ISLAND HOLIDAYS
& GIFT GUIDE
Holiday festivities
Christmas in Edgartown is a must-see
Vineyard Gifts
Islanders’ offerings from Featherstone to Hospice
Merry Thriftmas
Chicken Alley’s decorative treasures
Don’t Miss
Vineyard Artisans Festivals
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20 and 21, 10 am to 4 pm Dr. Daniel Fisher House, 99 Main St., Edgartown
Be sure to catch this very special holiday fair. Many handmade holiday gifts are available for that special someone who appreciates a true Island gift. vineyardartisans.com/ virtual/holiday-show.
Oak Bluffs Tree Lighting and more
Saturday, Nov. 30 (rain date Dec. 1) Healey Square, Oak Bluffs
Celebrate the holiday season with the annual lighting of the decorated tree in Healey Square, and much more. Grab some hot chocolate, candy from Enchanted Chocolates, and other refreshments, then put on reindeer antlers and enjoy hearing carols and seeing the town center light up for the holidays. For more information, visit: http://obamv.com/annual-events.
Featherstone’s 2025 Annual Holiday Gift Show
Wednesday, Nov. 12, through Wednesday, Dec. 17, 12 to 4 pm daily 30 Featherstone Lane, Oak Bluffs
A one-stop holiday destination with handmade gifts from Island artists, including paintings, photographs, pottery, c rafts, jewelry, clothing, accessories, soaps, dog goods, ornaments, cards, calendars, and stocking stuffers. Closed on Thanksgiving Day. For details, visit featherstoneart.org.
NICHOLAS VUKOTA 44th Annual Christmas in Edgartown parade.
The Federated Church in Edgartown will sell hand-decorated wreaths.
Oak Bluffs tree lighting.
World Market Holiday Shop
Tuesday, Nov. 11, through Sunday, Dec. 24, 10 am to 6 pm daily (closed Thanksgiving)
Capawock Theater, 43 Main St., Vineyard Haven
Enjoy a holiday pop-up shop in a historic theater that has been transformed into a winter wonderland. It features crafts from around the world, including Africa, Haiti, India, and Palestine. The market supports Island empowerment projects that make a difference globally. For more information, call 508-981-2598.
Gatchell Holiday Lights
Starting Nov. 27, Thanksgiving night, 5 to 8 pm daily 148 County Road, Oak Bluffs
For about 45 years, the Gatchell family has decorated their house with a massive Christmas light display, complete w ith reindeer, snowmen, and more than 20,000 sparkling lights. You are welcome to park your car and get out and walk around. You can also bring nonperishable food items or a monetary donation for the Island Food Pantry.
Aquinnah Artisans Holiday Fair
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7, 10 am to 4 pm
Aquinnah Town Hall, 955 State Road, Aquinnah
Shop for unique gifts and stocking stuffers, including wampum jewelry, origami cards, Native American crafts, knitted items, candles, fabric items, pottery (including from Heath Widdiss, who makes pottery from Gay Head cliffs clay), ocean jewelry, Aquinnah bottled clay, and more. A craft table will also be available for making ornaments and cards. For updates, visit facebook.com/ aquinnahartisans.
Island Community Chorus Holiday Concert
Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 pm; Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3 pm
Old Whaling Church, 89 Main St., Edgartown
The Island Community Chorus, under the direction of William Peek, will present its annual holiday concert at the Old W haling Church in Edgartown. A reception will follow each performance in the B aylies Room, downstairs from the main hall. Suggested donation is $20, and children are admitted free. For details, visit islandcommunitychorus.com.
44th Annual Christmas in Edgartown
Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 11 through Dec. 14
Christmas in Edgartown is a weekend festival you don’t want to miss. Through various events, Christmas in Edgartown helps raise over $50,000 for Island-wide charities and nonprofits. Over 100 Edgartown and Island businesses participate in the weekend festivities. Experience quint-
essential small-town holiday shopping, with decorated storefront windows, an art and crafts festival, horse-drawn carriage rides, the lighting of the Edgartown Lighthouse, store specials, and much more. For the schedule of over 100 events, visit christmasinedgartown.com.
Vineyard Preservation Trust holiday events
Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 11 through Dec. 14.
