What Everyone Gets Wrong When it Comes to Writing a Family Holiday Letter

The actual letter I sent out for Christmas this year.December 2025This is the time of year when we’re supposed to send out little notes to let everyone know how our family is doing. We wish for peace on Earth and celebrate a feeling of goodwill.But this year, I find I can’t engage in such superficial platitudes without sounding like an enormous hypocrite. I know that we’re not supposed to actually tell the truth about what we think in holiday letters. Instead, we’re pressured to maintain the illusion that everything is okay, and in so doing we enable the systems of oppression that are crushing us and which we desperately need to talk about.This is likely to be the last holiday letter I’ll ever write because my immigrant family is being hunted by the United States government. That’s not hyperbole. Masked men who refuse to identify themselves are grabbing anyone who doesn’t look to be a descendant of the Aryan race. That’s American in 2025. That’s what Republicans voted for.Anyone who claims to stand for decency and humanity needs to speak out. The first step is recognizing what’s happening. Now that you’ve read this letter, you can no longer claim ignorance.Republicans are hunting women, they’re hunting children, if you think you’re untouchable you need to read up on your history. You need to read up on the real history, not the sanitized lies that Republicans insist must be taught in schools because they claim the truth “hurts their feelings.”What’s the point in even having relationships if we can’t ask our friends and relatives for aid? If you agree reach out. If not, kindly censor yourself.Friends, I’m writing to you in distress. Republicans have targeted my family for extermination and they’re not even pretending to hide it. The holiday season urges us to consider the less fortunate. Well, take a few moments to consider how immigrants felt in 2025. Take a moment to consider the survivors of Epstein’s child trafficking ring. Read Virginia Giuffre’s book. Face the awful truth.The truth is that we like to think of ourselves as decent human beings, but we live in a country that elected a criminal to the highest office of the land. This is a man who has bragged openly about sexually assaulting women. He’s cut programs to help children in favor of funding his own personal gestapo committed to an agenda of ethnic cleansing. Anyone alive in times like these has a duty to defend the innocent. Denial is not an option.Let’s make something clear, the problems of today weren’t caused by one man. This year has revealed the corruption lurking beneath our venerated traditions. Anyone who voted for any conservative in the last 40 years has contributed to the atrocities happening today. Spending a few hours volunteering at a charitable turkey feed will not erase those crimes against humanity.It’s no secret that atrocities are being committed unopposed throughout our country and the world. The secret police is still out there hunting immigrants, and they’re not going to take my wife and kids.Is anyone going to dare to tell me that this message is “not appropriate” for a Christmas letter? I’M ASKING YOU TO STAND WITH ME IN DEFENSE OF MY FAMILY! What are the consequences of inaction in times like these, not just for your life but for your immortal soul? Now’s not the time to sip on Eggnog and watch “Home Alone” and pretend to ruminate on the ideals of this season. Maybe this year we should actually do something. Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough.I hope you all prosper in 2026. The Republicans are trying to kill us. Speak out!You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI’m so happy you’re here, and I’m looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe