Gael Garcia Bernal -- a Golden Globe nominee for the series "Mozart in the Jungle" -- goes from messiah to maestro... Comedian Hannibal Buress offers up etiquette advice for humans, from dogs... Illustrator and commentator Molly Crabapple likens drawing to dancing - to picking scabs... We tune into an offbeat holiday soundtrack, courtesy British song-smith Nick Lowe... And Rico sips some soup joumou - the hallmark of the Haitian New Year. Plus, the short-lived American Camel Corps, the one downside of "Master of None," and more!

We've made a special episode of "The Dinner Party Download" stuffed with holiday goodness. Hip-hop legend Darryl McDaniels (the "DMC" of Run-DMC) riffs on his mega-hit "Christmas in Hollis"... TV's "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver injects some health into our holiday menu (but don't mess with his decadent cheese toasty)... Humorist Fran Lebowitz keeps the season from getting too sappy with very tart etiquette tips... And chart-toppers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis craft a Yuletide playlist, featuring crazy relatives and, even crazier, David Bowie's "Labyrinth." You'll also hear winning remembrances of both "The Star Wars Holiday Special" -- arguably the worst show ever on TV -- and of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation", courtesy of star Beverly D'Angelo. Plus, a tale of Santa's whereabouts... during the Iranian Revolution. Featuring good cheer, comic relief, and a tipple or two, the episode's a perfect companion to the hectic and happy holiday season.

Alicia Vikander, star of "The Danish Girl," on why she hates Pictionary... "xkcd" cartoonist Randall Munroe helps us keep it simple... Matt Berninger and Brent Knopf of the band El Vy quarrel over Cat Stevens... Emily Post's great-grandchildren on whether it's OK to bring a half-empty bottle of wine to a party (or is it half-full?)... Actor Josh Thomas of the Australian comedy "Please Like Me" on taking his mom to the top of the world... Plus a Hanukkah menu from LA's Redbird restaurant, the history of the world's first computer programmer, a binary-coded cocktail, and more!

Master thespian Sir Ian McKellen with etiquette advice and real talk about his least favorite co-stars... supermodel Cindy Crawford recalls her photo shoot with a 40-pound python... Investigative journalist Christine Haughney on why in wine, there's not always truth... Will Toledo -- of lo-fi indie rock band Car Seat Headrest -- DJs your laid-back dinner party... filmmaker Kent Jones on his new Hitchcock doc... Plus, Ann Friedman on pigeon doctors, a history of the Pokemon Shockwave of 1997, a kid show-inspired cocktail, and more!

Encore Broadcast: "Magic Mike" star Joe Manganiello strips away our bad etiquette habits... Artist-musician Devendra Banhart ruminates on art, ritual, and everlasting honey... Grammy-winner Joy Williams (formerly of The Civil Wars) shares a party soundtrack, direct from her Nashville "Night Circus"...The pros and cons of dining with dogs... Nina Simone gets a close-up, from acclaimed documentarian Liz Garbus... Writer Rebecca Makkai asks, what if Bach were one of us? (and we wanted to date him). Plus! Epic pie fights, the saxophone's humble beginnings, and a throwback Will Smith icebreaker.

Just in time for a week of feasting, it's our special All-Food Show! Chefs Gabrielle Hamilton and Dan Barber turn food afterthoughts into fine dining ... We ruminate on the history of the toothpick... Questlove and Conor Oberst play dinnertime DJ... Eddie Huang, of "Fresh off the Boat" fame, addresses do's and don'ts about donuts... And more!

Allison Janney, star of the CBS sitcom "Mom," on the humor in life's heavy stuff... Alan Palomo, better known as Neon Indian, DJs your bomb shelter dinner party (but you'll have to bring your own food)... Bon Appetit's Adam Rapoport on how to pre-game for a food coma... The veteran producer behind "The Jeffersons" and "All in the Family," Norman Lear, tells you how to behave... Up-and-coming comedy writer John Mulaney reveals the secret way to make him agree to anything... Plus, why scientists are studying the surface area of cats, one of France's most peculiar battle strategies, and more!

Actor Brie Larson, star of "Room," talks about being trapped on a plane while passengers watch her movie... The esteemed Gloria Steinem answers etiquette questions and gives you permission NOT to smile... folk-hip-hop artist Raury DJs your dinner party in a futuristic forest... Mary-Louise Parker reads a letter from her new book (don't call it a memoir!)... Plus, the Sistine Chapel's reluctant artist paired with a bloody Italian cocktail, a new animal hybrid taking over North America, and more!

Indie rock god Carrie Brownstein on the troubles and triumphs of touring, as outlined in her new memoir... "Silicon Valley" star TJ Miller recommends wedding gifts for the budget-conscious (make sure you have your tetanus shot!)... Actor and first-time director Colin Hanks guides us through the rise and fall of Tower Records... Rising opera star Stephen Costello surprises us with a mostly opera-less dinner party soundtrack... Cocktalian Cari Hah charms us with a Chinese sorghum spirit... And just in time for Halloween, a history of one of the English language's most mischievous phrases!

Surprise! It's a new "Speakeasy" -- our occasional, off-the-cuff, slightly profane, online-only series in which we give you a peek behind the scenes at the making of the DPD... and give a listen to some of the great stuff we had to leave on the cutting room floor. This time around: never-before-heard snippets of actor Peter Capaldi -- the Time Lord himself -- yearning for alien pies... and rock 'n' roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper chatting about his induction into a different hall of fame. You'll also hear a preview of our interview with Emmy and Tony-winning actor Mary-Louise Parker, who is either a vampire or perpetually trapped in a force field. Plus: Adrian Tomine tells us how one magazine is responsible for people mispronouncing his name FOREVER.