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FROM THE EDITOR…
Ready or not, here they come.
Our bright and airy space is a treasure trove of fashion forward essentials that embrace the island lifestyle.
Offering fabulous brands such as Farm Rio, Trina Turk, Oliphant and more. Stop by and check out our island inspired collections.
How did this holiday season happen so quickly? Fourth of July feels like yesterday, and just two weeks ago, we were watching another potential hurricane form. And yet, here we are, with the Keys Weekly’s 2024 edition of Holidays in the Keys.
After the turmoil of an election and the uncertainty of storm season, we figured we’d get back to basics with this issue and sprinkle some treasured traditions and holiday nostalgia throughout these pages. Back to the days of toy trains, baby dolls and building blocks. Before bluetooth speakers and rechargeable batteries, when the most technologically advanced gift under the tree was a new record player.
In other words, the “fun, old-fashioned family Christmas,” that Clark W. Griswold tried to recreate in National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation.” Of course, that went about as well as can be expected.
In this issue, Erin Stover digs into the making of that modern Christmas classic, complete with tree sap, snarled lights and crazy cousins. And Raffie Baker takes us to the picturesque, real-life towns featured in Hallmark holiday movies, where ridiculously charming town squares and welcoming inns actually exist.
We also travel the world, exploring countries and cultures that celebrate holidays other than Christmas.
Our resident island astrologer, Chris McNulty, brings us our new year horoscopes with the prediction that 2025 will be a year of settling into new energy. Annie Briening introduces us to the TikTok trend of a Favorite Things party, a refreshing new take on the old Secret Santa gift exchanges.
Mark Hedden reveals how the Robert DeNiro spy movie “Ronin” became a Christmas classic in his household. Karen Newfield introduces a collection of holiday-themed books that offer a blend of mistletoe, menorahs and magic.
I relived my Christmases past in a column about the holidays as a kid, when everything on our list was “some assembly required.” (Sorry about those late nights, Dad.)
Our creative director, Stephanie Mitchell, introduces a new — and more fun — way to view New Year’s resolutions.
We’ve also included a list of Keyswide holiday events as well as local charities that could use our support at the holidays and throughout the year.
And finally, our annual holiday magazine wouldn’t be complete without our gift guide — several pages of perfect holiday gifts, all available at local retailers throughout the Florida Keys.
So turn the A/C down, snuggle up with a cup of cocoa and start this season.
From our families to yours, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year.
— Mandy Miles, editor
What will you fin d unde r unde r you r you r tre e tre e this holiday ? this holiday ?
What will you fin d
Publisher
Jason Koler
jason@keysweekly.com
Managing Partner
Britt Myers britt@keysweekly.com
Creative Director
Stephanie Mitchell
stephanie@keysweekly.com
Art/Design
Irene de Bruijn irene@keysweekly.com
Editors
Mandy Miles
mandy@keysweekly.com
Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com
Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com
Copy Editor
Mike Howie
mike@keysweekly.com
Account Executives
Stephanie Mitchell stephanie@keysweekly.com
Patti Childress patti@keysweekly.com
Jill Miranda Baker jill@keysweekly.com
Oliver Allison oliver@keysweekly.com
Production Manager
Anneke Patterson
anneke@keysweekly.com
Art/Design
Javier Reyes javier@keysweekly.com
Ashley Hobart ashley@keysweekly.com
Web Master
Travis Cready travis@keysweekly.com
Comptroller
Sarah Simcic sarah@keysweekly.com
Executive Administrator
Char Hruska char@keysweekly.com
Contributors
Raffie Baker, Annie Briening, Mark Hedden, Chris McNulty, Karen Newfield, Erin Stover
ENJOY SOUNDS OF THE SEASON | 8 ‘IT’S NOT GOING IN OUR YARD, RUSS; IT’S GOING IN OUR LIVING ROOM.’ | 10 SIGNED. SEALED. DELIVERED. | 14 WHAT’S HAPPENING? KEYSWIDE CELEBRATIONS | 18 SO MANY REASONS TO CELEBRATE | 22 MINI-MANDY’S MERRY CHRISTMASES | 26 THE PERFECT LOCATION FOR A LOVE STORY | 30 HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS | 34 GREAT GIFTS FOUND LOCALLY | 38 YOU CALL THIS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE? | 46 IT’S YOUR HOLIDAY, ENJOY IT YOUR WAY | 50 ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR WARM & FUZZY FEELINGS | 52 NEW YEAR NEW FORECAST | 56 SIMPLE & TO THE POINT | 58 DO GOOD. FEEL GREAT. | 60 YOU’RE NOT ALONE LOCAL RESOURCES CAN HELP | 62
As we begin to mentally prepare for what can only be described in the Florida Keys as party season, we hope you are all excited to get into the festive spirit alongside us.
The turkey’s in the oven, the stockings are ready to be hung and the menorah and candles are ready for remembering all the stories and traditions that make the holidays the happiest time of the year.
So as you settle into this year’s edition of Holidays in the Keys, we invite you to take a trip down memory lane with this nostalgic playlist and get into the spirit of the season in these pages.
We wish you and yours the most wonderful of holidays spent with family, or with friends who have become family.
Cheers to you all in what can and should be the most magical time of the year — if we can just remember to relax and let it be.
By Erin Stover
— Clark W. Griswold Jr.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF A CHAOTIC CHRISTMAS CLASSIC
“Where do you think you’re going? Nobody’s leaving. Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We’re all in this together.” With those words, Clark Griswold persuaded a generation to ride the roller-coaster with his dysfunctional family. And collectively, that’s exactly what we’ve done for 35 years. Since the 1989 release of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” audiences have opted to escape their own familial dramas for this more charming, but no less disastrous, on-screen yuletide.
Following the success of “Vacation” (1983) and “European Vacation” (1985), Warner Brothers began to press John Hughes for a holiday-themed follow-up to the popular series. Hughes obliged since he already had the perfect story in his arsenal – his short comedic piece “Christmas ’59.” A fun nod to this history can be seen on the label of the home movie reel Clark finds in his attic. The studio gave Hughes the greenlight to develop the script, and moved forward to recruit Chris Columbus to direct. The production hit its first snag in the relationship between Columbus and leading man Chevy Chase. Columbus recalls his turmoil over the decision to leave the production, which came at a difficult moment in his life and career. “It took everything in my power to convince myself to resign from ’Christmas Vacation’ because I couldn’t make the movie with Chevy Chase.” (Fortunately for Columbus, just two weeks later, the script for another holiday classic, “Home Alone,” landed in his lap.) After this initial hiccup, production jumped ahead with fashion photographer Jeremiah Chechik accepting the project as his directorial featurefilm debut. Chechik (who’s also featured on the cover of the prop People magazine Clark reads in bed) knew
he’d been handed something special and recalls deliberately trying to infuse the movie with moments that would feel timeless.
Filming took place in and around Breckenridge, Colorado in March 1989. Expecting a snowy wonderland, but finding instead a drought-laden ski escape, the crew paid to bring in 10 truckloads of snow, sourced from surrounding mountaintops. Shortly after this cold and expensive delivery arrived, the town was hit by a blizzard. In five days, Breckenridge saw 87 inches of snow, which forced filming to move indoors where the mishaps continued. Following the blizzard, another (literal) shakeup occurred when Colorado experienced a small earthquake. While the rumbling didn’t affect the production, keen-eyed fans can catch the camera shaking slightly during the scene in which Uncle Louis and Auth Bethany arrive.
Disorder on the set wasn’t limited to external forces. The cast themselves saw plenty of micro-calamities. During the filming of a particularly physical comedic scene (Chevy Chase’s specialty), the actor got carried away by the moment and broke his pinky finger. Method acting at its most painful. Another issue, brought on at the hands – er, paws – of a rodent, affected the entire cast. The famous squirrel-in-the-tree scene was made genuinely chaotic by the fact that the squirrel was untrained. Chechik recalls showing up to film that day and being informed that the trained squirrel had died. “I said, ‘Holy f--k, we’re shooting that today!’” Chechik recalled. “And the animal trainer turned and said, ‘Ya know, they don’t live that long.’ We still had to shoot the scene, so we used an untrained squirrel. It was just total chaos.”
