My ideal "Christmas" Holiday story, a la Seasonal Television Special: a checklist

[capri0mni]

Now, even though I'm not Christian (I'd say: "any more" -- but my mother had Pagan leanings for as long as I can remember, even if those leanings were 95% tongue-in-cheek), I still enjoy the holiday specials that pop up on TV this time of year. Mostly for these three reasons (and yes, in this order):

1. I can be assured the story will have a happy ending,
   
   
2. Even in stories aimed at adults (such as the special "holiday" episodes of regular series), when it comes to resolving the conflict and saving the day, all cynicism is suspended until further notice (well, until the first weekday after the New Year), and
   
   
3. Grownups are allowed to play and make-believe without being scorned or mocked.

But:

These stories also have recurrent tropes that I would be happy to never see again. And if (when) I ever get around to writing my "Ultimate Holiday Story" these are the tropes I'd love to subvert (somehow):

1. Mandatory Snow as the signifier of magic and happiness. Not only do "The Holidays" fall in the middle of summer for people in the Southern Hemisphere, there are plenty of people who live in the Northern Hemisphere who've never seen a White Christmas either.
   
   
2. Belief in Santa as a prerequisite for being on his "nice list" / getting presents. Because, let's face it: that's blaming the victim for their own poverty, right there.
   
   
3. You must forgive them -- because it's the holidays -- and they're family! And no matter how badly they've abused you in the past, all it takes is for them to show up in the last five minutes with a big, shiny, wrapped present as a sign of their regret for how they've treated you in the past, and all is well. I'd rather see an ending that shows the family working together to earn forgiveness and heal old wounds -- maybe with a scene of parent and (grown) child staying up late at night mending a toy that was broken in years past, so it can be passed on to the next generation...

Bonus:

• If I end up writing a fantasy, I'd try to even the score for the horrible way the Abominable Snowman was treated in Rudolph. the Red-Nosed Reindeer by having a big, toothy, scary-looking monster be one of the good guys -- and have their teeth and claws and such be totally incidental to their special skill or power.