The Cozy Zine: Home For The Holidays

THE COZY ZINE:

Home For The Holidays

Curatorial Statement Take a moment to visualize “home”, wherever it may be. As we venture through life, as does our definition of home — abstract, yet vividly defined in our mind, body and soul. What does home mean to you?” We hope to explore the meaning of home through pieces and features centered on the general aura of the holidays. We engage art that brings comfort, authenticity (or anxiety) and other visceral feelings that come from being around your family, friends, hometown and any other place that could be called home.

Let's explore…

- The Cozy Boys

WHAT IS

INSIDE HOMECOMING BY JUSTIN ELLIOTT - 3

DO YOU REMEMBER BY NELLE BARNUM - 5 MINI SWEET POTATO PIES

BY DANA RENÉE - 7 EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST

BY PHILLY BAE - 9

HOME AWAY FROM HOME BY IESHA SUMERALL - 10 ON CAPTIONS, COMFORT, AND ALLOWING OTHERS TO SPEAK FOR US BY OHIREIME EROMOSELE - 11

WINTER NOSTALGIA BY SEAN MCMILLON - 13 2021 HOLIDAY WATCHLIST BY GWEN ELLIOTT - 14 YOU SHOULD NEVER SKIP WATCH NIGHT: PLANNING YOUR NEW YEAR'S MIDNIGHT BRUNCH BY SEAN H. PALMER - 16

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US. WE LOOK FORWARD TO VIBING WITH YOU IN THE NEW YEAR.

HOME BY EMERSON LOVELL - 21

2021 HOME SOUNDTRACK - 22 A SALUTE TO FALLEN ICONS BY DALVONTE HOWARD - 23 HOLIDAY QUIZ - 25 HOLIDAY MOVIES CROSSWORD PUZZLE - 29 ANSWER KEY - 31

Be Safe and Stay Cozy

g n i m o c e m o H

By: Justin Elliott

Home, similar to love, often feels like an artless expression devoid of any singular or true meaning. For instance, we can grasp the theoretical denotation, “a place where something normally or naturally lives or is located”. But the visceral trauma, joy, fear, peace, tears (sometimes all of these at once) that erupt out of our innermost being at the simple thought of “going Home” is evidence enough that Home is void of any human nomenclature that can accurately denote its true meaning. And with this truth in mind we embark on the journey…. “what does Home mean to you?”

“Homecoming” by Kanye West was my first memory of the complex relationship I had with the word, Home. “Homecoming;” sometimes classified as the ultimate love song, explores Kanye’s frustrating separation from his Home, the Windy City of Chicago.

In his lyrical love letter Kanye leans into 1) The need to leave Home 2) The discomfort of Home 3) The Regret of turning your back on Home. “…then you wouldn't have never hit the airport to follow your dreams” Here is the truth: it took me a while to learn.

There comes a point in time where you MUST distance yourself from Home. Home for you can be a rosy utopia, filled with white picket fences, inexorable love, and an abundance of Bojangles Bo’ berry biscuits.

But good times shouldn’t always last. The obsession with the aroma of the well familiar can be harmful to the need for self-growth, independence, and maturity. Sometimes Home can be healing, sometimes Home can be everything you need and then more, but Home can also serve as a crutch. The difficulty comes in knowing when it’s time to stay Home and when it’s time to follow your dreams.

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"my challenge to you..."

“Knew I was gang affiliated, got on TV and told on me I guess that's why last winter she got so cold on me…”

Home isn’t always loyal. For some of us Home was a cold place. In due time that acknowledgement alone can be restorative and healing. It is by no means an easy process, but this truth can be surfaced through therapy, long overdue conversations with family, simply choosing your mental peace rather than going Home, and even redefining what Home is to you. For Kanye, the essence of Home, grew foreign to him at some point in his life. It is perfectly okay for your physical Home to feel foreign to you this holiday season.

“I guess you never know what you got till its gone…"

Turning your back on Home can hurt. I have been there. The gnawing regret of only scheduling trips back for major holidays. The aching sound of disappointment in a mother’s voice when she knows you’ve been gone for too long. Even your own self resentment in knowing that your pursuit of a career has turned the notion of Home into a fable once lauded by your inner child.

And then there’s the moments when you need the sanctity of Home more than ever. You need its outstretched arms to bind you into the comfort and protection of everything that Home is supposed to be. In those moments you give in, you surrender yourself to the craving of what is most familiar, and you return Home.

Those moments can be lifesaving. It’s the realization that you only have Home for such a finite time in an already short-lived life span, so you decide to cherish it.

Kanye’s “Homecoming” helps wrestle with the external characteristics and relationship to Home but still leaves me a bit short of my resolution… “what is Home?”