In addition to rewatching that classic scene with new information, viewers may want to keep an eye and ear out for a few other nuggets of trivia. In terms of casting, try watching the role of Rusty, played perfectly by Johnny Galecki, and imagine Leonardo DiCaprio instead. Casting director Heidi Levitt recalls meeting with DiCaprio for the part of Rusty and immediately realizing “he wasn’t goofy enough.” Many others went on to greater fame after the film – Juliette Lewis took on the role of Audrey, the other Clark offspring, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus appeared, pre-Seinfeld, as the next-door neighbor. Others in the film were already coming off stellar careers – Diane Ladd and John Randolph played Clark’s parents. And if Aunt Bethany sounds familiar, it’s because she was the original voice of Betty Boop.
The well-known final act of the film employs the whole cast to full potential. Clark, frustrated at being snubbed for a Christmas bonus, goes on a profanityladen, eggnog-fueled tirade. The classic monologue was made possible by the rest of the cast, who wore cue cards around their necks so Chase could remember each perfect expletive. Beverly D’Angelo, who played Ellen Griswold, recalled her amusement at watching Chase’s eyes dart back and forth during the scene, since the cards weren’t arranged in order. For her part, when the camera swung back to her, she improvised a hand-grab to her film husband’s crotch that stayed in the final cut and became a classic visual.
The action resolves itself as a SWAT team intervenes after Cousin Eddie kidnaps Clark’s boss. Since this is a Griswold holiday, though, and nothing will ever be quite right, an explosion brings about the last scene, sending a fiery lawn decoration sailing through the sky, while Aunt Bethany sings the StarSpangled Banner. As loyal annual watchers, we salute alongside the Griswolds and give our own quiet thanks for the 97-minute reprieve from our own dysfunctional holiday.
We are fortunate to be surrounded by wordsmiths in our offices (thank goodness). They make us sound much smart-
But every once in a while the Mike, Mandy, Jim and Alexes of the world aren’t readily available and I’m already running behind on sending out our family holiday cards. Do I need an apostrophe?
Wait, is it “es” or just “s” to make the family plural. So to give you and me a helping hand as your fingers start to hurt from filling all the people in on your 2024, we’ve simplified things below.
Cut it out and put it in your card box for next year, it’ll probably become a family treasure. (just kidding)
KEYS WEEKLY GUIDE TO PLURALIZING YOUR FAMILY’S NAME ON HOLIDAY CARDS
No apostrophes are needed. EVER. This is critically important. STOP USING APOSTROPHES. We’re begging you. Please.
Most families can simply add an “s” Smith > The Smiths, Miller > The Millers
Last names that end in S, CH, SH, X or Z get and “es” Myers > The Myerses, Fletch > The Fletches
And if you’re still not sure and doubting yourself, stick with the crowd pleaser: “ The _______ Family”
KEYS HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
KEY WEST
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
- MARC Christmas Tree Sale at 1401 Seminary St. Tree lot open until Dec. 24 or until all trees are sold.
MONDAY, DEC. 2
- Key West’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Bayview Park. 6 p.m.
TUESDAY DEC. 3
- ReMARCable Table-top Christmas Tree & Wreath Auction at Opal Key Resort. Preview at 5:30 p.m. Live auction at 7.
FRIDAY DEC. 6
- Wesley House Holiday Village & BeLighted Bike Ride at Coffee Butler Amphitheater. Holiday Village 5-9 p.m. | Bike ride at 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
- The Key West Holiday Parade leaves at 6 p.m. from Bayview Park, proceeds down Truman Avenue, then turns right onto Duval Street.
- Key Colony Beach Lighted Boat Parade. 7th Street Canal at dusk.
TUESDAY, DEC. 24
- Christmas Eve parade with Santa. Times and stops TBA.
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MORE LOCAL HOLIDAY EVENTS IN THE KEYS WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS.
UPPER KEYS
NOV. 29-JAN. 5
- Sea of Trees at The Protect Center, MM 82, bayside, Islamorada.
FRIDAY, DEC. 6
- 20th annual Holiday Fest from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Founders Park, Islamorada.
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
- Lignumvitae Christmas friendraiser from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Chi Sigma’s sixth annual Holiday Bike, Walk & Hayride
SATURDAY-SUNDAY, DEC. 14-15
- Pets and Pina Coladas at Keys Kritters, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, DEC. 14
- 2024 Key Largo Boat Parade at 6:30 p.m. at Blackwater Sound.
SUNDAY, DEC. 15
- Parade with Santa and carolers through Islamorada beginning at 5:30 p.m.
TUESDAY, DEC 31
- New Year’s Eve at Baker’s Cay Resort, Key Largo
Photos by: SANDRA LEE PHOTOGRAPHY/Keys Weekly, DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly, LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly, CAROL TEDESCO/Contributed, ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly, KEYS KRITTERS/Via Facebook
By Mandy Miles
HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD
IT’S NOT ONLY ABOUT CHRISTMAS
I remember learning as a kid that not everyone celebrated Christmas. There were places in the world, kids living on the far side of that giant map the teacher always pulled down at the front of the classroom, who had never decorated a Christmas tree or sent a letter to some guy named Santa.
For them, Dec. 25 was just another day. I remember my 6-yearold mind being truly troubled by this revelation. Why were those kids’ parents so mean? Why didn’t they tell them about the greatest day of the year? Why would entire countries — marked by orange, pink and yellow shapes on that map — forgo the magic of Christmas?
I knew the Jewish kids in my class didn’t celebrate Christmas, but I also knew they had Hanukkah. It usually coincided conveniently with Christmas, and those kids got presents for all eight nights, which apparently satisfied my sense of justice. But what about the kids in India and China and Saudi Arabia? They were getting screwed and I was apparently outraged.
Somehow, my mom managed to explain, at a first-grade level, the concepts of religious diversity with a pointed reminder that we, as Catholics, celebrated Christmas not for the presents, but for the birth of the baby Jesus. Yeah, yeah, but surely Jesus wanted us to get presents, or
he wouldn’t send Santa all across the world every year.
My mom convinced me that kids in other countries celebrated different holidays that coincided with their different religions, so even though they didn’t do what we did on Christmas, they all had at least one day to look forward to each year that was better than all the rest.
I walked away satisfied that the other kids weren’t being mistreated, but supremely relieved that I lived in a “Christmas country.”
So, now, just for old times’ sake, let’s pull down that old — and probably horribly outdated — classroom map, and look in on some other cultures’ holidays, traditions and celebrations in the coming year.
WINTER SOLSTICE
SAT. DEC 21, 2024, 4:19 a.m.
The winter solstice marks the official start to winter, when the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is the shortest day and longest night, and astronomically marks the beginning of lengthening days and shortening nights as spring and summer approach.
The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world and is marked by widely varying regional customs and traditions.
CHINESE NEW YEAR/ SPRING FESTIVAL
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 29, 2025
Chinese New Year, often referred to as Spring Festival in traditional Chinese, starts on the new moon that appears each year between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. The celebration marks the start of the spring and is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. Observances can last for the first 15 days of the year.
Customs and traditions vary widely among different regions in China. Most families thoroughly clean their house to sweep away ill fortune and make way for good luck. Windows and doors are decorated with red papercuts. Money is exchanged in red envelopes and fireworks are common.
ST. LUCIA DAY
DEC. 13 IN SCANDINAVIA AND ITALY
St. Lucia Day, also called St. Lucy Day, is a festival of lights most widely celebrated in Scandinavia and Italy.
ST. NICHOLAS EVE
(SINTERKLAAS’ BIRTHDAY)
DEC. 5 or 6, 2024
In Dutch, Sinterklaas or SintNicolaas is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. St. Nicholas Eve and Christmas are separate holidays in Holland.
