heartache behind the actions she endured, which she always wanted to confront, went unnoticed beneath the smile that was viewed as kindness. She handled every situation with a “smile” that carried a lot of pain, yet she was happy.

Happy that she made her family happy by being the way they wanted.

Happy that her friends and loved ones always came to her—to chat, for help, or for anything else—which kept them happy.

Happy that everyone around her believed they had her support at any cost.

Happy that she didn’t have to become a bag of pain for anyone.

Happy that she smiled and made everyone else smile too.

And she spoke

She spoke to others through her smile.

And she spoke to herself with a pen that ran on paper, which acted as her heart in that moment—relieving her pain as much as possible.

To the people who are curious about how the pen spoke, here it goes:

मुस्कुराती हूँ

दर्द तो छुप जाती हैं।

मुस्कुराती हूँ

गुस्सा तो आती नहीं हैं।

मुस्कुराती हूँ

इंकार तो नहीं की जाती हैं।

मुस्कुराती हूँ

अंदर से तो टूट जाती हैं।

मुस्कुराती हूँ

सीखा तो सिर्फ वही है।

I think you have figured it out.

If yes, then comment down your opinion on Prah—whether she is happy or just pretending to be happy.

The Unsaid..!

“Once upon a time…”, “a long time ago…”, etc., are phrases where the unsaid begins to speak.

I have been curious since my childhood to know whether there is at least a single being on earth who doesn’t have any unsaid things. If any of you belong to this category, comment down!! Not that I want to chat or anything—just a curiosity to know whether such beings exist.

All these things I have said are relevant to most of us, I guess.

I want to take you all into a storyline where a girl and her thoughts run down like a stream. So, to start with the girl, whose name is Prah—she is always drenched in thoughts, not even a second free from them. She has been interested in many things since her childhood. Some of them include dancing, acting, writing, exploring new things, etc., etc. She was also passionate about being a shayar. The reason I have mentioned this is very crucial, which I guess you all have known by now; if not, you will get it before this tale ends.

Like the rest, she also had the same childhood chosen by her parents—the schooling, playing, eating, everything related. She was a kind, sweet, down-to-earth person. Her smile and conversations melted many hearts.

This tale began when she gained the ability to recognize, talk, explore, and understand things on her own. She always had thoughts lingering—thoughts that were about to slip out of her mouth but got stuck. She had a lot of things to talk about, speak of, and share with many around her, but couldn’t. Saying no even when she felt uncomfortable, because it might hurt others. Asking for help even when she needed it the most, because it might disturb the others. Not being social even when she was the most excited, because someone of her own might not want it.

Not one or two—the count has no limit—where her thoughts stopped her from being herself. Though sometimes it was unruffled, most of the time it got flooded, despite her being calm. She never had big dreams or goals. All she ever wanted was to be free—free from all the stuff that kept her away from herself.

She endured as much as she could, but one day she lost her composure. Yet, she didn’t utter a word. That is when her pen began to speak…!!

The Shadow of us:A Deep dive into the urasawa's Dark masterpiece

 Did you ever hear the story of a nameless monster?

It is a dark fairy tale about a creature seeking a name by possessing people, gaining their identity, growing too large, and consuming them from within—leaving itself nameless again. Eventually, it splits in two, one going East and the other West. The Eastern monster (who becomes Johan) ultimately finds the other, consumes it, and is left alone in a boy’s body, forever nameless. It symbolizes themes of identity, existence, and evil.

~Naoki Urasawa's Monster

Hey guys, I’m talking about a top-notch dark psychological thriller blended with philosophy, deeply questioning the existence and nature of humans. This is a great animated series called “Monster”, written by Naoki Urasawa.

Most of us have this feeling, right? That there is something dark beneath the surface of our being, alongside all our good qualities.

I’m talking about anger, hatred, lust, and greed.

We often end up hating that dark side of ourselves, but sometimes it feels helpless when it emerges. We cannot control it because the strength of that darkness is too overwhelming, and we end up engulfed by it—ultimately damaging our character and pushing people around us away.

This masterpiece of an anime revolves around that very part of us—how we are shaped, how we meet our own darkness, and how we eventually end up with so much hatred inside. The anime will disturb you, much like Incendies or Oldboy. But believe me, it gives you a never-before experience with its music, plot, and peak writing. It slowly sets the thrill, keeps it alive until the very end, and ultimately leaves you disturbed, moved, enlightened, and strangely happy.

Some of my favorite quotes from this anime:

“What is education? Isn’t education meant to create a person that conforms to society?
What kind of education must be administered to create a human being that meets society’s demands?
Education is an experiment.”
– Mikhail Petrov

“Don’t just follow orders! You’re men, not machines! In your hearts, you know what’s right; the answer is sitting there, waiting for you. Are you brave enough to look inside yourselves?”
– Wolfgang Grimmer

“When you’re in the darkness, you only sink deeper into it. Keep the light shining.”
– Kenzo Tenma