My answer is most likely overly simplistic but it also gives me the resolve that I (and hopefully you) are looking for: Home is whatever YOU need it to be. Home is not a stagnant, immovable domicile, with four immotile walls, enclosed by a front and back door. In fact, Home can have no walls, no doors, no ceiling, it can be as vast as the Windy City of Chicago or condensed to a patch of grass in a vacant park. For me, Home is a bit of a shape shifter. At times Home is the old small wooden shack like establishment my mom and her eleven siblings grew up in on an old country road surrounding cotton and berry fields. That image of Home helps give me perspective.

And other times Home is sitting behind the third pew in an empty church surrendering myself to a faith that liberates my sense of peace. The truth is no matter what stage I am at in my life I always try to make sure I have a Home to go back to. And that is my challenge to you this holiday season.

No matter what physical location you find yourself. Whether growing up you had four walls to claim as your Home or not. No matter how far you must travel to get there.

Find your Home. Whatever Home needs to be for you this holiday season. Find It. Cherish it. Imprint it. Because in the words of Kanye, “you never know what you got till its gone.”

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Do You Remember?

Do you remember Playing video games in the bonus room upstairs Yelling at one another that the other was cheating Me running into your room Then out again wearing your clothes And being used as a pillow by the dogs?

Do you remember Sitting at the top of the staircase And filling each other in on the details of our lives Hearing the football game on TV be drowned out By the spectators' outrage And light laughter from the cooks in the kitchen?

Do you remember Arguing over the best fleece in the closet Just to end up cuddling together underneath it Waking up to enthusiastic conversations Or puppy slobber on our faces And sneaking over to snag from the fruit trays?

Do you remember The rare familial card game we'd all play And the line dances we'd all do Just to laugh when another lost Or tease when the other forgot a step

And we'd throw out a few lighthearted insults?

Do you remember The gossip we could overhear from the top floor Only for us to run back to each other to share Or the dares we would give With weak punishments because harsh was a no And the even more bogus rewards?

Do you remember Piling into the giant SUV before it left Racing and shoving on the way for the best seat Only for us both to get stuck in the back Because the older ones pulled seniority And left us to fall asleep on sweaty shoulders?

Do you remember The loud pops of the fireworks

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Or the way the wind blew while we waited in line To get funnel cakes and floats The way we covered our ears And screamed gibberish to drown out bad music?

Do you remember The smells of honey-baked ham and brownies The glow of the lights placed randomly But also strategically around the house Or the pines tracked throughout the sitting area And the shouts of "Only one present!" at 12?

Do you remember The picnics The walks through the parks The barbecued hotdogs The splashing contests And all of the fun we used to have?

Do you remember what it was like To be home?

By Nelle Barnum

Nelle’s “Feels Like Home” Music Selections Carol of the Bells Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” Let it Snow - Boys II Men Jingle Bell Rock Chris Brown’s “This Christmas” (quiet as kept, that movie should count too) Pretty Ricky’s Bluestars album anything on Mary Mary (the album by the duo of the same name) anything by BTS pre-2018

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MINI SWEET POTATO PIES Sweet potato pie always reminds me of home. I grew up eating sweet potato pie at every gathering, church function, and holiday. These Mini Sweet Potato Pies are perfect for sharing with the people you love. The recipe uses homemade all-butter pie crust and a classic sweet potato filling paired with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Ingredients: For the Pie Crust: 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 2 sticks cold butter, cut into tablespoonsized slices ½ cup ice cold water, plus ½ tablespoon For the Filling: 3 medium sweet potatoes (~1 ½ to 2 pounds) 1 stick butter, softened 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves Pinch of kosher salt 3 eggs 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup evaporated milk Equipment needed: pastry blender, rolling pin, electric hand mixer, 5-inch aluminum pie pans (or two 9-inch aluminum pie pans), aluminum baking sheets

01 The Pie Crust In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.

Using a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour until the butter pieces are about the size of a pea. While mixing the dough, with the pastry blender, drizzle the cold water into the mixture and continue mixing until the dough begins to form and is evenly moist.

Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured work surface and, if needed, work the dough until the flour is fully incorporated.

Divide the dough into 8 to 10 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a disc and transfer to the mini pie pans trimming any excess dough from the edges. Place the prepared pie pans on two parchment-lined baking sheets and store in the fridge while making the filling.

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02 The Filling Place the sweet potatoes in a large stockpot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until the potatoes are soft and can be pierced through with a knife (about 45 minutes). Drain the water and transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl to cool.

Once the potatoes have cooled, peel (the peeling should slip right off) and mash the sweet potatoes in the large mixing bowl. Add

03 The Finale

the butter, sugar, baking powder, ginger,

Fill each prepared pie pan with the sweet

cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Using an

potato mixture and bake for 40 to 45 minutes

electric handheld mixer on low/medium speed,

at 375 degrees F. Cool for at least 15-20

mix until fully combined. Add eggs and vanilla

minutes and serve warm.

and continue mixing on low until the eggs are fully incorporated. Add evaporated milk and mix until smooth.