The feast is celebrated with the giving of gifts on St. Nicholas’ Eve (Dec. 5) in the Netherlands and the morning of Dec. 6 in Belgium, Luxembourg, western Germany, northern France and Hungary. Sinterklaas is one of the sources of the popular Christmas icon of Santa Claus.
KWANZAA
DEC. 26 -JAN. 1 IN THE U.S., CANADA, CARIBBEAN & WESTERN AFRICAN DIASPORA
Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday celebrated in communities in the United States and Canada, as well as in the Western African Diaspora, to honor African heritage in African-American culture.
BOXING DAY
DEC. 26 IN GREAT BRITAIN, CANADA, AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
Boxing Day is the holiday on which servants, tradespeople and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events.
HANUKKAH — NIGHTFALL ON WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25, 2024 – THURSDAY, JAN. 2, 2025 IN ISRAEL, U.S. & JEWISH COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE
Hanukkah this year starts the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 25 and ends the evening of Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Each year, Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev, which is the ninth month of the Jewish calendar. Hanukkah, which has many different spellings, is the eight-day Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees revolted in the 2nd century B.C.
EID
AL-ADHA
JUNE 6-10, 2025 IN MIDDLE EASTERN & ASIAN PACIFIC NATIONS
Also referred to as the Feast of the Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha is an important Islamic holiday celebrated worldwide to honor the willingness of the prophet Abraham to sacrifice his first-born, Ishmael, as an act of obedience to God’s command. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is the second and the largest of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam. It is celebrated with prayers, animal sacrifice, charity, social gatherings, festive meals and gift-giving.
DIWALI “FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS”
OCT. 31-NOV. 1, 2024 IN INDIA, NEPAL, SRI LANKA, MYANMAR & OTHERS
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights with its variations also celebrated in other Indian religions. An official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and other countries, it symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
The festival celebrates both the attainment of nirvana by Mahavira, an Indian sage, and the death anniversary of Swami Dayanand, a Hindu religious leader.
THREE KINGS DAY
JAN. 6 IN MEXICO AND COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE
Three Kings Day celebrates the Three Kings (Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar) and their visit to baby Jesus after his birth.
LAS POSADAS
DEC. 16-24 IN SPAIN, MEXICO, GUATEMALA AND PARTS OF THE U.S.
Las Posadas (Spanish for “the inns”) commemorates the journey that Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a safe refuge where Mary could give birth to the baby Jesus. A religious festival traditionally held in Mexico and parts of Latin America, Las Posadas is an important part of the Christmas festivities.
THAI PONGAL
JAN. 14-17, 2025
CELEBRATED BY THE TAMIL POPULATION OF INDIA & SRI LANKA
Celebrated by an estimated 80 million Tamil people, mainly in India and Sri Lanka, Thai Pongal is a multiday Hindu harvest festival dedicated to the sun god, Surya.
The traditional Tamil dish of pongal is prepared from the new harvest of rice boiled in milk with raw sugar. The dish is first offered to the gods and goddesses and is then given to cattle, which Hindus hold sacred, before being shared by families.
By Mandy Miles
CHRISTMAS MAGIC
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
My mom made Christmas magical. Still does. And my dad has always given her all the credit — picking and decorating the perfect tree, buying, hiding, then wrapping all our gifts, always in two different kinds of wrapping paper to distinguish mine from my brother, Kevin’s.
Santa would always tell us in the note he left next to the empty plate of cookies we’d put out for him whose gifts were in the “Santa” paper and whose were in the “Snowman” paper.
Dad always installed the tree in its stand and strung the lights, happy to let Mom, Kevin and me paw through the boxes of glass balls, homemade decorations and the brass angel ornaments that had our names and birth year engraved on them. Dad also strung the outdoor lights — though not happily. (He’s not a fan of heights or ladders.)
And it was always Dad’s job to go downstairs first on Christmas morning “to make sure Santa had come” (and to start the coffee and get the camera ready).
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Christmas used to start around Halloween, when the Sears Christmas catalog, the “Wish Book” would arrive in the mail, its glossy pages showing my brother and me everything we didn’t know we wanted, but suddenly couldn’t live without. The toy section was always in the same place, easy to find, right behind those white order-form pages
in the middle of the book, where catalog shoppers wrote down the item numbers, sizes and colors of the products they were ordering.
Kevin and I would pore over the catalog, each armed with a pen to circle the items we wanted for Christmas and mark them with an M or a K (lest mom think that I had wanted a Millennium Falcon and Kevin wanted a stroller for his baby dolls.)
“By the time you two finished with that catalog, everything in the toy section was circled,” my mom recalled the other night.
But we still had more than a month until Christmas, and Mom’s no dummy. She’d leave the catalog lying around for a week or two. Kevin and I would thumb through it a few more times to be sure we hadn’t missed something crucial.
But by late November, when it was time to draft our official Christmas lists for Santa, the catalog was nowhere to be found.
“You had to write your lists without consulting the catalog, so Santa would know what you wanted most,” Mom said.
Her strategy worked flawlessly — most of the time.
All bets were off when Cabbage Patch Kids hit the market in 1982. I was 6.
“You, Mindy and Jenny didn’t decide you wanted them until about four days before Christmas,” my mom said, referring to my best friend, Mindy. Yep, Mindy and Mandy, best friends, and we were freakin’ adorable, and our friend Jenny Staley, who lived down the street. “So the three moms all went in three different directions and looked ev-
Mandy Miles (then Mandy Bolen), age 4, gets a new record player for Christmas in Overland Park, Kansas.
Left: Mandy never once beat her brother at this stupid game of strategy that required pulling levels to make the opponent’s ball drop out of play. Right: Mandy and big brother, Kevin, always saved their stockings for last.
erywhere for those dolls that were sold out everywhere.
“Thank God, John Staley (Jenny’s dad) was a Braniff pilot who had a flight to London,” she said. “He ended up picking up three of the dolls over there for you girls.”
I hadn’t known until the other night — 42 years later — that my Cabbage Patch Kid, Tyler Bo, was imported from England.
I also hadn’t known that my mom used to hide our Christmas gifts in the trunk of her car, or that my dad was still a bit traumatized by the “some-assembly-required” nature of my toy kitchen set.
“Oh my God, that thing was a nightmare,” he said the other night as my mom agreed, laughing.
“It was all made of thin metal with sharp edges, tab A, slot B,” my dad said, joining the phone call.
“There were sharp corners, small pieces, so many choking hazards,” my mom said.
“There’s no way that thing would pass safety inspections today. But no one knew any better back then. You survived. Kids survived back then. And you loved that kitchen set.”
I did love it. I still remember the fake rubber hamburgers, sandwiches and fried eggs that I would “cook” and serve.
In fact, I’ve loved every Christmas. Every year. Countdowns were conducted on construction paper chains and Advent calendars with little windows to open each morning for four weeks. There was a Christmas concert at school, carols on the radio, packages arriving in the mail from aunts, uncles and grandparents. The boxes of decorations marked “Christmas” came up from the basement and revealed the treasures we had forgotten since last year — the snow-flecked candles, the nativity scene, the cheap plastic Santa and sleigh that my mom had been trying to toss forever, but that Kevin and I adored. (She still hasn’t gotten rid of it.)
Our names were written in glitter on our stockings. Christmas cookies sat on trays on the dining room table and a snow-flecked wreath was on our front door. Dad always read “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” right before bed on Christmas Eve, when sleep seemed nearly impossible. And then there was the cardinal rule that we were NOT to wake mom and dad until 7 a.m.
We hadn’t known they’d been up till 4, assembling my kitchen set, dollhouse or Kevin’s Millennium Falcon. But by the time we opened them on Christmas morning, they looked just as good as they did in the Sears Wish Book — even if Mom and Dad looked a little tired.
