City Journal Audio

Episode: Enduring Lessons of Christmas
Host: Rafael Mangual
Guests: Daniel DiMartino, Josh Appel
Date: December 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This special holiday episode of the City Journal podcast trades the usual policy-focused analysis for a warm, spirited discussion about the meaning of Christmas (and Hanukkah), New York holiday traditions, family, food, and the enduring lessons found in classic Christmas movies and stories. Host Rafael Mangual and guests Daniel DiMartino and Josh Appel share personal traditions, recall favorite holiday memories, and dive deep into cultural commentary on the role of tradition, faith, moral duty, and wonder in both personal life and society.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Christmas in New York: The Unique Magic

• Opening Reflections

  • All guests agree: New York does Christmas like no other city. The host expresses his unabashed love for the city during the holiday season.
  • “Christmas is my favorite holiday, and New York, I think, does it better than any other city in the world.” — Rafael Mangual [00:24]
  • Nostalgic references to iconic experiences: Macy’s windows, Juicy Couture charm bracelets, the Rockefeller Center tree, Saks Fifth Avenue displays, and the festive (and crowded!) city streets.
  • Daniel remarks on how media and movies shaped his expectations: “When you’re a kid, you watch so many movies that are about Christmas in New York City, I think that’s what makes it special.” [00:45]

• The Downside of Crowding and Urban Issues

  • Discussion on increased crowds at major attractions, with NYPD now directing traffic just for the window displays.
  • Brief mention of a crime incident at Macy's, segueing to how policy issues intersect with holiday experience:
    “Policy issues affect Christmas, too.” — Daniel DiMartino [02:08]

Personal Holiday Traditions

• Rafael Mangual: Radio City Christmas Spectacular

  • Growing up, seeing the Rockettes’ Christmas Spectacular was a milestone. It became a lifelong tradition with his family:
    “When my wife and I met, our first Christmas and every Christmas since, we have gone to the Christmas Spectacular, and now we take our kids.” [03:35]
  • Visiting Rockefeller Center, viewing store windows, and annual mall Santa photos at Roosevelt Field round out family customs.

• Daniel DiMartino: Venezuelan & Italian Fusion Feasts

  • Christmas is centered around food for Daniel. Ayakas (a Venezuelan tamal with variations of ingredients) is a labor-intensive, family-made staple:
    “It has to be a family affair. I’m making with my mom this year.” [05:18]
  • Also makes an Italian sweet called cajonetti (fried pastry with chestnut and chocolate):
    “That’s the filling, and it’s fried...I’ll bring to the office!” [06:00]

• Rafael: Coquito

  • The Mangual household enjoys Coquito, a rum-based, creamy Puerto Rican holiday drink, made in big batches and shared among family and friends:
    “What we’re drinking around the tree on Christmas...our one Christmas-specific thing.” [06:24]

• Josh Appel: Hanukkah and New York Jewish Traditions

  • As a Jewish New Yorker, Josh celebrates Hanukkah (Chanukah), noting multiple pronunciations and the lingo behind them. Family get-togethers, lighting the menorah, eating latkes (potato pancakes), and indulging in jelly donuts are at the core:
    “The Jews, to get back to the Greeks, go the exact opposite: fried potatoes and jelly donuts.” [08:22]
  • Family birthday traditions include memorable outings, such as seeing Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden.
  • Cultural crossover: Grew up with the city’s holiday entertainment—movies, TV specials, and iconic places.

The Enduring Lessons of “It’s a Wonderful Life”

• A Critique of Modern Individualism

  • The hosts dissect Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” recognizing it as a beautiful lesson in the value of community, family, and sacrifice, while also discussing its implicit messages about capitalism and moral duty.
  • Rafael observes:
    “You can pursue your own betterment...within the context of these other things that bind and ground you.” [18:36]
  • The guests elaborate on the necessity of duties and moral grounding alongside rights and freedoms, referencing both religious (Catholic social teaching and John Paul II’s writings) and founding American principles:
    “‘Freedom only works for a moral people.’...It doesn’t tell you how to live a moral and proper life. That thing can only be added by this other framework of the church or the synagogue or whatever virtue you have in your life.” — Josh Appel [16:56]
  • Reflection on social trends:
    “Nowadays...there’s this tradeoff between maximizing your personal happiness and living for others. And that’s why there’s marriage decline and birth rate decline.” — Josh Appel [17:58]

• The Power of Responsibility and Sacrifice

  • All agree the film’s central message is that depth of experience and happiness stem from bonds of duty, love, and family—even when they place limitations or require sacrifices: “The adoption of responsibilities that force you to subordinate your immediate desires for something better...” — Rafael Mangual [21:17]
  • Newfound appreciation for small joys:
    “None of [my accomplishments] will come close to the happiness I get at 6:45 am when my daughter crawls into bed and wakes me up.” — Rafael Mangual [19:38]
  • Daniel links this to broader culture: “People want rights without duties. That’s where the problem comes from.” [20:32]

• Generosity Among the Wealthy

  • The group rejects the “villainous capitalist” trope, noting that most real philanthropists are generous and engaged, not cold or distant. Michael Dell’s recent donation is highlighted:
    “He’s donating $6.25 billion to America’s children under 10 years old...this is another great example of such principle.” — Daniel DiMartino [25:27]