Bonus Receipe Notes This recipe makes 8-10 mini pies. You can make the pie crust and/or prepare the pie crust in the pans a day ahead and store them in the fridge. If you can’t find mini pie pans, this recipe makes two 9-inch sweet potato pies, and the baking time is the same.

I prefer to use aluminum pie pans for sweet potato pies because aluminum conducts heat very well and helps the sweet potato filling cook and set evenly. Once the pies are cooked and fully cooled (about 2 to 3 hours after baking), store the pies in the fridge for up to 3 days or wrap them in a few layers of plastic wrap and place them in a Ziploc freezer bag (or wrap again in aluminum foil) to store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

By: Dana Renée

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Eggnog French Toast By: Philly Bae Ingredients: 6 thick slices of challah bread 3 eggs 2/3 cup of eggnog instead of milk 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg 1 teaspoon of almond, rum or vanilla extract 1.5 TBSP of butter (or preferred alternative) 1 cup of fresh blackberries (or preferred berries) Pinch of salt Large Bowl Nonstick pan (or griddle, if available) Whisk Plastic Wrap

Instructions 1. In a large bowl combine the eggs, eggnog, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and extract 2. With a whisk, beat eggnog mixture until a smooth, creamy mixture is attained 3.

Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set aside until ready 4. In medium pan/skillet (medium-high heat), add butter, allow to coat pan as melting 5. Remove plastic wrap from bowl, and submerge the challah bread–coating both sides evenly 6. Transfer coated bread to skillet, and allow to cook on both sides (2-3 minutes each) 7.

Repeat, adding in 0.5 TBSP of butter, as needed or desired 8.

Sprinkle cinnamon and/or powdered sugar for garnish 9.

Serve hot with (maple) syrup and fresh blackberries

Complementary Pairing: Blackberry Bellini - Chilled Prosecco, leftover blackberries, ½ teaspoon of white sugar and mint for garnish

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Home away from home I’d describe it as fear.

False evidence appearing real.

Thrown into the bustle of a hustle that i feel A hustle that i wanted A come up worthy of how i flaunted But then, why with all of this do i seem haunted What’s the deal Kill it from nine to five At 5:01 I’m ready to hide Within myself or anywhere else that i recognize How do i heal Had to come out of the shell Save myself from the walls of hell And no longer would this place hold me like a cell Soften up those bars of steel Accept the love right here Open up to those who are near Call those who are away and hobby yourself into the clear Now i get the appeal Beauty in being in the new There’s beauty in the old too You can experience everything without losing you This is home forreal Iesha Sumerall

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​O N CAPTIONS, COMFORT, AND ALLOWING OTHERS TO SPEAK FOR US

By: Ohireime Eromosele

“Under her pictures live some of the greatest quotes from me…”

As diverse as the readership of this essay likely is, the internet is one common thread that joins everyone of us. It plays an integral part in our daily lives personally and professionally. While the digital landscape is like a second home to all of us, the way we carve out and stamp our place in it is as unique as we are. More often than not, the caption is the tool that helps us do so.

This year I found myself frequently considering the ways in which we express ourselves on social media in modern times.

The

sorts

of

language

or

narratives

that

we

collectively and individually resonated with and chose to define us. These days, it’s virtually impossible to scroll your feed without coming across some incredibly vague or oddly specific statement of general applicability that someone has shared. Almost always an endorsement of a stranger’s thoughts or feelings that the poster wishes to apply to themselves. Ironically, Instagram, an app whose primary purpose is photo sharing, has become a medium for disseminating

text-based

thoughts

and

information.

If

you’re familiar with Justin Laboy’s Instagram profile or pages like the SpritualWord then you’ll know what I mean. On Twitter, a recent study by the Pew Research Center showed that 97 percent of all tweets are generated by only 25 percent of active users, with retweets and replies making up the majority of all tweets. From platform to platform, the sentiments of an individual can resonate with legions, so much so that we can craft and reinforce online personas without ever uttering or typing a word for ourselves.

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Even the art we enjoy has convergently evolved alongside our affinity for clever quotables. Artists like Drake and Moneybagg Yo have developed a near interdependence with their audiences wherein regional or cultural lingo informs their lyrics; and the lyrics in turn become the soundtracks to our wins, losses, growth, etc. Some fans will even go as far as rating the quality of the music based on how “caption-able” the lyrics are.