Local mortgage brokers like Coast2Coast Mortgage serve consumers better because they know the community; they are part of the community and they have a vested interest in the success of our community. We have 74 lenders, so we can get you approved. We o er loans for the self-employed, for first-home homebuyers and for veterans. We o er jumbo loans as well as loans for investments, refinances and purchases.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO USED COAST2COAST MORTGAGE. WE WISH YOU A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
CUDJOE KEY BRANCH | FLORIDA NMLS 376205
Celebrate THE HOLIDAY SEASON AT PLAYA LARGO RESORT & SPA
This holiday season plan your celebration at Playa Largo Resort & Spa. Let every moment be a blissful escape, where holiday traditions are reimagined in a breathtaking setting.
• Private parties and holiday celebrations
• Seasonal dining at Sol by the Sea
• Experiences and Day Passes
• Chef-made meals to go See website for details and availability.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to bottle your Florida Keys experience – the sun, water and spirit –and take it home with you? Aqua d’Keys makes it possible to breathe the Keys air wherever you are.
Their unisex line of fragrances is not your typical souvenir. Their eau de parfum, lotions, body wash, bath salts, and candles and diffusers capture the essence of the islands we love.
Each of the six signature scents – West, Marquesas, Islamorada, Tortugas, Summerland and Largo –is inspired by the Florida Keys and embodies the fresh, sunny, adventurous and romantic lifestyle of our island chain.
And the shop itself is a memorable experience. Drenched in a rich aqua color, the store – and everything in it – mirrors the magic of our blue-green intersection of water that surrounds the Keys.
To help shoppers partake in the actual Keys experiences they’ll want to remember, Aqua d’Keys also offers deliciously thick beach towels, lightweight scarves, sarongs, hats and fishing shirts as well as canvas beach bags and carry-on duffel bags.
ESCAPE. UNWIND. IMAGINE
By Raffie Baker
Celebrate the season in your
HOLIDAY FILM LOCATIONS TO VISIT
Take a peek out your imaginary window to see the street illuminated with Christmas lights while sipping on hot cocoa as the sweet smell of a peppermint candle fills the room. It’s like you are starring in your very own Hallmark Channel holiday movie. You know those infamous movies with an inevitable happy ending and a closing scene of everyone coming together in the charming town square or the magazine-esque living room.
The craze surrounding Hallmark movies is rooted in the warm feelings these films evoke. No matter what’s going on in your own home during the hectic holiday season, you can escape into the idealistic Hallmark world. The predictability and familiarity of a cliche story comforts the mind and reminds us of simple things among the festivities. So what’s not to love about these easyto-follow films with wholesome plots and picture-perfect settings?
The picture-perfect settings may seem out of this world but many Hallmark movies are filmed in quaint towns that you can actually visit. These are a few popular Hallmark holiday films in places you can escape to this holiday season.
MOONLIGHT & MISTLETOE
The 2008 Hallmark classic, “Moonlight & Mistletoe,” was filmed in the small town of Chester, Vermont. This wonderfully welcoming place sets the atmosphere of this movie following Holly coming home to her family-owned Christmas theme park going bankrupt. Family, home and love renew her sense of the true meaning of Christmas. Chester, Vermont is the quintessential New England town with a historic downtown, an array of shops and cozy accommodations for you to enjoy. Visiting during the holiday season means events in the town center like Christmas markets, tree lighting ceremony and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus himself.
CHRISTMAS IN HOMESTEAD
Homestead, Iowa is a fictional Christmas-obsessed town where famous actress, Jessica, goes to film a holiday movie when she finds herself falling for a local, single dad named Matt. The true filming location of this 2016 Hallmark movie is Dahlonega, Georgia. The small mountain town holds an annual month-long Christmas celebration known as Dahlonega’s Old-Fashioned Christmas. Visitors in December can participate in daily holiday events in addition to the town attractions of wine tasting, hiking and the gold museum.
your own Hallmark movie
THE CHRISTMAS SECRET
Canada is a common filming location for Hallmark movies for their wintery towns and budget-friendly production. “The Christmas Secret” is one of many movies filmed in Canada masked as an American town, yet its actual location is absolutely worth a visit. Vancouver’s romantic holiday vibes background the story of a woman searching for a lost family heirloom she hopes will bring good fortune and love. The grandeur of this British Columbia city has an adoring New York City feel with the endless holiday cheer. Tourists should shop around at Glenda’s Christmas Cottage, explore the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden and catch a production of The Nutcracker by Ballet BC. A trip to Vancouver during the winter would pair perfectly with a ski vacation to one of the neighboring mountain towns.
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL OF ICE
Another Hallmark movie filmed in Canada is “Unlocking Christmas” in the small town of Almonte, Ontario. Kate and Kevin embark on a romantic holiday adventure
when a mysterious key and riddle arrive on their doorstep. Almonte is located about 40 minutes outside of Canada’s capital city, Ottawa. Simply walking down the street of this town feels like you are the star in your own Hallmark movie. Locals and visitors alike can all participate in the townwide Elf on the Shelf game. You’ll likely have a white Christmas here, since the area receives an average of 10 inches of snow during December.
CHRISTMAS AT DOLLYWOOD
Dollywood is an iconic amusement park owned by Dolly Parton in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Hallmark’s “Christmas at Dollywood” follows an NYC event planner organizing the holiday festival conflicting with the park’s head of operation in an enemies-to-lovers storyline featuring Parton herself. Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas is a real event you can visit this winter. The captivating winter wonderland has all the sights, scents and flavors of Christmas with the backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
COOL GUY STUFF
Come In and Explore
Christmas Day
By Annie Briening
FIND THE JOY OF GIVING WITH A ‘FAVORITE THINGS’ PARTY
A Play on Pollyanna - Whether you call it Pollyanna, White Elephant, or Secret Santa, there’s something wonderful about a fun, budget-friendly way to spread holiday cheer without breaking the bank. If you’re like me and love any excuse to host an intimate gathering with your besties and maybe some new friends, plus love giving gifts, try the new trend of hosting a “Favorite Things” party this holiday season. It’s easy to tailor to any style, whether you prefer something elevated or casual - it’s a fun, festive way to celebrate and connect.
A “Favorite Things” party is the perfect blend of gifting, bonding, and discovering new must-haves! You may know the trend on social media — “girls who don’t gatekeep.” It’s a popular phrase on TikTok where influencers and creators freely share their favorite products, fashion finds and more, recommending what they love without holding back. Hosting a “Favorite Things” party brings that same spirit of open sharing to life, letting friends celebrate and exchange their go-to items for everyone to enjoy.
So, to kick things off — what product did you try in 2024 that truly leveled up your everyday life, sparking joy each time you reach for it? Here are three of my favorites that come to mind — unique finds that not everyone may own or might not think to treat themselves to: Gold Wick Trimmer Set, Stainless Steel Gua Sha and a Silk Pillowcase
STEP 1: SET UP YOUR PARTY
• Choose a date and invite friends
Coordinate with one or two co-hosts, and each of you can invite a select group of friends. Send out your invitations with a simple request: each guest should bring two (or three, your choice) of the same item to share, unwrapped, with a suggested spending cap of $20-$40.
• Ask guests to bring or provide appetizers
To keep things simple, ask each person to bring an appetizer to share. This way, there’s a casual spread of snacks to enjoy throughout the party.
STEP 2: PARTY DAY ESSENTIALS
• Set up a display table
Arrange a large table for guests to showcase their “favorite things” gifts. Bonus points for cute, custom place card holders for your guests to place their gifts on your display table. Use an ornament place card for a holiday twist!
• Prepare for gifting
As guests arrive, ask each person to write their name on two (or three) separate slips of paper and place them in a bowl — these will determine the lucky gift recipients. Next, have each guest pick a number to set the order for sharing.
• Share the favorite things
When it’s a guest’s turn, they’ll introduce their item, share why it’s a favorite, and draw three names. The chosen people get to take home that item! If a name is drawn twice or it’s the giver’s own, simply draw again.
