The Holidays Can Be A Real Drag

With warm holiday greetings like the one I received from one of my family members on Saturday, “Happy Holidays! I had a hysterectomy the Friday before Thanksgiving and my dog had 16 teeth pulled the Tuesday after the holiday. Stay warm!” it’s no wonder I haven’t yet been able to make myself take down the Halloween decorations and put up the ‘ol Chanukka bush.

So I figured, what better way to get into the holiday spirit than by spending an evening with friends at the Dina Martina Christmas Show, Seattle’s most neurotically funny and hellaciously adorned one, er, woman Drag Queen Christmas Show at the ReBar. From the repurposed and remixed classic Christmas carols, one of which included an hysterical medley of Morrissey lyrics and one that was complete with an amazing Louis Armstrong impression in the deepest voice you’re ever going to hear from a Queen in your life, to the Secret Santa audience gifts, or as Dina pronounces it, jiffs (Do you like meat? And do you like strawberries? Good, then here’s a strawberry flavored gummy steak for you!), my cheeks were completely cramped from continuously laughing for so long.

The entire audience loved Dina. The sold out house roared with laugher at the train wreck of emotion she displayed. At times we were laughing at her, but mostly, we were laughing with her, as we could all relate to the emotional pendulum ride that is the holiday season: crazy relatives, past lovers who treated us poorly and holiday songs where we only really know the words to the chorus.

Looking around the auditorium, I was heartened to see so many couples, partners if you will, completely comfortable in publicly showing their affection toward one another as they genuinely enjoyed themselves without having to put up a guard and without having to worry about offending anyone. As I watched those couples hold each other, and as I watched groups of friends (including my own) laughing together and sincerely enjoying each others company, I have to admit, I felt a little bit of something that I feared I might not feel this year: the holiday spirit.