It’s difficult for me to characterize this progression of our digital consciousness as good or bad. Even as I write this, I’m conflicted; my own relationship with social media is what I would consider fraught, at best. Depending on the role that social media might play in my life on a given day, it’s either a valuable outlet for expression and harnessing inspiration, or a useless void where I waste more time and attention than I should be willing to spare. But as I think about it more intentionally, I’m increasingly convinced that there’s nothing less valid about how we might choose to express ourselves in these digital communities. Human beings have identified with the wisdom, solace, wit, and humor of the written or spoken word for as long as it’s been accessible to us. The value we ascribe to the words we relate to most is inherent and internal to each of us. Like with so much else, the behaviors I’ve gone back and forth about here are only an adaptation of what we’ve always done. Perhaps there’s comfort in knowing others feel the way we do. Maybe it’s a reflection of what perspectives we consider important enough to adopt as our own.

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Winter Nostalgia Crack of dawn, Christmas morning Adell and Damien noticeably exhausted and drained Because their four boys, knocking at they door Eager to open up some new toys and them games First request, was always met “Man!, if y’all don’t take y’all ass to bed!”

Swing the block in 30 minutes, just to check; “Would now, be a more suitable time instead?”

Oh, the glory of those childhood days.

Involuntary smiling reminiscing about Christmas Even when we didn’t have much Mom and Dad found a way to always outdo the wish list Wrapping paper chaos ensued, The four boys destroying with purpose Shared expression from Mom and Dad: I’m exhausted, but this was worth it.

Minutes later, they’d retreat To their room, back to sleep Not us, oh we up Energy and excitement at its peak Hours later, parents awake The four boys out their pajamas Looking to impress the rest of the family Who are awaiting us downtown at Nana’s.

We descend to the L.E.S, Avenue D The quintessential PJs Nana would open the door with a smile, And a Happy birthday, DJ Then, a gentle kiss and ask if we’re hungry She’d order Chinese food (that’s the chicken spot) Uncle Rell finna bless all four With some buttahs or the beef and brocs Then, you’d lock eyes with Grandma Pat More love, more kissing And, with her arms she’d wrap Your whole body, with a presence to remind you If you ever forgot, where love be at … … …

Holding precious all those moments Despite my nostalgia-induced emotion A few tears, but I smile, as I’m reminded Where my Christmas spirit comes from.

By Sean McMillon

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2021 Holiday Watchlist LOVE LIFE (HBOMax) For an easy, heartwarming watch – give LOVE LIFE (S2) a try. Following the inaugural season starring Anna Kendrick, S2 of LOVE LIFE follows William Jackson Harper (yes, Chidi from THE GOOD PLACE) as Marcus Watkins as he navigates the ups and downs of exploring love as a 30-something Black man in NYC.

BOXING DAY (Amazon Prime) If THIS CHRISTMAS and THE HOLIDAY had a baby, it’d be BOXING DAY! Featuring faves like Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock and HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER’s Aja Naomi King this holiday treat is bound to get you in the holiday spirit with the best ingredients (love, laughs, drama, and Christmas cheer!)

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SINGLE ALL THE WAY (Netflix) Hallmark has made its way to Netflix, ya’ll! If you’re looking for a beyond-predictable-butcan’t-help-watch-it-all-theway-through Christmas movie, SINGLE ALL THE WAY is for you! It’s charming, funny, cheesy enough to keep you stringing along to the end credits and includes the icon, Jennifer Coolidge — what else could you want in a Christmas movie?!

THE SANTA CLAUSE (Disney+) No explanation needed — you can never go wrong with a classic

, e v o l h c Mu wen G tt o i l El

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YOU SHOULD NEVER SKIP WATCH NIGHT: PLANNING YOUR NEW YEAR’S MIDNIGHT BRUNCH By: Sean H.

Palmer

The more I read about African American history, the more I believe that our ability to celebrate anything is both an act of resistance and essential to our existence.

Even if you are not a Kwanzaa fan, which one of my friends calls it “Hotep Hannukah,” there is good reason to celebrate the coming of the New Year. Things to note… even during slavery, the Christmas season represented the end of the Harvest season and enslaved Africans found ways to celebrate even on plantations. In some southern cities like Wilmington, NC, they practiced a form of Junkanoo, a festival and street parade most notably associated with the Bahamas mixing both African traditions with European Holidays. But any good historian will tell you that throughout slavery, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day were actually days of mourning, because it was often the day that debts had to be settled. And very often, those debts were settled by selling Black folks off to other plantation owners never to be seen or heard from again. The holiday that was about fresh starts and new beginnings for white folks, up until 1862, were anxiety inducing for enslaved Africans whose families would be torn apart. However, on the eve of New Year’s Day 1863, when Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into law, both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day became beloved African American Holidays.

In the Gullah-Geechee Corridor, enslaved North Carolinians, South Carolinians, Georgians, and Floridians, created in the middle of rice plantations, the practice of Watchnight, which is the very same reason why Black churches all over the country have midnight services on New Year’s Eve. Yes, beloved, you can thank Black folks in the Low Country for getting dressed up in Black and sequins experiences with preaching and singing of “Never Would Have Made It” all over the country.