• Follow up
After the party, send a list with everyone’s gifts, links to purchase and any other info, so if your friends want to try them all, they can!
At your “Favorite Things” you can celebrate, discover new products and connect with friends (and friends-of-friends) and it can become a fun annual event!
Favorites KEY WEST
Local matters at the Keys Weekly, where local owners and local writers cover local news. And we couldn’t do any of it without the support of local businesses.
Our annual Holiday Gift Guide highlights the locally-owned shops that are as unique as our island chain.
Of course, online shopping is an undeniable convenience, but mix it up this year. So many of our favorite and unforgettable gifts can only be found in the Florida Keys.
TREASURES Authentic Atocha Grade 4, 4 Reales in 14K/SS Mount | $4,325
ISLAND MERCANTILE
Deborah Grivas Designs, Necklace | $195
MARC PLANT STORE Orchids | prices vary based on type
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS TO SUPPORT LOCAL HISTORICAL & CONSERVATION EFFORTS
The Dolphin Research Center
The Turtle Hospital
Fl Keys Aquarium Encounters
Pigeon Key Foundation
Crane Point Hammock & Museum
QUICK GIFTS TO KEEP ON HAND DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Gift Cards to local restaurants
Sparky’s Landing Fish & Cocktails
Castaway Waterfront Restaurant & Sushi Bar
Sunset Grille & Raw Bar
Dockside
Marathon Grill & Ale House
Plaza Grill
Butterfly Cafe
Keys Fisheries Restaurant
COOL GUY STUFF
Bull Head $100
Steampunk Octopus $70
THE TACKLE BOX
32oz Custom Water Bottles | $30. Adding a name is an extra $5.
BAYSHORE CLOTHING Emerson and Friends
Bamboo Pajamas Top $39.95 | Bottom $38
GALLERY 6 Hand Blown Art Glass | $100 - $1,000
MISS MONROE
Pearl & Rhinestone Jean Jacket
$58
Freshwater Pearl on 18k Gold Plated Oval Hoop Earrings
SHELL WORLD
Spartina Woven Dune Satchel, Hamilton Crab | $168
SHELL WORLD
By Mark Hedden
I can’t remember exactly when the movie “Ronin” came into our lives, but I’m pretty sure we saw it in the theater. Maybe it was shown by the Key West Film Society – the predecessor of the Tropic Cinema on Eaton Street. Maybe it was shown at the old Atlantic Shores.
I do remember part of the review of the movie in the New Yorker when it came out that said, essentially, “Ronin” did not have one of the best car chases in modern cinema – it had three of the best car chases in modern cinema.
You might ask how it became one of my wife’s and my favorite Christmas movies, but even if you didn’t ask, I am going to tell you.
CELEBRATING THE SEASON GUNFIRE AND ROBERT DE
Like most young people who weren’t raised in the Keys, in our early years here my future wife and I would go home to visit our families in separate places over the holidays. But holiday travel is the worst – expensive, crowded, chaotic, unreliable. You have, by casual estimation, about a 60% chance of getting where you are going on time. Also, traveling over the holidays meant having to either be apart from the person you were building a life with, or choosing one family over another.
We traveled like that for a number of years but, to steal a concept from another movie, it was the Kobayashi Maru, the no-win scenario. Unless you changed the rules.
At some point we realized we could simply visit our families at other, non-holiday times of the year – when flights were more reasonable, when everyone wasn’t impossibly busy, when the weather there was optimal (spring, summer, fall) and the weather in the Keys was not (summer, which often spills into spring and fall).
That first Christmas in Key West was in the low ‘50s and we didn’t have heat, which made the wooden floors of our condo creak all the louder. Nan had given me the Star Wars trilogy (on VHS, because we are that old) and we spent the day on the couch, under a quilt, drinking hot chocolate and under-proofed schnapps while watching Luke and Leia work through their family issues.
It wasn’t what we did every year – “Star Wars” doesn’t really have a season – but movies became important. We watched “It’s A Wonderful Life” a few times, but it wasn’t one either of us needed to see annually. The same with “Elf,” no matter what a classic it is. Neither of us had felt much attachment to “A Christmas Story.” (Heresy, I know.) “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is the greatest of the classics, but it only lasts 25 minutes.
Fortunately, “Die Hard” came along and changed the terms. Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson and Alexander Godunov. Lots of broken glass, explosions, helicopters and gun fights, all on the upper floors of an L.A. high-rise during an anonymous corporate Christmas party. A holiday favorite did not have to be so expressive about the lessons of Christmas. Proximity on the calendar was good enough.
“Ronin” came out in 1998, the year before Nan and I got married. It was directed by John Frankenheimer, who had a rather hit-or-miss career, with high points such as “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” “Grand Prix” and “The Manchurian Candidate,” and regrettables such as “The Island of Dr. Moreau” and “Reindeer Games.” The title was a Japanese term to describe samurai who had lost their master and were at professional loose ends. It was thought to be an homage to Akira Kurosawa, director of “Rashomon” and “Seven Samurai.”
WITH SQUEALING TIRES, NIRO
If you aren’t living right and have never seen “Ronin,” it is basically a late ’90s spy movie. It stars Robert De Niro and the suave and gravel-voiced Frenchman Jean Reno, as well as Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce, and two-time Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt. The cars are all Audis, Mercedes, Citroens and Renaults. It takes place in France – Paris, Nice, Arles.
The plot of “Ronin” is about a bunch of spies who’ve become rootless after the end of the Cold War. They are freelancers trying to retrieve/steal an aluminum briefcase attached to the wrist of a vaguely Russian oligarch. There are twists, turns and betrayals, though honestly, it doesn’t matter too much. The suitcase is a MacGuffin.
The movie is really about Euro-cool styling, stunning locations, squealing tires, masterful driving and gunfire with consequences.
De Niro says cool, neo-noir things like, “Lady, I never walk into a place I don’t know how to walk out of.”
Later, Jean Reno asks De Niro, “What would I profit from your death?” De Niro says, “Well, you’d have to have money.” Reno taps his pocket and says, “I have the money already.” And they know they can trust each other after that.
There is no CG. The rules of physics are not lessened or degraded due to a character’s hero status or an actor’s star power. (Looking at you, “The Fast & The Furious 1-17.”) Gravity is enforced by law. Sure, maybe Robert De Niro’s aim shooting a rocket launcher out the roof of a speeding Mercedes might not have been that accurate in real life, but it was at least in the realm of possibilities, or adjacent to the realm.
On Nan’s and my first trip to Paris, we of course went to the Louvre and gaped at the Eiffel Tower. But we spent just as much time searching out the locations from “Ronin” – the long set of foggy stairs that DeNiro walks down in the first scene, the bridge over the Seine where the sniper was hidden when they met the arms dealer, the tunnel where they raced the wrong way through traffic.
The movie floated around on our calendar for several years, affixed to no specific date. But then on the 10th or 15th viewing we noticed something – a 30-second throwaway scene of a camera panning a public square with a choir of local children singing and holding candles, and at the very end, little more than a flash, a man dressed as Père Noël, the Franco version of Santa Claus.
Boom, it was a Christmas movie. You make your own traditions. “Ronin” is one of ours.
By Erin Stover
YULETIDE YOUR WAY
The year of my divorce, I moved into my first solo apartment in over a decade on December 1. Christmas was imminent, but felt like a lifetime away. I wasn’t particularly excited about its approach, but wasn’t bothered by it either. It just was. One night I strolled to a gallery opening where I found a hand-painted ornament that admonished its reader, “Don’t f@#k with my fa la la.” It was the perfect sentiment, so I bought it, along with a foot-tall stick tree and a single string of lights for support and accompaniment, respectively. It was the first holiday in my adult life when I realized there isn’t a right or wrong way to celebrate. Not everything has to be imbued with meaning — we can find peace and joy in the small and unexpected.