There are a number of events coming up this holiday season, including an Elfon-the-Shelf Scavenger hunt, Dickens Christmas Village, and more. Learn more by visiting https://vineyardtrust.org/ events/.
‘There Is No Room in the Inn’ crèche display
Saturday, Dec. 13, 9 am to 5 pm Federated Church, 45 South Summer St., Edgartown
View over 40 miniature Nativity scenes from around the world that range in style from crystal figures to whimsical characters. Children can take home an activity page that can be colored and cut out to make a Nativity scene. There will also be a silent auction in the lobby by Habitat for Humanity for items donated to them. For details, visit federatedchurchmv.org or call 508-627-4421.
Elves
Faire
Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 am to 2 pm
Federated Church, 45 South Summer St., Edgartown
A benefit for Plum Hill School: children’s gifts for sale, baked goods and coffee, a raffle, and holiday crafts for all ages. For information, visit hello@plumhillschool. com or call 508-696-7701.
M.V. Family Chorus
Annual Winter Concert and Community Sing
Sunday, Dec. 22, 4 pm
Hebrew Center, Vineyard Haven
Join the community in hearing songs of peace, hope, and light from the Martha’s Vineyard Family Chorus, directed by Roberta Kirn of Be Well Sing. For details, visit bewellsing.com/events.
Keep checking for updates at: www.mvtimes.com/things-to-do.
The Minnesingers singers holiday show.
COURTESY VINEYARD PRESERVATION TRUST
Elf on a Shelf at the Carnegie.
BRODY ROYAL
The Vineyard community knows how to celebrate the holidays. We don’t mess around! A mustsee is “Christmas in Edgartown” — a magical experience for folks of all ages. Main Street Edgartown is beautifully decorated with twinkling lights, wreaths, and Christmas trees, and the Vineyard Preservation Trust’s historic buildings add old-world charm to the festivities.
Traditionally one of New England’s most popular holiday weekend festivals, Christmas in Edgartown starts on Thursday, Dec. 11, and runs through Dec. 14.
Holiday festivities
‘Christmas in Edgartown’ is a must-see. BY ALLISON ROBERTS
Thursday, Dec. 11, from 2 to 7:15 pm, enjoy the first day of horse-drawn carriage rides, which run through Dec. 14. From 5:30 to 7 pm, at Bad Martha’s Brewery, take a walk or run to kick off Christmas in Edgartown weekend with the Amity Island Running Club. Santa hats and beards will be provided, but feel free to wear any of your own festive wear. There will be a “Most Festive” costume prize awarded. *Reflective gear and headlamps are required!* A $10 donation is suggested. Everyone is welcome.
Friday, Dec. 12, from 5:30 to 6:15 pm, be sure to catch the lighting of the Edgartown Lighthouse. Beginning at 5:30 pm, enjoy Edgartown’s favorite
mascots, concessions by the nonprofit Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club, caroling, giveaways, and maybe the Man in Red himself.
Saturday, Dec. 13, you’ll find a variety of events:
10 am to 3 pm, check out the Holiday Faire on the Edgartown Village Green. The Faire is in the heart of Edgartown’s downtown winter wonderland. Shop one-of-a-kind artisanal goods from over 30 local vendors in this European-style Christmas market complete with hot cocoa, treats, and entertainment for the whole family.
Also 10 am to 3 pm, take in the festively decorated Daniel Fisher House hosting the annual fundraiser for Hospice a nd Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard, featuring handmade jewelry, knitted items, paintings, photographs, ornaments, baked goods, and more. Other town favorites include the 32nd Annual Christmas in Edgartown Art & C rafts Festival. This event features the work of amazing Island artists and craftspeople. Free parking on site, and a “Shopper Trolley” to Church Street is available 12 to 3 pm.
10 am to 4 pm: At the Carnegie Heritage Center, the reading rooms and atrium will be decked for the season, and the ever-popular Elf on the Shelf hunt returns. Families will be enchanted by the special elves who will appear (and disappear!) around the reading-room shelves. Also, be sure to peek into their reading-room “windows” and shelves for Dickens Village scenes — “A Victorian Christmas” in miniature.
11 to 11:45 am on Main Street: Don’t miss the Christmas in Edgartown Parade! Floats, animals, music, dancers, k ids, fire engines, and of course the big red man himself. The parade will take place between Pease’s Point Way and Water Street, rain or shine.