Holiday Movies and Nostalgia

• Best Christmas Movies

  • Home Alone 2: “I personally, I don’t think it gets better than Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” — Rafael Mangual [26:01]
  • Discussion of New York toy icons (FAO Schwartz, Toys R Us), “Elf,” and how the city’s image has evolved past its gritty era.
  • Connection to safety improvements and the mythologized rough-and-tumble New York:
    “I just appreciate how much better we have it. And it makes me want to strangle all the people who have this, like, stupid sense of pride in the grittiness of New York.” — Rafael Mangual [28:41]

• Personal Impact of Crime, Then vs. Now

  • Daniel recounts home invasion anxiety growing up in Venezuela, and Rafael recalls a real-life burglary in his NYC building during the 1990s—underscoring how far the city has come:
    “What a comeback, right? I mean, New York is by comparison, amazing.” — Rafael Mangual [31:11]

The Value of Believing in Santa Claus

• Debate Over “Lying” to Kids

  • The panel pushes back against the view that Santa is a damaging lie, arguing for the importance of make-believe, wonder, and ritual: “It’s essentially...a long, elaborate, and incredibly magical game of pretend with their kids.” — Rafael Mangual [33:02] “I have met people who were raised, like, to not believe in Santa as kids and, like, told me, like, I feel like I missed out.” [36:24]
  • Daniel shares the Catholic tradition of “believing in baby Jesus,” arguing that religious roots add depth to holiday mythos.

• Wider Reflections: Adulthood, Wonder, and Faith

  • C.S. Lewis and “The Chronicles of Narnia” are invoked as examples of rekindling childhood wonder in adulthood.
  • Raising children lets adults rediscover life’s magic:
    “The beauty of kids...is that they are looking at the world as this, like, completely open place. Their vision hasn’t narrowed yet, so their senses of possibilities are infinite.” — Rafael Mangual [38:47]

What’s on Our Holiday Wish Lists?

• Wishes Big and Small
  • Daniel: Hopes for a free Venezuela.
    “That’s been on my Christmas list since I was, like, conscious.” [39:29]
  • Josh: More time with family and some practical hopes—a good watch, and some sleep as a new parent.
    “That would be nice...She is about two and a half months now.” [41:16]
  • Rafael: Jokes about wanting a (rare and expensive) Patek Philippe Aquanaut watch—reflecting on the value of beauty, craftsmanship, and taste, but always turning back to family:
    “There’s a craftsmanship there. There is a respect for like this beautif. Beautiful, intricate thing that you’re just wearing and you have. And you kind of look down. It’s like, oh, that’s nice.” — Josh Appel [42:39]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Policy issues affect Christmas, too.” — Daniel DiMartino [02:08]
• “It’s not a sacrifice...the duties make your life richer.” — Rafael Mangual [20:54]
• “It’s a magical game of pretend that, like, it’s a metaphor, it’s fun. It primes them for the ability to understand the power of faith in something which I think is actually beautiful.” — Rafael Mangual [36:33]
• On charity and wealth: “If you got to build the wealth that you did legitimately...you’re actually in a very good position to donate.” — Daniel DiMartino [24:47]
• “The beauty of kids...is that they are looking at the world as this, like, completely open place. Their vision hasn’t narrowed yet, so their senses of possibilities are infinite.” — Rafael Mangual [38:47]
• “Go out There. Get married, have kids. It’s amazing. The best thing in the world.” — Rafael Mangual [39:11]
• “That’s been on my Christmas list since I was, like, conscious.” — Daniel DiMartino, wishing for a free Venezuela [39:29]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:24 — Christmas in New York, best city debate
• 03:35 — The Radio City Christmas Spectacular tradition
• 05:14 — Daniel’s Venezuelan and Italian Christmas foods
• 06:24 — Coquito and family food sharing
• 07:22 — Josh on Hanukkah and Jewish New York traditions
• 12:12 — “It’s a Wonderful Life” & morality in capitalism
• 16:56 — Freedom and the need for a virtuous citizenry
• 19:38 — Parenting, tradeoffs, and the meaning of happiness
• 21:17 — Jordan Peterson and meaning in responsibility
• 25:27 — Philanthropy, Michael Dell’s donation
• 26:01 — Favorite Christmas movies: Home Alone, Elf, NYC icons
• 29:20 — Real-life crime in NYC and Venezuela, then and now
• 33:02 — Santa debate: magic, faith, and child development
• 38:47 — The world through children’s eyes
• 39:29 — Holiday wish lists: freedom, family, and watches

Tone & Style

The episode is lighthearted, personal, and warm, yet never shying away from deeper cultural and philosophical commentary. The hosts’ natural rapport and wry humor (along with a little self-deprecation) make for a welcoming listen that balances sentiment and insightful analysis.

Takeaways

• Holiday traditions—regardless of faith—are vital for grounding us in wonder, duty, and the ties that bind.
• Enduring lessons from both faith and culture remind us that real fulfillment lies in service, sacrifice, and community.
• Even in a world of policy and politics, reclaiming a sense of childlike wonder and communal spirit (and the courage to enjoy a little make-believe) is more important than ever.
• Whether it’s a yearning for a free homeland (Daniel), precious family time (Josh), or reveling in the magic of the city (Rafael), holiday wishes remind us of what matters most: freedom, belonging, tradition, and love.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and joyful holidays—whoever and wherever you are.