December 1st

Haints by Meghan Palmer on shelves.

“Haints” is a fantastical novel that tells the story of the Whitts, a shamanistic Appalachian family, each with their own special talent, tied to their farm since time immemorial. They live a life of uneasy truce with the surrounding community. For generations, the family has been tasked with protecting the world from the threat of haints―spirits drawn to feast on the bright, delicious lure of human emotion. When the haints are called out again, the entire Whitt family must find a new weapon to restore the precarious push and pull of light and dark. The ancestral spirits, bursting from their slumber as butterflies, lead the valley in a spirit walk, where the Whitt family must find the ultimate weapon against despair. But first, the Whitts will have to conquer their own doubts and fears.”

December 3rd

The British black comedy Silent Night in theaters and streaming on AMC+

“A couple invite their closest friends to join their family for Christmas dinner at their idyllic home in the English countryside. As the group comes together, it feels like old times — but behind all of the laughter and merriment, something isn’t quite right. The world outside is facing impending doom, and no amount of gifts, games or wine can make mankind’s imminent destruction go away. Surviving the holidays just got a lot more complicated.”

Guillermo del Toro’s thriller Nightmare Alley in theaters.

“When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.”

December 5th

Not much is known about the origins of the European holiday Krampusnatch, but we do know that it is celebrated the night of December 5th, before the feast of Saint Nicholas. The holiday pays homage to Krampus, the hairy, horned companion of Saint Nicholas who punishes misbehaving children.

December 7th

Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman on shelves.

“Formerly titled The Hill We Climb and Other Poems, Amanda Gorman’s remarkable new collection reveals an energizing and unforgettable voice in American poetry. Call Us What We Carry is Gorman at her finest. Including “The Hill We Climb,” the stirring poem read at the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, and bursting with musical language and exploring themes of identity, grief, and memory, this lyric of hope and healing captures an important moment in our country’s consciousness while being utterly timeless.”

December 13, 14

Geminids Meteor Shower. The Geminids is the king of the meteor showers. It is considered by many to be the best shower in the heavens, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. The waxing gibbous moon will block out most of the fainter meteors this year. But the Geminids are so numerous and bright that this could still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

December 18th

Full Moon

December 21st

Winter Solstice, the start of winter and the longest night of the year.

December 24th

The South Korean sci-fi mystery thriller The Silent Sea streaming on Netflix.

“During a perilous 24-hour mission on the moon, space explorers try to retrieve samples from an abandoned research facility steeped in classified secrets.”