12 noon until 3 pm, check out Candy Cane Lane in Nevin Square. Halfway up Winter Street, you will find a square full of fun with kids in mind.
Sunday, Dec. 14, from 10 am to 2 pm, shop the 32nd Annual Christmas in Edgartown Art & Crafts Festival at the Edgartown School. This holiday event features the work of talented Island artists and craftspeople. Free parking on site. k
For more information and updated events, visit vineyardtrust.org, visitedgartown.org/events, and facebook.com/ VisitEdgartown/events.
Dr. Daniel Fisher House.
Dickens Christmas Village at the Carnegie.
’Tis the season to support the Vineyard arts community.
BY
ABBY REMER
Featherstone’s 23rd Annual Holiday Gift Show
The work of more than 100 Islander artists and artisans fill the Francine Kelly Gallery in a festival display for over a month.
Nothing rings in the holiday season quite like Featherstone Center for the Arts’ Holiday Gift Show, which opened on Nov. 12. Now in its 23rd year, the gift show will feature over 100 Island artists and artisans filling the Francine Kelly Gallery with their fabulous creations, through Dec. 17.
Walking into what feels like Santa’s workshop is sure to delight. Hundreds of beautiful and affordable handmade creations fill the rows of tables, and paintings and photographs adorn the walls. You will discover a wide range of alluring crafts, jewelry, knitwear, holiday cards, calendars, mobiles, glassware, clothing, purses, accessories, soaps, and even dog treats. Particularly popular are ornaments. Executive director Ann Smith adds, “We also have a lot of ceramic artists. Their works
include soap dishes, mugs, bowls, casserole dishes, candleholders, and platters.”
She continues, “The Francine Kelly Gallery is transformed into a festive marketplace of beautiful and unique gifts that truly embody the holiday spirit. Our visitors are always blown away by the number of participating artists and the vast selection of Island-made treasures!”
The show is also a fundraiser for Featherstone, with a 50–50 split between the artists and Featherstone, compared to the typical commission during the gallery season, where 60 percent goes to the artists and 40 percent to Featherstone. The gift show is a common tradition at many art centers, supporting local artists. It is simply another way that Featherstone meets its mission, which is to engage, enrich, and connect the Vineyard community through the power of art and creativity.
Speaking about its history, Smith says, “The Holiday Gift Show more than doubled in participating artists and in revenue when we moved to the Francine Kelly Gallery in the Art Barn in 2017. Both have continued to grow each and every year since. It’s wonderful that so many wish to support local artists and Featherstone, especially during the holiday season.”
The Holiday Gift Show is a joyous affair, offering us a feel-good opportunity to buy local and support Vineyard creators, all while supporting Featherstone as well. A win-win for everyone. k
The Holiday Gift Show at Featherstone C enter for the Arts runs through Dec. 17 (closed Thanksgiving Day). Open daily from 12 to 4 pm, 30 Featherstone Lane, Oak Bluffs.
PHOTOS: DENA PORTER
The work of Island artists and artisans at Featherstone Center for the Arts.
SCAN QR CODES TO LISTEN!
COMPILED BY SARAH SHAW DAWSON AND NICOLE JACKSON
Holiday Playlists
Island Musicians share their favorite seasonal tunes.
The Alpha Gals
Mike Benjamin & Jodie Treloar Sampson
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JEREMY BERLIN, keyboardist in the band Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish and jazz pianist in the Jeremy Berlin Trio.
DAVID WILLIS, guitarist and lead vocalist in the Down Island Band. SAM HOUGHTON, bass player in Needle Beach/Diamond Guts. DELANIE PICKERING, guitar and vocals with Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish. JESSIE LEAMAN, guitar/bass/vocals with Outskirts, Jaywalkers, Blue Yonder. JODIE TRELOAR SAMPSON AND MIKE BENJAMIN, guitarists and vocalists in Mike Benjamin & the Keepers and Jodie Treloar Sampson & Sneakytown. THE ALPHA GALS, Lexie Roth and Jessie Pinnick. SARAH SHAW DAWSON, guitarist and vocalist.