In talking to friends, I learned these joyous micromoments are universal. Some I’d never considered as anything unusual because, through years of friendship, they had normalized in my mind as well. For example, the Key West friend who each year completely decks her tree, in glorious abundance, with rubber chickens. Another local friend pulls out all the stops for her annual “Bloody Merry” brunch on Christmas Day. Pajamas and formal gowns are equally encouraged as the group noshes on homemade latkes (a nod to her Jewish roots) and downs glasses of OJ and bubbles.
Others find solace and familiarity in adapted rituals that evolve over the years. A friend who moved from New England to Key West knew it was futile to attempt to recreate the snowy days her kids experienced growing up in Maine. There simply wasn’t a substitute for skiing all afternoon after opening gifts in the morning.
So, rather than dwell in nostalgia for the classic winter that first season, she gathered her family to go play a game of tennis at Bayview Park, then head to White Street Pier to look for shells. After watching the sunset over the ocean, they loaded into their decorated Jeep and took a spin around the island to check out the holiday lights. Ten years later, tennis on a balmy December day and an afternoon shell-hunt feels like Christmas to this foursome.
All the unconventional gatherings around a rubber chicken tree, drunken silliness at latke brunches and tennis games reinforce a holiday ideal that actually feels fairly traditional – family. Regardless of how we celebrate, or who we consider family, we tend to universally seek out peace and comfort around this time of year. Solace can be found in a quiet winter night by a fireplace, or in a night at home eating Chinese takeout with an obscenity-laden tree in the background. Family can take the form of our traditional families-of-origin (moms, dads, kiddos), or of adopted goofballs who share our love of the slightly eccentric and off-kilter. The holiday season amplifies the good and the bad in our life, which throws the things we miss into sharper focus. But rather than getting stuck on the places we no longer occupy, or the friends to whom we’re no longer connected, look around your home, your neighborhood. In all likelihood there’s a rubber chicken tree, a tennis game or some latkes not too far away.
By Karen Newfield
MenorahsMistletoe, & Magic
ROMANCE FOR EVERY CELEBRATION
CHRISTMAS WITH THE QUEEN
By Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
No one expected young Elizabeth to become the monarch so soon. Upon the death of her beloved father, King George VI, Elizabeth becomes a 25-year-old Queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries. With Philip by her side, they raise four children and lift England out of the ashes of war. Her father’s famous Christmas Day speech approaches and the normally calm Queen is a bundle of nerves. Christmas at Sandringham Estate is decorated to the nines and a few privileged journalists are invited to report on the royal holidays. Young Olive Carter has the opportunity of a lifetime when her long-standing nemesis falls ill. Ready to make a name for herself, Olive’s gregarious personality and a little luck set her directly in the Queen’s path. When the royal chefs prepare the feast, Olive stumbles upon handsome Jack. Although many years have passed, these friends still carry undeniable chemistry and slowly their friendship rekindles. As their worlds collide, Olive and Jack consider their flourishing careers and relinquish their hearts to the wonder of Christmas.
LOVE YOU A LATKE
By Amanda Elliot
Being the only Jew on the tourist board in her small Vermont town, Abby Cohen was appointed leader of the Hanukkah Festival. While the surrounding towns focus on Christmas, the group decided it would draw a larger crowd by creating something unique to the area. With her cafe barely making ends
meet, Abby couldn’t resist the opportunity to improve her bottom line. Seth, one of her most annoying but loyal customers, offers to help find the best vendors if Abby would do one little favor: come to New York and pretend to be his girlfriend for one week. Apparently Seth has led his loving parents to believe he was in a relationship with a nice Jewish girl. Even though his overzealous kindness tends to be annoying, this could prove helpful. As they explore the holiday wonder of New York City, Abby is reminded of the community she left behind. Devouring delectable latkes and sugary doughnuts, she finds Seth’s friends and family turn out to be a warm welcome to a holiday she had almost forgotten. A delicious romp through the eight nights of lights.
WE THREE KINGS
By Kristin Bailey
Resolved to spend Christmas alone cuddled on her comfy couch, Maggie Field was surprised to find herself with not one holiday celebration – but three. As head manager of the IT department at a large financial firm in London, Maggie treats her coworkers like family. When “the boys” learn Maggie will be solo for the break they act quickly. Neurotic Frank invites her to be his plus-one at his sister’s wedding, Posh Jasper, who has one foot out of the closet, brings her along to join his boisterous family at their fancy estate. And sweet Leo includes Maggie in a pictureperfect countryside holiday. Heartwarming friendship and a budding romance are quickly daunted when HR quietly demands Maggie make one of
these amazing guys redundant after the New Year. Horrified at the thought of hurting anyone’s feelings and derailing their future plans she must find a way to enjoy the beauty of Christmas and not destroy this team she has grown to love. Funny, cute and cozy, this quirky cast of characters brings the magic of the holidays to life.
NEW YORK TO MUMBAI
By Shikha Narula
Finally finished with law school, Princey Khurana is excited to join her father’s successful firm. Having grown up in New York City, Princey hasn’t participated in many Indian traditions since she was a little girl. Her father has done his best, but since her mother passed away, she has felt that holidays like Diwali were a waste of time and money. As a special gift, her father sends her on a sneaky business trip to Mumbai. Princey must deliver some very important documents and at the same time stay with old family friends who happen to have a handsome son, Varun Varma. As this young man introduces Princey to life in Mumbai she gets a chance to experience Diwali, one of the biggest festivals in India. Lasting five days, the myths and stories behind the holiday share themes of justice and liberation – marking the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, with more than a billion Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists around the world celebrating. This spiritual and heartwarming romance is an enjoyable novella highlighting the festival of lights.
for the whole family!
MEN • WOMEN • KIDS
Home of the Fred the Tree collection!
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Candice is wearing a Flying Tomato dress
By Chris McNulty
WHAT’S COMING NEXT?
YEAR AHEAD HOROSCOPES
Well, fair readers, we have traversed another solar year, hopefully more or less unscathed and ideally a little healthier and wiser. While 2024 was marked by anticipation and suspense, Pluto, the planet of power and transformation, finally made its permanent move from Capricorn into Aquarius on Nov. 19, 2024, after a year of teasing us by crossing the boundary between the two. We’ve been living under Pluto in Capricorn since 2008, where it’s highlighted themes of structure, authority, and material power. Now that Pluto has shifted into Aquarius for the next 20 years, we are moving into a whole new reality. This marks the beginning of deep societal changes centered around technology, collective progress and a redistribution of power from the elite to the people.
ARIES
March 21 – April 19
In 2025, you’ll begin to question whom you surround yourself with — your community, friends and support systems. Pluto is starting a long journey that will revolutionize how you connect and communicate, but this year, just observe and be curious. Change will unfold gradually. In June, Jupiter brings blessings to your home and family life, offering you joy and emotional fulfillment.
TAURUS
April 20 – May 20
Your career and public reputation are in for a powerful shift and it might feel unsettling at first. This is just the beginning of a long period of transformation in your professional life, so take stock of what feels true to you. You’ll have plenty of time to make changes. In June, Jupiter will help expand your communication skills, offering new ways to connect and a larger audience for your voice.
GEMINI
May 21 – June 21
The changes ushered in by Pluto in Aquarius won’t happen overnight. 2025 will be a year of settling into this new energy, and the adjustments we’ll need to make will feel profound. We will feel shifts in how we think, communicate and navigate our communities and social systems. In addition, Jupiter, the planet of growth and expansion, will move into Cancer on June 9, 2025. Jupiter thrives in Cancer, where its energy brings joy, protection and emotional fulfillment. The second half of the year will feel lighter, with themes of home, family and personal security coming into focus for all of us. Here are your 2025 horoscopes, focusing on Pluto in Aquarius and Jupiter in Cancer. Read for your rising and sun signs.
2025 marks the start of a profound new era for how you approach learning, travel and exploration. Pluto’s transit is nudging you to rethink your worldview and what you consider “new experiences.” The way you learn and grow will evolve over the next 20 years, and it begins now. In June, Jupiter brings an exciting boost to your financial life — whether through new income or a great windfall. Expect abundance.
