The Leafly Holiday Survival Guide: 12 Strains to Help You Make It to the New Year
Bailey RahnPublished on November 24, 2014· Last updated July 28, 2020
Winter is coming, and we don’t need every department store nationwide whipping out their Christmas supplies in October to feel it. Whether you love them or despise them with a flaming Grinch-like passion, the holidays are upon us and getting through the madness may require some help from our little green friend. Each chapter of the holidays poses a different challenge, and for this reason, we’ve compiled a handy list of strains to pair with each festivity (and struggle).
Thanksgiving: The Pre-Feast
It’s you versus a table full of food. What appetite-stimulating weapon will you choose?
This Sour Diesel and SFV OG Kush cross dishes out a good balance of upliftingeuphoria alongside the hunger rampage, making this hybrid the perfect contender for both appetite loss and the seasonal blues.
This heavy-duty indica is the rocket-launcher equivalent when it comes to fighting appetite loss with cannabis. A little bit of this earthy, relaxing strain and you’ll be inhaling more food than you thought was humanly possible.
Thanksgiving: The Recovery
You have just defeated your enemy with the power of sheer gluttony, and now it’s time to deflate. Choose one of these tummy-calming strains to help you harness your full digestive potential:
Good for both relaxation and relieving stomach pain, Headband offers long-lasting, carefree effects that will help you accept the feast’s passing as opposed to mourning it. (But seriously, R.I.P., you delicious bowl of stuffing.)
This crushing indica strain will destroy any stomach aches with the choke-hold force of Darth Vader himself. Prepare to die, bloated gut.
Black Friday
Black Friday could be considered the second major boss fight of the holiday season. Rather than battling the mother ship that is Thanksgiving dinner, Black Friday poses a horde of frenzied consumers looking to get those deals before you do. Luckily, you’ve got quite the psychoactive arsenal to help you get there first:
Few strains can truly be described as energizing, but this sativa is the exception. Green Crack’s active, buzzing effects will have you darting from shelf to shelf like a mad(wo)man for as long as you can remember what you were doing.
For some of us, nothing induces more anxiety than crowds of people flocking around the disarray under those irritating fluorescent lights. You can choose to stay home, or utlize the calming, anti-paranoia properties of Lavender to help you brave the mobs.
Christmas
Oh, Christmas. This is a day full of different festivities, but whether you’re preparing yourself for Feast Madness: Part II or simply wanting to kick it with that video game you gifted yourself, we’ve got some recommendations for you:
‘Tis the season for obligatory conversation with relatives you see once a year. Power Plant is here to help bring out your more talkative half for those awkward, unnatural exchanges.
A good, well-rounded hybrid, Chemdawg brings joy, creativity, and sensory elevation to whatever it is you find yourself doing on Christmas Day. Loafing around with your cats? Crafting a masterpiece from snow? Scarfing down an entire tube of raw cinnamon rolls? Chemdawg will make it even better.
New Year’s Eve/Day
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are literally as different as night and day, so you may want to pick up the entire trifecta here to ensure proper preparation…and recovery:
You may be the type of person who believes that midnight is an ungodly hour, and for you we suggest Harlequin. This high-CBDsativa provides all the clear-headed energy you’ll need to keep up with those night owl youngsters.
Staving off a hangover? We recommend ending your holiday season with this indica whose nausea-relieving, restful qualities are sure to bring you back to your baseline.