Delanie Pickering
Sarah Shaw Dawson
Sam Houghton
David Willis
Jeremy Berlin
Jessie Leaman
Winter Sale Fri - Mon
Friday, November 28th - Monday, December 1st
Vineyard Haven, Edgartown, & Online plus free ground shipping over $250
Friday, November 28th : 8:30 am - 10:30 am in Vineyard Haven off
Concierge Week
November 17th - 22nd & December 8th - 12th Vineyard Haven
Friday - Gold Buying some exclusions
Monday - Jewelry Check & Clean
Tuesday - Island Tie Retie
Wednesday - Custom Design
Thursday - Rhodium Plating
visit cbstark.com/our-events for more details
Dovera Trunk Show
December 13th 10am - 4pm Edgartown
Make it a ‘Thriftmas’
One-stop, maybe more, Holiday shopping at Chicken Alley.
BY
NICOLE JACKSON
As the holidays are approaching, the volunteers at Chicken Alley have been busy elves, transforming the store into a winter shopping experience. Year-round, they stock the shelves w ith a continuous rotation of donations ranging from kitchen skillets to comic books. For the holidays, they turn the far-back room into their “Thriftmas store” filled with everything for the holiday season. You’ll find something for everyone on your list, yourself, and some who weren’t on your list!
To get into the spirit, there is plenty to choose from to decorate the inside or outside of your home or office: tree decorations, table toppers, stockings, menorahs, tableware, wreaths, Nativity scenes, garlands, tree skirts, candles, lights, and even battery-powered candle lights.
If you have a holiday party and need a little something to spruce up your wardrobe, skip the online shopping and see what they have on their racks. There are elegant dresses, men’s and women’s shoes, dapper button-down shirts, ties, earrings, scarves, and more.
The thrift store is budget-friendly, and you can find treasures for your loved ones and friends without feeling like you’ve depleted your bank account. It’s a perfect spot to bring the k ids to do their shopping with their own money. Unique gifts for all ages and interests, craft supplies, vintage clothes, unique jewelry, kitchenware, artwork, toys, games and puzzles, stuffed animals, books … they even have the wrapping paper.
You never know what you’ll find at Chicken Alley. As you’re shopping, it’s al-
always a good idea to pick up a backup gift for the unexpected Yankee Swap, some holiday cards, all-occasion gifts like coffee mugs, or a Chicken Alley gift card.
Not only is thrifting eco-friendly, all proceeds benefit Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. It’s a great way to give a gift to the environment and our community. Bring it full circle: after the holidays are over, drop off your donations.
When it comes to shopping, you can buy yourself some time by making a stop at
Chicken Alley Thrift store in Vineyard Haven. You could call it a one-stop shop … but chances are, after you stop there once, you’ll likely be back. k
Located at 38 Lagoon Pond Road, Vineyard Haven. Close-by 4-hour parking at Veteran’s Memorial Park and Beach Street town public lots. Open Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday 10 to 4. Check their social media @chickenalleythrift for extended holiday hours.
PHOTOS COURTESY CHICKEN ALLEY
Left, Decorations for your home, including tree toppers . 1. Ornaments to decorate your tree. 2. Find yourself a new holiday sweater. 3. Bags, wrapping paper, kitchen items, you’ll find it all with a holiday theme. 4. Chicken Alley is a great place to stuff those stockings with goodies. 5. Grab a Santa plate, all you need is the cheese. 6. When in doubt, a Chicken Alley gift certificate always makes a good gift.
On Thanksgiving weekend, the store took a sharp turn into the Christmas holiday. Boxes descended from the attic, trees were assembled and placed, lights strung, ornaments hung, charging full steam into the merriment of the days coming, prepping for all things holiday, especially Christmas in Edgartown, our favorite time of the year.
In Iceland, Jólabókaflóð is celebrated. Literally translated, it means “book f lood”; books and chocolate are given for Christmas presents, a tradition started during World War II, when almost everything was rationed — but paper wasn’t. Christmas Day is spent reading and eating chocolate, sipping cocoa. If that Icelandic tradition were practiced here, these are some books I would consider giving.
ward the warm and cozy. We’re seeing a spike in mysteries that aren’t too bloody or psychologically devastating, romances that aren’t too dark, happy endings guaranteed. Agatha Christie is having a moment; we’ve sold more of her this year than all the years I’ve been at the bookstore combined.