The story goes that African Americans gathered both at churches and praise houses on New Years Eve, and began to tell testimonies, folk tales, and sing spirituals throughout the night. It is said, that Black men who could read the stars, were sent on watch at ten-minute intervals to read the stars and tell everybody when midnight hit, because as you can imagine there weren’t many clocks and watches around. So, the “watch men” would read the positioning of the stars to determine midnight, and once someone said it was midnight, the gatherings would break out in song and celebration, after prayer. It’s the reason Black churches call Midnight Services, Watchnight…because our enslaved ancestors were watching freedom come over the south like a new quilt.

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Out of that tradition, came other traditions like eating black eyed peas and collard greens for luck and fortune.

Or, the first person entering your house in the new year must be someone who brings with them good…because it foretells of the year you are about to have. Or, you better have that house clean because a clean space is its on good conjure and magic. And any good root worker or practitioner will tell you, you can’t practice Root Work or High John in a dirty house. I digress.

So children kissed by the sun, New Year’s Eve and New Years Day are about your people’s freedom! If ever there was a holiday to celebrate, Watch Night and Emancipation Day are the ones for us! You deserve this one, and all of its good ju ju. So let me tell you how to do it. Let me begin by saying that I’m a bit of a germaphobe, and so I’m still not up for a big ole house party or a night out at the club. I understand those who are just over this pandemic, but here me out…go get vaccinated and get your booster and keep your mask on.

Okay, now that I have hopped down off my soap box, I’m gonna tell you a normal dilemma with New Years as we celebrate it.

Most of us put on our dope outfit, go out around 10pm and are out until 12:30am, and then we are out of moves for the night. And, its either go home, or follow folks into seedy territory. And now that most cities are closing things down early because of COVID, I imagine that there will be a small bevy of horrible options once the clock strikes midnight on New Years Day. And this is when I hear my Caribbean cousins (literally and figuratively) and my 1990 Atlanta folks saying, “we party until daybreak.” For sure, our Trinidadian cousins do this with “J’ouvert” and our cousins who went to school in the AUC (Clark Atlanta University, Spelman, MorrisBrown and Morehouse) in the 90s and early 2000s can tell you about clubs like 112 that you went to, and didn’t leave until you could hop on the MARTA at daybreak! So chur’n, we been a people who party to the morning light. If you are ever in Durham, NCCU students call this Pre-Dawn parties. So, why not throw the Pre-Dawn Midnight Brunch at your spot.

This means, you must get your rest, and when everybody is out and about, you still have time to get your viddles (Gullah word for food) ready! So, set your start time for Midnight, knowing that Black folks will show up at 1AM. I still say keep your list intimate. And because I’m a lover of millennial and Gen-Zs love of brunch, rather than doing a midnight breakfast that feels like waffle house, lets conjure a midnight brunch. And yes, it is filled with all of the food traditions that you grew up observing… collard greens, black eyed peas, and rice. But also, champagne and moonshine and gin. In this version, we want to remix and elevate our food pathways into something that can easily be done.

So let’s start with preparing a sweet potato bisque, with its sweet earthy notes, before the event. As well, go to Adluh, and order either the rice grits or their heirloom grits, which our ancestors engineered in coastal waters of the south east…and turned into wonderful dishes like shrimp and grits. By the way, you are gonna need to make a pot of grits for your deconstructed shrimp and grit bar, that features shrimp, green onion, sausage, bacon, cheese, and the traditional shrimp broth that goes over it. As well, go on and create your egg batter for your French toast, with a dash of whiskey, vanilla, and orange or pineapple juice. Also, prepare and chill your bean salad that features black eyed peas and field peas, with a champagne vinaigrette. Too, you are gonna need a collard green dip – think spinach dip but instead use collards…so people can eat their good fortunes on a tortilla. I’m also in love with pickled okra, so put that on your favorite southern charcuterie board with pimento cheese. To be fair, almost all of the food (except for the bacon and the French toast) need to be prepared before the event. This means we are not overwhelmed!!!

Now, the vibe of the night is in honor of our migrating ancestors who left Travelers Rest, SC and moved to Harlem, NYC! Yes the vibe is Harlem, luxe and lavish in the winter, with foods straight from the south turned on their heads. But beloved, the colors of the night are midnight blue, like the sky when freedom came over, and obsidian black – that good shiny buffed black, and metallics like stars in the night sky. And you want to give people plush velvet, and faux furs, and a touch of feather, paired with simple white flowers, or blue hydrangeas, if you must have flowers. The vibe is Billie Holiday sultry, meets juke joint soul food, meets elegance and opulence and all things bourgeois Black!

Don’t you love it.

