#some of this is definitely because the game is from a japanese perspective and xmas isnt the same type of holiday there

[nageki-the-friendly-ghost]

as someone who doesn't celebrate christmas, holiday star is honestly so important to me as the only "holiday season" media that I feel fully comfortable engaging with. Having a main character from a non-christian faith who doesn't celebrate Christmas herself AND is never challenged on that or made to engage with it except to the extent she wants to to support her friends, and the whole range of different levels of investments the other characters have in it. The way the game doesn't just end at Christmas, but MOST of it actually occurs afterwards, which makes it actually more of a generic holiday special than most media that claims to be "holiday" themed. The way the Christmas music is used so fittingly in the soundtrack so that I can actually appreciate the artistry and emotion of these pieces instead of the overwhelming dread and societal pressure I feel hearing them in public spaces. The way "a holiday that never ends" is presented as undesirable, and how people should want the mundane and painful parts of living alongside the cheerfulness.

Merry Christmas eve those who celebrate, and happy holiday star replay time to me!