“You’ve Found Oliver,” by Dustin Thao, is a Young Adult novel, the much anticipated follow-up to “You’ve Reached Sam.” Oliver is processing grief over best friend Sam’s sudden death the year before by texting Sam’s number, but
Sinclair family, “We Fell Apart.” Debbie Macomber, a novelist whose specialty is warm and cozy books, stories of gentle love and redemption, is out with her newest, “A Ferry Merry Christmas,” set on a ferry broken down in Puget Sound. Doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination for us to relate to the story.
Laurie Gilmore’s “The Gingerbread Bakery” was on the New York Times Best Seller list for weeks. It’s part of the “Dream Harbor” series, and folks are searching out every one of them, because it would be nice to live in Dream H arbor, wouldn’t it?
Around the Bookstore
Holiday page-turners and heart-openers.
David Baldacci, an Edgartown Books favorite, is out with “Nash Falls.” Following the death of his father, Nash — a comfortable, bland investment executive — finds himself fighting for his life, when the FBI sucks him into investigating a money-laundering scheme in his own company.
Fans of the megahit movie “Wicked” get a deep dive into the life of Tony and Emmy awardwinning actress Cynthia Erivo as she steps into the literary spotlight with “Simply More,” a powerful memoir chronicling her journey from stage to screen.
One of my closest friends, the most avid reader I know, Rita Mullin, is a great fan of Stewart O’Nan. O’Nan revisits his beloved character Emily Maxwell in “Evensong,” a sweet story about the Humpty Dumpty Club, older women supporting each other through the challenges of aging, a place where Emily finds strength and community. Perfect for those who seek solace in troubling times.
Which is one of the trends happening in publishing these days: a movement to-
BY MATHEW TOMBERS
one time he accidentally hits the call button and Ben answers. He’s been assigned S am’s old number, and has been reading Oliver’s texts. They don’t remain strangers for long.
“The Will of the Many” has felt like some kind of insider’s book. It first came into the bookstore about a year ago, as a special order. Then other people started asking for it. The follow-up, “The Strength of the Few,” is out. It’s a mind-bending story, found upstairs in Science Fiction.
Books by Emily Henry (“Great Big Beautiful Life”), Carley Fortune (“One Golden Summer”), and Christina Lauren (“The Unhoneymooners”) are marching out the door. Jenny Han of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” fame is hot again because of the streaming series.
E . Lockhart’s “We Were Liars” is also a streaming series and, yes, we are the bookstore in the book and series. She’s out with the newest installment on the
The book on everyone’s lips these days seems to be “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi, who self-published the book; its runaway success has resulted in Simon & S chuster’s picking it up. An elderly Portuguese man arrives in the town of Golden and becomes the glue holding the town together in this warm novel about the power of generosity.
For the middle reader, there is the much-anticipated “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper,” the 20th book in Jeff Kinney series that has sold 300 million copies.
For toddlers, what better than “The Night Before Christmas,” now available as a recordable book, allowing you to narrate the story, which they can listen to year after year?
At Edgartown Books, Christmas is our favorite time of the year. We love to decorate, and love to suggest books. Our lollipop bowl is filled with candy canes. On the Saturday of Christmas in Edgartown, we have a pail filled with ornaments and invite our customers to help us decorate the wreath on our front door.
It’s my hope we all embrace Jólabókaflóð, have a holiday flooded with books, to be enjoyed with lots of chocolate, surrounded by people who care for us, also reading and eating chocolate. That’s the coziest thing I can think of right now. k
“It’s my hope we all embrace Jólabókaflóð, have a holiday flooded with books, to be enjoyed with lots of chocolate, surrounded by people who care for us, also reading and eating chocolate.” --Mathew Tombers
Sharing the Joy
Islanders share their favorite Vineyard gifts. BY ABBY REMER
The holidays are fast approaching, giving us all the chance to share the joy of the season.
The Vineyard, this very special place we call home, provides plenty of local opportunities to find the perfect gift for those special people on your list. We reached out to members of our community to see what they might wish to give, and also to receive. The diversity of their answers warms the heart, each reflecting their deep connection to the Island.
