Title image: @pam.miichuu and @romanbischoff
In short: For a cosy Star Wars winter at home you need warm light from lightsaber lamps and mood lights, a Grogu hot water bottle and snacks like Baby Yoda. The perfect winter film is The Empire Strikes Back, which opens on the ice planet Hoth. And instead of Christmas, the galaxy celebrates Life Day, known from the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special.
When it gets icy outside, I always think of Han Solo. On Hoth he stuffs a half-frozen Luke into a tauntaun, because at that moment it is the warmest blanket in the entire galaxy. Effective, yes. Cosy, not so much.
We can do better. With warm light, a Grogu-shaped hot water bottle and the right movie night, your home becomes the cosiest base this side of the Outer Rim this winter. I will show you what your Star Wars winter can look like, what Baby Yoda can teach you about snacks and why of all people the Wookiees celebrate the loveliest festival in the galaxy. Everything you need is in our Star Wars world.
Lightsaber instead of ceiling light: warm light for your rebel base
On Hoth it is dark, cold and blue. At your place it should be the exact opposite. So the big ceiling light takes a break, and lots of small light sources take over. The galaxy has plenty of those.
Top of the list is the Lightsaber LED Wall Lamp with Sound, because a lightsaber without the sound would just be a very expensive stick. On your desk goes the Millennium Falcon Table Lamp, the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy as a reading light.
Mood lights are ideal for the sofa. Whether the Mandalorian Helmet Mood Light or the Darth Vader Helmet Mood Light moves in with you depends entirely on which side of the Force your sofa is on. And if you like having a guard in the room at night, set up the Stormtrooper Helmet Mood Light. It does not have to hit anything, after all. All our Star Wars lamps are collected here with us.
Warmer than a tauntaun: bathrobe, slippers and hot water bottle
A tauntaun may keep you warm, but as Han so aptly puts it, it does not smell great even on the outside. For long evenings there are better options, a bathrobe for example. In the Darth Vader Bathrobe you sit on the sofa like on the bridge of a Star Destroyer, in the Stormtrooper Bathrobe more like someone who finally has a day off. Both are cosy.
On your feet go Star Wars slippers, such as the Grogu Slippers or the Stormtrooper Slippers. They will not improve your aim, but they will keep you warmer. If you prefer socks, grab the Grogu Socks 3-Pack.
And then there is the secret star of this winter: the Grogu Hot Water Bottle. Mando carries his foundling right across the galaxy, you only carry yours from the sofa to bed. Either way, it gets warm.
Snacks like Baby Yoda: broth, blue milk and macarons
When it comes to cosiness, Grogu, whom many still call Baby Yoda, is the great role model. In The Mandalorian he sips from his bowl so devotedly that it became one of the best known memes of the show. I think a hot broth in a mug is an excellent idea on cold evenings. And Grogu knows what tastes good in general. In season two he steals blue macarons in the classroom. You can bake them or buy them, as long as they are blue.
The blue theme continues with blue milk, which Luke already drinks with dinner on Tatooine. For two glasses, stir 400 millilitres of milk with 100 millilitres of coconut milk, a teaspoon of honey, a little vanilla and a few drops of blue food colouring. Slightly warmed it tastes great too, perfect after a walk through the snow.
For that you need the right Star Wars mugs, of course. The Grogu 3D Mug is made for broth and the Mando and Grogu XXL Mug holds enough for a whole season in one go. If you would ideally order your coffee in a shady bar on the edge of the galaxy, go for the Mos Eisley Cafe Mug. And for an after-work beer at movie night, the Stormtrooper Tankard is ready.
Star Wars movie night in winter: Hoth, The Mandalorian and Monopoly
For a real winter evening there is really only one film: The Empire Strikes Back. It starts in the middle of the ice on Hoth, with tauntauns, Imperial walkers and a rebel base where you can almost feel the cold through the screen. Afterwards every sofa feels twice as warm.
If you prefer series, start with The Mandalorian. The story is set around five years after Return of the Jedi, and the episodes are exactly long enough that you can always squeeze in one more. Which order is right for a complete marathon, I reveal below in the FAQ.
When the TV needs a break, the Mandalorian and Grogu Monopoly comes out. Bounty hunting with dice. Expect as many arguments about money as in any cantina. If you like it quieter, do the Grogu Puzzle or another Star Wars puzzle.
Life Day instead of Christmas: Holiday Special, ornaments and Christmas jumpers
In a galaxy far, far away there is no Christmas. Instead there is Life Day, the great festival of the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. It became known in 1978 through the Star Wars Holiday Special, a TV show in which Chewbacca wants to get home to his family in time for the festival. The show aired exactly once on US television and is still considered one of the strangest chapters of the saga. It does have one highlight: in the short animated segment, Boba Fett appears for the very first time. If you want to experience Life Day done well, watch the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special from 2020.
One more fun fact for the next Christmas party: in 1980 the album Christmas in the Stars came out, with Christmas songs from the galaxy. On one of the tracks a young Jon Bon Jovi sings, one of his very first recordings.
Everything for a Star Wars Christmas is collected here with us. The Star Wars Logo Christmas Baubles make a good starter set for the tree. In between, the Millennium Falcon flies its laps, R2-D2 beeps between the branches and Grogu in his pram floats along behind. Count down the days to Christmas Eve with the Star Wars Socks Advent Calendar, and your feet are warm before the holidays even start.
All that is missing is the jumper. To match the theme, wear the Star Wars Christmas Jumper with the Battle of Hoth, Mandalorian fans go for the Mando and Grogu Knitted Jumper. And if something is still missing under the tree: more Star Wars gifts are waiting in our Star Wars world. More ideas for the days between the years are in my Twelve Nights for Nerds.
Frequently asked questions about a Star Wars winter
In what order should you watch Star Wars?
In release order you start with Episode IV, A New Hope, followed by V and VI, then Episodes I to III and finally VII to IX. In story order you watch Episodes I to IX in sequence, with Solo and Rogue One fitting in between Episodes III and IV. The Mandalorian is set around five years after Episode VI.
What is Hoth?
Hoth is an icy planet on the edge of the galaxy. In The Empire Strikes Back the Rebel Alliance hides there in Echo Base until the Empire attacks with its walkers. Because of the snow, the tauntauns and that battle, Hoth is still the winter planet of Star Wars.
Is Grogu the same as Baby Yoda?
Yes. Before his real name was revealed in season two of The Mandalorian, fans all over the world called him Baby Yoda. He is not related to Yoda, though, he just belongs to the same species.
What is the Star Wars Holiday Special?
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a TV show from 1978 in which Chewbacca wants to get home for Life Day. It aired only once on US television and is famous mainly for Boba Fett's first appearance in a short animated segment.
What is Life Day?
Life Day is the most important festival of the Wookiees on their home planet Kashyyyk. Families come together and celebrate life, much like we do at Christmas. The festival comes from the 1978 Holiday Special and is also at the centre of the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special from 2020.
And now: shields up, heating on
Fill the hot water bottle, slippers on, The Empire Strikes Back is playing. Outside it can look like Hoth all it wants. Inside it is Life Day.
Everything for your cosy base is in our Star Wars world.
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