CANCER
June 22 – July 22
Pluto is asking you to reconsider your approach to shared resources, investments and collective efforts. Over time, you’ll see the power of collaboration, but 2025 is a year to start exploring what that might look like for you. In June, Jupiter enters your sign, blessing you with confidence, growth and selflove. Expect a surge of optimism and a chance to shine in your personal and professional life.
LEO
July 23 – Aug. 22
This year starts a long chapter of deep transformation in your closest relationships. Pluto in Aquarius is pushing you to reimagine what partnership means, whether romantic or otherwise. How you connect with others is about to shift profoundly, but this year, simply let the questions arise. By June, Jupiter will help you find joy and peace in solitude, making space for self-reflection and inner growth.
VIRGO
Aug. 23 – Sept. 22
Your daily routines and wellness habits are up for a major overhaul. Pluto’s long transit through Aquarius will encourage you to rethink how you care for yourself, both mentally and physically. 2025 will reveal where change is needed. In June, Jupiter opens the door to new friendships and social opportunities, bringing a year of expanded community support and deepening bonds.
LIBRA
Sept. 23 – Oct. 23
Creativity and personal expression are becoming long-term themes in your life. Pluto’s energy is pushing you to dive deeper into your artistic side, searching for the inner core of what truly inspires you. 2025 will be the start of this creative adventure. By June, your career will take a turn for the better, as Jupiter brings growth and success in professional endeavors.
SCORPIO
Oct. 24 – Nov. 21
Your sense of home and family will begin to shift in 2025. Pluto is asking you to redefine your roots, the place you come from and the foundations on which you stand. Big changes may be brewing in your domestic life, but take your time navigating them. In June, Jupiter brings opportunities for travel and higher learning, giving you the freedom to explore new horizons.
SAGITTARIUS
Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
2025 marks the beginning of a long journey of transforming how you communicate and share ideas. Pluto’s presence will make you more aware of the power in your words and how they shape your interactions. Take your time getting used to this new awareness. In June, Jupiter blesses your financial partnerships and investments, offering growth through shared resources.
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
The way you value yourself and your resources is going through a radical change. Pluto is starting a long-term transformation of your personal finances and value system, and 2025 will give you the first taste of what needs to evolve. Be patient with this process. In June, Jupiter brings expansion and joy to your relationships, whether through new connections or deepening bonds with loved ones.
AQUARIUS
Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
Pluto in your sign is a powerful force, and it’s asking you to transform how you see yourself. This is a long process, but in 2025, you’ll start to feel the beginnings of a profound inner shift. Your identity is evolving and you’re becoming someone new. By June, Jupiter will bring growth to your wellness routines, helping you find joy in caring for yourself physically and mentally.
PISCES
Feb. 19 – March 20
2025 is the start of a long period of deep inner work. Pluto’s energy will bring to light the ways you might undermine yourself, offering you a chance to understand your subconscious patterns. This year, start by noticing where you hold yourself back. In June, Jupiter will help your creativity soar, giving you an outlet to express your dreams and bring joy to others through your artistic talents.
By Stephanie Mitchell
Well, that went quickly, didn’t it? Here we are sitting precariously close to 2025 and many of us are starting to think about how we’ll change ourselves in the New Year. Gyms, weight-loss tools and grocery stores are counting on it.
So might I encourage a new way to “resolution?” A wise man, also the selfproclaimed “Director of Fun,” said to me last year, “You know, I don’t make resolutions, but I do choose a word that I try to establish each day in my life over the coming year.
“Whether it be appreciate, kindness, boundaries, etc., it makes it easier to stick to and ultimately achieve throughout the year.”
So, we’ve been doing this all wrong, eh?
DIRECTOR OF FUN APPROVED COCKTAILSWHERE SIMPLICITY REIGNS SUPREME
MAKER’S MARK MANHATTAN
2 1/2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon
1/3 ounces sweet vermouth
1 dash bitters
½ tsp Bada Bing cherry juice
Bada Bing cherries and/or orange peel, for garnish
1 large ice cube
Served in a rocks glass
GREY GOOSE & TONIC
1.5 oz Grey Goose vodka
5.0 oz Tonic water
Loads of ice
Garnish with a lime wedge or two
Served in a highball glass
RESOLUTION? WORD!
Stir&enjoy! Stir&enjoy!
HOLIDAYS ARE FOR GIVING...
CHARITY
STARTS AT HOME,
AND IN THE FLORIDA KEYS THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF WORTHY ORGANIZATIONS DESERVING OF YOUR FINANCIAL AND/OR VOLUNTEER SUPPORT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.
CHILDREN
• Bahama Village Music Program has inspired the musical aspirations of hundreds of kids in Key West over the past two decades by providing instruments, education and performance opportunities. bvmpkw.com/donations
• Florida Keys Children’s Shelter is a haven for children in need as well as counseling services for youth. keysshelter.kindful.com
• Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition aims to improve the health and well-being of pregnant women, children and their families in Monroe County. keyshealthystart.org
• Florida Keys Toys for Tots program collects new, unwrapped toys throughout the holiday season for less fortunate children. Visit Florida Keys Toys for Tots on Facebook.
• Take Stock in Children provides Florida Prepaid college scholarships to qualified 6th-10th graders in lowincome households in Monroe County. monroecountyedfound.com/about-takestock
• The Educational Coalition for Monroe County helps students and families facing special circumstances with basic necessities, academic support, holiday wishes, weekend food bags and more. Email christina.belotti@yahoo.com
• Presents in Paradise operates to make sure every kid in the Florida Keys experiences the magic of the holidays. presents-in-paradise.com
• Voices for Florida Keys Children is dedicated to the betterment of abandoned, abused and neglected children in Monroe County. voiceskids.org
• Wesley House Family Services provides foster and adoptive services for the entire county including parenting classes and daycare. wesleyhouse.org
HUMANS
• A Positive Step of Monroe County has been serving Monroe County’s highest risk kids and their families since 1999. APSMC identifies unmet needs and provides services to meet them, including summer jobs, a Fatherhood Initiative and more. apsmc.org
• Active Disabled Americans is an organization based in Key Largo that provides accessible boating experiences to people living with physical and mental disabilities. Visit activedisabledamericans.org to learn more.
• AH of Monroe County Inc. provides medical case management, affordable housing, health education, preventative services, and linkage to care. Visit ahmonroe.org.
• Autism Society of the Keys serves families in the Keys affected by Autism, the greatest health epidemic in the world today. Visit autismsocietyofthekeys.com to learn more.
• Baptist Health Foundation has many philanthropic opportunities that support healthcare facilities and programs in Monroe County. See baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-foundation for more information.
• Coldwell Banker Charitable Foundation is dedicated to helping Keys residents whose critical needs are not being met through other means. Help the cause by visiting gooddeedsinthekeys.org.
• Burton Memorial Food Panty provides a hearty hot meal and food items to the Upper Keys community. Visit bmumc.net to learn how you can help.
• Domestic Abuse Shelter provides victims of domestic abuse and their families with safe emergency shelter, safety planning, risk assessments, crisis intervention and other support and advocacy services at no charge. Go to
domesticabuseshelter.org to help.
• First Baptist Church of Islamorada Food Pantry provides residents with a sit-down, hot meal, grocery items and clothing. To help the cause, visit thecommunityministry.org.
• Good Health Clinic serves as a healthcare home for the low-income and uninsured residents of the Florida Keys. Support the cause by visiting thegoodhealthclinic.org.
• Habitat for Humanity is a nationally recognized organization making a significant impact in the Florida Keys by building and financing homes for deserving locals families. Visit habitatupperkeys. org to support Islamorada, Tavernier and Key Largo. Hit habitatmiddlekeys.org for Marathon and www.habitatlowerkeys. org for the Lower Keys and Key West.
• KAIR is a certified food pantry based in Marathon that also provides needy families with rental and utility assistance, school supplies, transportation and much more. Call 305.743.4582 to give.