Toni Kaufmann, past president of the NAACP Martha’s Vineyard and long active with many Vineyard organizations,
has come up with a brilliant way to link gifts for her family with local items. “I have a very big family, and I can’t get all of them things. So, what I have done is to buy anything with Martha’s Vineyard on it for those who don’t have the opportunity to come here but would love to. Then I’ve done a raffle. They get tickets, and then I raffle off the items.” Favorite choices include hats, T shirts, and socks, such as those from Tote-ally Yours Shop in Oak Bluffs. She is also particularly fond of the Curio Shop in Oak Bluffs. “I bought a dishtowel that says, ‘It used to take a village, now it takes the Vineyard.’”
Kauffman has a similar wish for Island-related items under her tree. “I love full-zipper sweatshirts that have something to do with the Island, whether it’s Inkwell or they just have the Vineyard on it. I saw something recently from the Black Dog and thought, ‘Oh, I want that!’”
One of the gifts Nat Benjamin, co-owner of Benjamin & Gannon Marine Railway, would like to give is for people to participate in “Expanding the Conversation,” a group that meets Monday nights at 5:30 pm at the West Tisbury Library. The group uses film and discussion to explore social and political topics, with a particular focus
Chef Ting’s favorite, Sanctuary bracelets.
“I love full-zipper sweatshirts that have something to do with the Island, whether it’s Inkwell or they just have the Vineyard on it. I saw something recently from the Black Dog and thought, ‘Oh, I want that!”
— Toni Kaufmann
on the Israel/Palestine conflict. Of what he himself would like to receive from the Vineyard, Benjamin says, “I’ve gotten so much, I don’t know if I have any more room in my stocking. My cup is pretty well full. But I certainly wish for more environmental work.” He mentions in particular the Vineyard Conservation Society’s various efforts. Benjamin adds, “I’d take a few more days of pond hockey. I would love to see some ice on the ponds, because I’m forgetting how to skate.”
Musician Willy Mason’s thoughts also go to the environment. “My favorite gift to receive is a walk in the woods.” And he didn’t have to think long about one for others. “My favorite gift to give is a pair of alpaca socks.”
Bow Van Riper, research librarian at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, shares about the very special gift-giving tradition between him and his wife. “Norah a nd I, without ever having a Big, Serious Conversation about it, settled, early in our relationship, into a pattern of giving each other small, quirky presents that resonate with things we know about each other that few (if any) other people do. Last year, I gave her a photocopy of every pre-1850 estate inventory in the Martha’s Vineyard Museum archives — fuel for her investigations of preindustrial domestic life, and a nod to our shared love of diving down historical rabbit holes together. She gave me a hand-crocheted figure of the ’Muppet Show’ character Sam the Eagle wearing a construction-paper mortarboard hat … a riff on a joke we shared at a pivotal, very early moment in the process of falling in love.”
Author Geraldine Brooks, when asked
what she likes to give, it easy to answer. “I only buy gifts from Vineyard artisans or books from our lovely independent bookstores. This year I bought from Sara Thompson, metal smith, and Hypatia Book Arts. I also love to give the Honey Tasting Tower from Island Bee Company and Kulture Club jars of Butter Pecan Crunch.”
Chef Ting, of Black Joy Kitchen, has a particular fondness for bracelets from Sanctuary in Oak Bluffs. “Every day, it’s a meditation for me. I have four that I put on in a certain order and energetically, they help drive my day. If people want to give me a gift, it would be one of these long strands that I’ve been wearing for years.”
She continues, “The best gift I hope to give is for Black Joy Kitchen to continue being a gathering space for peoples’ love, joy, celebration, sense of family, and hope. We’re going to be doing all these fun things around the holidays, and we love the idea of all different types of people coming to celebrate with us. We have several Christmas and Hanukkah parties coming up. The sense that this place feels like home to people means everything.” k
Some Vineyard-themed goodies from Tote-ally Yours.
Island Alpaca’s socks range from practical to whimsical.
Anything Island-related items under Toni Kaufman’s tree is always a hit.
PHOTOS NICOLE GALLAND
What’s in a tree?
Memories and preferences abound when we choose our holiday tree. BY ALLISON ROBERTS
Igrew up in upstate New York, and I can remember going out with my family to cut down our Christmas trees. My dad would grab an old rusty handsaw that lived in our garage, and off we’d go. It snowed a lot back then, and my brothers and I would weave in and out of rows of pine trees as snow dropped from their limbs and piled onto our heads. In my 30s, I did something I never thought I’d do: I bought a fake tree. I felt a little embarrassed by this — as if I’d broken some long-standing family tradition, or simply become lazy. But I was recently divorced, my child was only 3 years old, and I didn’t have the energy — or the heart — to cut down a tree by myself.