And you should prepare to bust out your luxe fabrics, cashmere sweaters, velvet blazers, leather pants and skirts, a broach on your lapel, plush slippers. It says you look goodt, but you didn’t try to hard to impress. This is a no new friends, no jeans environment. This is a metallic dress, a black off the shoulder sequins piece, a felt hat vibe. Your outfit should have a little mystery, just like the year ahead. Let your outfit, match the fabrics used in the experience.

Speaking of fabrics…beloved, head to your favorite fabric store or rental company (fur and velvet are IN). Given our new Harlem Renaissance with shows like Harlem, She’s Gotta Have It, Run The World, Godfather of Harlem, feel free to let you uptown sensibilities run wild with, midnight velvet linens, paired with Black satin or silk, and black faux fur from the local fabric store. Think mother’s chinchilla! Put that shit on the table with some opulent light.

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When folks come into your house, just like those old AME and Baptist church folk in Georgetown, SC, have folks write down two things on two separate sticky notes. One, have them right down a seven-word testimony, and place that on a wall for discussion and celebration later. And two, have them right down one goal/hope that they want to accomplish in the new year, and put that on a clock, closest to the number that represents the month of completion for them. During the night, have people pray over those notes and perform a libation, using liquor not water. Liquor is for celebration in libations, water is for cleansing. These two activities will get people thinking about the past and future in the way our ancestors thought about it in Praise Houses and churches.

So what are we listening to while we party? Given that party is a late-in-the-evening situation, and everybody coming has just left the loud turn up situation, I suggest you turn the volume down, and transform your space into a lounge vibe by playing neo-soul and neo-soul adjacent Hip Hop, like Rimon, Alex Isley, Tanerelle, Robert Glasper, Bungalow Collective, Victoria Monet.

Leave the music almost obscure, like you are trying to put people on...like they are gonna call you tomorrow and ask about the playlist from the party. The music in this moment really needs to be a familiar sound but ultimately ephemeral, like smoke rising from a toke. And if your TV is on, it features either popular series that give you Harlem or perfect lighting of Black folks (read Insecure)! Play films that give you blue lighting of Black Folks like Belly, Moonlight, or Love Jones. The Visual image, again, needs to be something we’ve seen before, but not something we are gonna turn up and watch. The TV is a vibe. But this party is about connections, reflections, luxury, and celebrating freedom. This is a cocktail party that’s a bit blurry but a bit sobering. It’s warm and festive, but not overpowering. It is the perfect inspirational night cap to start the year with the same air of anticipation that the freed had. I just believe that in 1863 when our ancestors could kiss freedom’s lips as the stars shined above, I just believe that they said, “let me go build me a world of joy for myself, my children, and my grandchildren.”

Go get you some of that kind of Watch Night experience!

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Midnight Blue Obsidian Black Champagne (or shade of Gold) Platinum (or shade of silver) You can also use copper or rust (but you need a metallic)

Any movie that uses blue lighting to tell its story – but keep it silent · Belly · Moonlight · Love Jones · Episodes of Insecure · Episodes of Harlem · Episodes of Run The World · Episodes of the Godfather

Things that feel lush and sensual, like a lingering hug from someone you are trying to get to know better…

Faux Furs, Velvet, Satin, If making menu cards, choose a textured paper that has a metallic touch

Happy Holidays

See

Touch

Think Winter Harlem Luxe Navy Velvet Linens Black Satin Napkins Black Faux Fur Runner Silver and Gold Candle Holders, varying heights and shapes If you must have a floral touch: Orchids or Gardenia (in honor of Billie Holiday) or White Roses

Color Scheme

Sticky Note Testimony Wall

Grab pens and a door – ask people to write down a few words of their testimony in 2021, don’t put names on them.

Invite people into a time of reflection and see if people can figure out whose testimony matches with the right person in the room.

Then celebrate that testimony with a toast!

Watch Wall

Get a Large Clock, ask people to write at least one thing (on a sticky note) they plan to do in the new year and place it on the clock.

After its loaded, have your guests pray or pour out libation for every good thing that is coming to pass

Decor

Do

New Year's Midnight Brunch Cheat Sheets

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- Whiskey French Toast & Maple Bacon - Deconstructed Shrimp and Grits Bar with Stone Ground Heirloom Grits - Sweet Potato Bisque with crème fresh and green apple shavings - Fresh Biscuits and Honey - Collard Green Dip & Tortilla Chips - Champagne Glazed Tossed Fruit Salad (Use Fresh Fruit only including Apples, Berries and Citrus) - Low Country Charcuterie with Pickled Okra, Mt. Olive Pickles, Pimento Cheese, Chicken Salad, Crackers, Boiled or Toasted Peanuts, Jam, - Black-Eyed Pea Salad tossed in a Moscato vinaigrette dressing