• MARC supports adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities to understand daily community routines and learn social, self-care, vocational skills. See marchouse.org for more information.
• Queer Keys supports, educates, empowers and celebrates the queer community in the Florida Keys through special events, individual resources and a community center in Key West. queerkeys.org
• Samuel’s House provides housing and essential services to the homeless men, women and children of our community. Visit samuelshouse.org for more information.
• SOS Foundation fosters a healthier Monroe County community by increasing food access and nutrition education. Learn how you can help by visiting sosfoundation.org.
• The Salvation Army provides emergency financial assistance, disaster services, and holiday assistance to individuals and families in the Florida Keys. Visit salvationarmyfloridakeys.org to learn more.
• United Way of Collier and the Keys supports a number of organizations throughout Monroe County, so for those who want to spread the joy — the United Way is the place to give. Click on uwcollierkeys.org/give.
• Womankind is a medical and wellness center providing family planning and health care to people of all income levels. Visit womankindkeywest.org to learn more.
ANIMALS
• Dolphin Research Center is a nonprofit research and education center that provides a home for dolphins, sea lions, parrots and tortoises. The center also operates a manatee rescue team for the entire Keys. Click on dolphins. org for donation information.
• Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder leads and operates the only whale and dolphin stranding organization covering 10,000 square miles of marine habitat in the Florida Keys. Visit dpmmr.org to learn how you can help.
• Florida Keys SPCA is dedicated to the humane treatment of all animals through compassionate care, adoption, education, population control and humane law enforcement. The SPCA has a Key West and Marathon campus with adorable furry faces. Click on fkspca.org to learn how you can donate.
• Florida Keys Wild Bird Center rescues, rehabilitates, shelters and releases wild birds that have been displaced or harmed. Support the birds by visiting keepthemflying.org.
• Forgotten Felines of the Florida Keys’ primary goal is to trap, spay/neuter and treat homeless and abandoned cats. The group practices the humane TNR method: trap, spay/neuter and return. Adoptions of cats and kittens are offered when available. Donations can be made at forgottenfelinesofthefloridakeys.com.
• Key West Wildlife Center provides a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center with a 6-acre park for viewing native birds in the wild. keywestwildlifecenter. org
• Marathon Wild Bird Center’s sole purpose is to rescue, rehabilitate and release both migratory and resident wild birds when they become sick, injured or orphaned. Visit marathonwildbirdcenter. org to learn how you can help.
• MarrVelous Pet Rescues provides care and treatment for abandoned and stray pets. Help the cause by visiting mprescue.org.
• Pawsitive Beginnings provides a safe and happy home to foxes that have been saved from fur farms, all while supporting local children with a new animal therapy den. Learn more at pawsitivebeginnings.org.
• Payton’s Promise Sanctuary provides a “soft place to land” for dogs who are homeless, have special needs, are nearing end-of-life or are otherwise difficult to adopt. Surf over to paytonspromisesanctuary.org to donate.
• The Turtle Hospital is a fully-functioning veterinary hospital for sick and injured sea turtles. The center rescues, rehabs and releases sea turtles in the Florida Keys. Visit turtlehospital.org to see how you can help.
• Upper Keys Humane Society is a no-kill shelter that provides food, shelter and medical care and adoption services for unwanted abandoned animals. Support their efforts by visiting ukhsociety.org.
ENVIRONMENT
• Conch Republic Marine Army volunteers remove shoreline trash and restore marine habitats. Learn more about their efforts at conchrepublicmarinearmy.org.
• Coral Restoration Foundation restores coral reefs on a massive scale, educates on the importance of our oceans, and uses science to further coral research. Visit coralrestoration. org to learn more.
• I.CARE brings together local businesses, residents and visitors in the restoration and maintenance of our coral reef communities in Islamorada. Visit icareaboutcoral.org to help.
• MarineLab uses education and adventure in the Florida Keys ecosystem to foster environmental awareness and stewardship. See how you can support the cause by visiting marinelab.org.
• Mote Marine Laboratory is one of the world’s leading marine science, research and education organizations and has a major presence and commitment to the Florida Key. See mote.org to see how you can donate.
• Pigeon Key Foundation protects the cultural history of the Keys while serving as a marine science and education facility for youth locally and from around the world. Surf over to pigeonkey.net to learn how you can help.
• Plant a Million Corals sets out to ensure the survival of our reefs globally by reproducing fast growing and resilient corals, and by providing education on coral reefs. Visit plantamillioncorals. org for more information.
• Reef Relief is dedicated to improving and protecting our coral reef ecosystem through research, education, advocacy, public awareness and ecotourism. Visit reefrelief.org to see how you can help.
• Reef Renewal USA is dedicated to improving and protecting our coral reef ecosystem through research, education, advocacy, public awareness and ecotourism. Learn more at reefrelief.org.
• R3EACH involves Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation of the threatened marine species and Education and Awareness for Communities about the fragile marine habitats that make up the Florida Keys. Visit floridakeysaquariumencounters.com and click the “Conservation” tab to learn more about the nonprofit.
• Reef Environmental Education Foundation protects marine life worldwide through education, service and research. Learn more at reef.org.
Scan the QR code for a full list of Florida Keys nonprofit organizations.
THE HOLIDAYS CAN BE AN OVERWHELMING TIME FOR US ALL. BUT YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND HELP IS AVAILABLE.
KEYS WEEKLY HAS COMPILED A LIST OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED OF FOOD, FINANCIAL HELP, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROTECTION OR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
KEYS WEEKLY CARES...
DIAL 988 - SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a suicide prevention network of over 200 crisis centers in the U.S. that provide 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.
SOS MISSION FOOD PANTRY
• 5640 Maloney Ave, Stock Island.
• St. Justin Martyr Church, 105500 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo. For additional locations and distribution schedules, visit sosfoundation.org or call 305-292-3013.
GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH
• 24-hour suicide and mental health hotline: 305-434-7660, option #8.
• Guidance/Care Center provides mental health and/or substance abuse help regardless of ability to pay.
• Free services for youth and teens are available; no one is turned away for inability to pay.
• Psychiatrists and case managers speak English and Spanish (translation available for Creole, Russian, Czech and Polish). Contact 305-434-7660 option #4.
QUEER KEYS
An LGBTQIA+ community center, providing programs and services for queer youth, seniors and trans folks, including a Key West community center at 1100 Truman Ave. and weekly meetup for kids 12-18.The program provides a safe and affirming space for kids who may be questioning their identity or orientation and aren’t comfortable discussing it at home. The weekly activities and discussions are determined by the participants and facilitated by compassionate adults. Meets Thursdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at 1100 Truman Ave. Contact info@ queerkeys.org.
SAMUEL’S HOUSE
Samuel’s House helps women, men and families in need of safe shelter due to domestic violence, substance abuse or incarceration. Visit samuelshouse.org for more information. Call 305-296-0240 or toll free 855-772-7800. After-hours emergencies: 305-296-0240.
WESLEY HOUSE HOLIDAY HELPERS
Wesley House Family Services helps Keys families provide a magical Christmas for the kids. Contact Wesley House for more information at 305-809-5000 or visit wesleyhouse.org.
FLORIDA KEYS
HEALTHY START COALITION
Can provide diapers, formula, car seats, bike helmets and transportation to prenatal appointments for new and soon-to-be parents in need. Apply online at keyshealthystart.org or call 305-293-8424 for more information.
PROJECT LIGHTHOUSE
The holidays can be particularly tough for homeless teens and runaways. Project Lighthouse, a division of the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter, is a youth activities, resources and drop-in center in the heart of Key West. The staff helps runaway, homeless and at-risk street youth, many of whom have traveled throughout the country, locate appropriate and available services such as food and medical care. Through encouragement and engagement, staff can create opportunities to explore issues of safe living situations, employment and family contact or reunification. Open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located at 1102 Truman Ave. 305-292-0999. All services free of charge.
