Sunday Culture: Looking toward the holiday season
Here's the festive content Old Gold & Black staff writer Prarthna Batra has been consuming.
This time of year is very special to me, and a lot of exciting things are coming up. It is the appropriate time for Christmas celebrations and music to begin! Diwali, which is my personal favorite holiday of the year, is also right around the corner. As it gets colder, all of the content of choice is starting to become a little more “cozy.” All these factors combined makes for a vast array of content to be consumed.
Top Songs on my Playlist :
“Underneath the Tree” — Kelly Clarkson
“All I Want for Christmas is You”— Mariah Carey ( the queen has defrosted! )
“Last Christmas” — Wham!
“Glue Song” — Beabadoobee
“My Love Mine All Mine” — Mitski
“Nothing” — Bruno Major
“Zaalima” — Arijit Singh and Harshedeep Kaur
“Naina Da Kya Kasoor” — Amit Trivedi
“Dil Nu” — AP Dhillon and Shinda Kahlon
“Khaabon Ke Parinday” —Alyssa Mendonsa and Mohit Chauhan
What I’ve been watching:
“Gilmore Girls”
As soon as the temperatures start to drop even a little, it is instantly the time of year that “Gilmore Girls” is getting rewatched. The number of fans who choose to rewatch this show every year makes me wonder what it is about the show that hits the point of appeal every single time. The popular show ended 16 years ago, yet fans find comfort in Stars Hollow every fall.
The series takes on a life, amassing new fans each year. The change of seasons in the show is something beautiful to witness, as the mother-daughter duo admire the transition from the fall season into the winter months. Before moving to North Carolina for college, the changing seasons weren’t something I had ever witnessed before. To have it now and be able to connect with the show makes it all the more special to admire the beauty that our surroundings have to offer. To me, the appeal of this show lies in the special mother-daughter relationship between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Being away at college and far from my family, this show helps me feel connected to an important relationship in my life — the one I share with my mom. The mundanity of the show, such as Rory just going about her life in Chilton and then Yale, or sharing a cup of coffee with her best friend, reminds me that life is indeed about the simple things. This show also makes as a perfect leave-on-in-the-background show while you study. #TeamJess, always.
Koffee with Karan
My favorite Bollywood reality talk show was just recently renewed for its eighth season. Koffee with Karan is probably the most popular Bollywood talk show in recent times. It is hosted by beloved filmmaker and television personality, Karan Johar. It holds its place as one of the most watched Indian English-language television shows. Every episode features an iconic Bollywood actor duo, which makes for great gossip and entertainment in the world of Bollywood. Some guests on season eight so far have included Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, and upcoming episodes boast a great lineup with duos such as Kareena Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, and Kajol and Rani Mukerji. This show connects back to one of my greatest interests and things I whole-heartedly enjoy — Bollywood and all that the Bollywood world entails. Watching this show takes me right back to my couch at home in Delhi, surrounded by friends and family, laughing and bonding over something we all love so much. To me, Koffee with Karan is a sweet reminder of home, even when I am thousands of miles away.
As I sign off for the weekend, I’d like to leave with a note about my favorite Diwali traditions and memories, as we now make our way to the week of Diwali. Diwali is the Hindu “festival of lights” and the most significant South Asian holiday of the year. It celebrates the victory of good over evil. This year, it will be celebrated on the 12th of November.
Reminiscing on Diwali, my brother and I used to run around and compete to see who made the better rangoli, and the door of our house was perpetually left open for guests to stop by with Diwali sweets and wishes. The lights and warmth of the city and its people made even the darkest night of the year the one that stood out the brightest.
— Prarthna Batra