In this episode, we read three essays from the book Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris.

David Sedaris’s Santaland Diaries is a hilariously candid essay recounting his experience as a seasonal Christmas elf named “Crumpet” at Macy’s department store in New York City. In this essay he discusses becoming an Elf, elf duties, holiday cynicism, etc. The essay is filled with laugh-out-loud moments, such as Sedaris recounting elf pep talks, sarcastically responding to customer demands, or reflecting on the surreal environment of Santaland.

The second essay - David Sedaris’s Season’s Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!! is one of his darker and more satirical essays. While listening to the episode, you would see how spooked we were by this essay. This essay is a parody and satire on letter writing tradition during christmas.

The third essay - David Sedaris’s Diana the Christmas Whore is a witty and heartwarming story that recounts a humorous and slightly absurd family Christmas memory involving a prostitute named Diana and the unexpected kindness that the holiday season can inspire. This essay has family and holiday generosity as the central theme.

The essays capture the essence of David Sedaris’s storytelling: finding humor in unexpected places. It’s a reminder that the holiday season is about extending kindness and creating connections, even in the most unusual of circumstances.