- Blackberry Mimosas – with Blackberry Gin, Liqueur, and a Moscato D’Asti - Blue Grass Spiked Coffee – Kentucky Whiskey, Kahlua, and Black Coffee - Blackberry Lemonade or Spritzer (with Pineapple Juice/Sprite)

Keep it Sultry, Sophisticated, but Hopeful & Playful

Out of My Way – Rimon Good & Plenty – Alex Isley Rolling Stone – JMSN Mama Saturn – Tanerelle Soul Sista Remix – from Queen & Slim F.U.C.K. – Victoria Monet Smoke With Me – Children of Zeus Too Deep – DVSN On One – Joyce Wrice, Freddie Gibbs Show You – Rose Flashbacks (feat. Miguel & St. Beauty) – Deante Hitchcock All I Do – Robert Glasper Between the Lines – Gwen Bunn Coastin – Victoria Monet Heavenly Mother – Pip Millett Gold – Bungalow Collective Just Get Here – Xavier Omar

Happy Holidays

Hear

Taste

Remix the classics from Black New Year’s Day Traditions into something contemporary and familiar

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HOME I am a refuge shielding you from the horrors of the world, deflecting the pressures of society so that the paralyzing stress of expectations carry no merit.

I am an oasis where fond memories frolic before your eyes, each eliciting a perpetual smile.

I am a palace where you can exhale, remove your performative mask and embody yourself in your full authenticity.

I am a dwelling devoid of disappointment and filled with immaculate vibes.

I am a shelter where the experiences of a daunting day-to-day life become trivial as you unapologetically move in your purpose.

I am a sanctuary that is built in your essence, warmth, beauty and light, where your very existence is celebrated.

I am a world where your happiness is recognized as nourishment for the soul.

I am a feeling not a place.

I am home.

By Emerson Lovell 21

2021 Home Soundtrack: The Albums that were in rotation

OHIREIME'S TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2021 1. The House is Burning - Isaiah Rashad 2. Pray for Haiti - Mach Hommy 3. Melodic Blue - Baby Keem 4. Gold-Diggers Sound - Leon Bridges 5. King’s Disease II - Nas

EMERSON'S TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2021 1. House is Burning - Isaiah Rashad 2. Vince Staples - Vince Staples 3. Donda - Kanye West 4. Folarin II - Wale 5. Lucky Daye - Table for Two

SEAN'S TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2021 1. King’s Disease II - Nas 2. The House is Burning – Isaiah Rashad 3. The Off-Season – J. Cole 4. TEMPORARY HIGHS IN THE VIOLET SKIES – Snoh Aalegra 5. Folarin II - Wale

Honorable Mention:

Free Dem Boyz - 42 Dugg; Alpha - Charlotte Day Wilson; Colorway -

Destin Conrad; CLB - Drake; Orange Print - Larry June; Call Me If You Get Lost- Tyler; Mother - Cleo Sol; What’s My Name - KenTheMan; If Orange was a Place; Pyrex Picasso - Benny the

ēon;

Butcher; When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time - Giv

Faces - Mac Miller; The Plugs I Met 2 – Benny The Butcher;

LIVE.LOVE.A$AP - A$AP ROCKY;

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A SALUTE TO FALLEN ICONS I am eternally grateful for the grace and opportunity to be alive. I know it seems cliche to say, but while we endure the second year of a pandemic in a world that seems like a new level in Jumanji every time we check Twitter, CNN, Instagram and our local news, I find solace in being alive. This year we watched several COVID variants emerge. We watched videos of school shootings that became viral after kids attempted to return to school. And like most years we mourned the deaths of icons that had a significant impact on our day-to-day lives.

I will focus on the icons in this piece because there is healing in reflection and after 2021 I want to heal, I need it. Also, there's redemption in knowing that the lessons our icons taught us will forever live on in us and those they touched. I do not mean any disrespect by omitting anyone from the list of philosophers, entertainers, or icons that deeply impacted our culture. At this moment I choose pay respect to a few of the greats that are no longer here with us and that have left an indelible mark on my life.

Here is an ode to Earl Simmons better known as DMX. I thank you for your uniqueness in a culture that craved individuality, but succumbed to commonality. The legacy you trailblazed impacts our favorite artist today that attempt to mimic your ability in hopes of adding their own sound to Hiphop’s history like you did when you unleashed unprecedented energy from your ad-libs that make us still go “Grrrrrrrrr” when we hear Ruff Ryder’s Anthem. Of course I must thank you for your unrivaled capacity to be vulnerable about your faults, fears, struggles, hopes and aspirations. You taught me that a man does not need to hide his pain after all it is part of what makes us, us. I thank you.

Here is an ode to Gloria Jean Watkins, better known by the name she borrowed from her great grandmother “bell hooks”. We thank you for putting us on to the game about how the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination. May we be like bell hooks by remembering that “The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is- it’s to imagine what is possible”. I thank you.

