I'm not going to lie to you, folks - it was a challenge to get it up to get my village up for 2020.
Our sassy little wrinkle dog dying of a sudden illness in October and then a beloved member of my extended family passing away just this weekend were truly the thick layer of grief fondant on the layer cake of ass that was this year. But my village brings me joy and Katr cleared the bookshelves off for me and gave me a cool new background, so I put my urban planning hat on (it's a cloche) and got my shit together.
I kept the village small this year, gang - only one location. And it's mainly Department 56 Harry Potter village items. There's a theme this year and it's pretty subtle, so I hope you're able to pick up on it.
Gringott's Bank offers the two things we're all looking for in a bank - it protects your Galleons and believes in your basic human rights. We all roll our eyes a little when they have a float in the Pride Parade (fucking corporate rainbow washing) but still.
"I. EAT. TERFS!!!!!"
Here we have Albus and Severus explaining how She Who Must Not Be Named just kept doubling down on her bullshit transphobic "logic" this year, just over and over, just digging herself deeper and deeper into a TERF-y hole and how she used her huge platform to say things that materially endangered the well being of trans people, and also about the plot of her latest book. Minerva, who is not on Twitter, is FUCKING APPALLED. Look at her WTF face. Masterful work by Department 56 here.
Lydia the Tea Monger serves the best tea in town. Be prepared for her to talk to you about her deep crush on Elliot Page. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have been standing there for well nigh an hour.
Whether you're willow with a heart of unicorn hair or elm with a core of dragon heartstring, Ollivander's is a safe place to shop for the new wand you'll need after a year of cursing out You Know Who.
Borgin and Burkes may be engage in unethical business practices, but they're not dipshits.
They welcome magical folk of all genders to peruse their cursed necklaces and weird collection of human bones.
Over at the Three Broomsticks, the Butterbeer is hot, the Fire Whiskey is cold and Madam Rosmerta has NO TIME FOR TRANSPHOBIC BULLSHIT.
Here, Ron mansplains the nuances of gender identity - badly - to an endlessly patient Hermione. Harry just nods - because Harry know what's up.
Breckinridge serves the best roasted chestnuts in town. Be prepared for them to talk to you about their deep crush on Elliot Page. Mrs. Turner and little Nan have been standing there for well nigh an hour.
Lily Brothers saw this coming. And Jimmy at the newsstand wasn't sure he was going to put his flag up until his customer Mr. Collins stopped by one morning and tried to engage Jimmy in a conversation about "cancel culture". Jimmy got his flag from Madam Rosmerta, she had extra.
To be honest, Mrs. Crachit's not super sure what's going on around here this year. She's worried Buckbeak might try to eat her birds. Bob's late getting home from work again. But she made sure to hang this flag on her house because she has a lot of kids. And if one of them wants to tell her something...she wants them to know they can.
And that's it! I know that this holiday season will be rough for some of us and that most of us are missing seeing our families this year. I am sending you all lots of love. And I wish you all a cozy holiday season full of magic, snacks and great books by authors who don't endanger the lives of queer, non-binary and trans people with hateful rhetoric. Fuck TERFs!!