Here is an ode to Michael K. Williams and Queen Cicely Tyson. I thank you both for being pivotal to our culture. Michael K. Williams, I thank you for portraying a man that was falling short to his own vices. Your portrayal reminded me of someone that was in my hood and urged me to be better than those circumstances. I also thank you for portraying a father that taught me understanding and accountability in hopes that the people that wronged and will wrong me and the negative life circumstances will inevitably come does not stifle my growth, but instead allow me to grow ever stronger. I thank you Cicely Tyson for representing and being the strong Queen that you portrayed for decades and generations. You made it easier to understand the evolution of our own queens whether it is the single mother that had to figure it out, surviving domestic violence, or being that loving matriarch figure that holds down each and every family when shit seems crazy. I thank you.

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Here is an ode to Virgil Abloh. I thank you for imprinting your expansive approach to design and being the barrier-breaking black man that ascended the heights of the traditional luxury industry.

May we secure enough of the bag in honor to embrace the drip that you gifted us over your fashion career. I thank you.

Here is an ode Adolph Robert Thornton Jr. better known as Young Dolph. I thank you for being my favorite trapper of all time. If it wasn’t for you I would have never fell in love with trap music. I thank you for not limiting yourself to being the “Rich Crack Baby” that was supposed to amount to shit. I thank you for being an entrepreneur that helped give back to his hometown and cultivate a new generation of music in Memphis— you will always be remembered as the King Of Memphis. I thank you.

Lastly, to the readers. Here is an ode to the families that are mourning the ones that transitioned to better places. I pray for the families that have immediate relatives that aren’t coming home because of life circumstances or that don’t feel welcome to come home because of their unique lifestyle. I pray for the ones that are trying their hardest to keep it all together in the midst of chaos and dysfunction. I pray that you have a better Christmas than the ones before and pray for many more Christmases to come. Happy Holidays.

By: Dalvonte Howard

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y a d i Hol z i u Q

Here a few questions to facilitate holiday cheer! Feel free to spike your hot chocolate and make the loser sip!

1. In Destiny’s Child’s 8 Days of Christmas song, what did their baby buy them on the 4th Day of Christmas?

a. A nice back rub and then he massaged my feet b. The poem that he wrote for me c. A gift certificate to get my favorite CDs d. A candle-lit dinner for just me and my honey 2. In Boyz II Men’s Let it Snow, who features along with the group?

a. Mariah Carey b. Tevin Campbell c. Brian McKnight d. Luther Vandross

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3. Which Group/Artist did not give us a version of Give Love on Christmas Day?

a. Jackson 5 b. Johnny Gill c. Keith Sweat d. The Temptations

4. During Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Fridays, he released a song about Christmas in this place?

a. Atlanta b. Harlem c. Chicago d. Calabasas

5. Which song was not included on The Jackson 5 Christmas Album?

a. Silent Night b. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus c. Little Drummer Boy d. Up on the House Top

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6. In Best Man Holiday, Shelby was a cast member of what popular TV franchise?

a. Married to Medicine b. Basketball Wives c. The Real Housewives d. Love and Hip-hop 7. In Jingle-Jangle what is the name of the toy Gustafson tries to debut at a holiday party?

8. Which Actor was NOT in the Perfect

Holiday?

a. Gabrielle Union b. Tay Diggs c. Terrence Howard d. Faizon Love

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9. In This Christmas what was Claude’s profession?

a. A Musician b. A Photographer c. A College Student d. A Marine

10. In Black Navity, what item did Langston steal from Reverend Cobbs?

a. A Gold Ring b. A Priceless Cross c. An Engraved Pocket Watch d. Keys to the Church safe

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Holiday Movies CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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Across

2. Aunt May right before the big day 4. Queen Latifah Celebrates the seasons 5. J-Jizzy raps about the ideal way to spend the season 6. College Friends reunite for the first time in years 9. A hallmark film about a music duo 11. Black inventors running in the family 13. Police Officer finds love in their new life 14. A chart of days especially relevant during Advent

Down

1.Ice Cube and his favorite day of the week 3. Jubilee and Tyler Perry’s most famous character 7. An Angel saves a church and a family 8. The pawnshop said no to the Pocket Watch 10. Chris Brown singing and snapping pictures 12. The Witch and Dorothy

"AS ONE OF OUR HOLIDAY TRADITIONS, GINGERBREAD HOUSEMAKING HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PERFECT FAMILY TIME."

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Answer key to the Holiday Quiz 1.D 2.C 3.C 4.B 5.A 6.C 7.Twirly Whirly 8.B 9.D 10.C

A LITTLE

Help

FROM FROM A MAJOR KEY

Happy Playing!

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Answer key to the Crossword Puzzle

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THANKS FOR READING

THE COZY ZINE

BY THE COZY BOYS FOR THE PEOPLE SEE YOU NEXT DROP

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