On the Vineyard, we don’t have a huge selection of native pine trees to choose from. “There are red cedars and pitch pines,” Tim Boland, executive director of Polly Hill Arboretum, said. “White pine is also an option. It’s naturalized, which means it was introduced here and spreads,
though it’s not invasive, but local native options are limited.” In Boland’s opinion, balsam firs are the best trees for Christmas. “They last for a long time before they drop their needles. They also have a really nice scent — sort of orange and eucalyptus.”
The real-versus-fake Christmas tree debate is ongoing. Every year I read (and hear) impassioned comments from both sides. Some people are die-hard real-Christmas-tree people, while others believe that reusing a fake tree every year is more environmentally sound. According to onetreeplanted.org, it’s more sustainable to cut down a real tree each year. That’s because most small-scale Christmas tree farms are sustainable, leaving certain sections open for harvesting every year, while keeping other areas closed to give younger trees a chance to grow. The other side argues that buying a real tree and then throwing it away simply adds to our landfills, whereas a fake tree can be reused for decades. There is another option, however.
“One thing people could consider doing is buying a small potted tree or an American holly bush, and decorating those,” Boland said. “Then after the season, they can plant them.”
Planting in the winter may sound strange, but it’s possible. “What you can do is cover the planting site with a board and straw to keep the ground from freezing,” Boland suggested, “though it hasn’t gotten that cold here in years, so you can probably get away with planting in January. Just remember to water it four to five times a winter, because evergreen trees are always leaking moisture t hrough their needles.”
If you still want that big old tree to put in your living room, you’re in luck. “There are a lot of places you can buy Christmas trees on the Island. Middletown Nursery carries them — most of the nurseries on the Island carry them,” Boland said. “If you do buy a live tree, though, don’t just toss it, because you can use it for mulch or as erosion barriers on hillsides.”
I was happy to hear Boland’s suggestions, because I remember feeling sad when Christmas was over, not just because of the massive adrenaline dump, but also because my street looked like a Christmas tree burial ground. At the end of nearly every driveway, a dead Christmas tree, with tinsel still wound around some of its branches, could be seen lying in a heap, with its needles scattered across the sidewalk. Looking back, I wish my dad had taken that rusty ax of ours and chopped up our tree to use as mulch for our meager suburban tomato plants.
“All of the refuse districts have compost piles where you can dispose of your Christmas trees,” Signe Benjamin, membership and programs director of the Vineyard Conservation Society, said.
“Any tree waste should always go into compost. The other option is to maybe not buy a Christmas tree.”
I know. I know. It’s hard to let some traditions go, but no one is saying you have to. The consensus seems to be that if you’re going to buy a real tree, just remember to find ways to reuse it if you can. Aside from making mulch, there are a number of other creative ways to repurpose your Christmas tree. You can make a bird sanctuary with the boughs, insulate your beloved perennials, make arts and crafts from the trunk, and so much more. k
RICHARD ROBERTS
Handmade from the Heart
Hospice of M.V. Holiday sale. BY ABBY REMER
If it takes a village to raise a child, here on the Vineyard it’s the community that helps Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard do its work with those at the end of life and their caregivers. Dealing with dying is never easy, but the Hospice does c rucial work in making a difference in people’s lives, and without charging anything for their services. They are one of a handful that do so in the country, out of some 6,000 hospices. They rely on their endowment and (to quote Tennessee Williams) “the k indness of strangers.”
Except in this case, the people who hand-make some 40 shopping bags full of crafted gifts for the Handmade from the Heart sale are not really strangers at all, but the Island population, coming together to help this vital facility: business owners who donate food, individual financial supporters, and countless volunteers. This year’s event is, as always, at the beautiful Dr. Daniel Fisher House on M ain Street in Edgartown.
goodies that people make — jams and loaf breads and homemade pesto, lots of different foodstuffs that make really nice gifts for the holiday.” There is also the Hospice-tality Café, with homemade items made by volunteers — cookies, cocoa, hot cider — with all the proceeds going to the organization.
“It’s a lovely event,” Wozniak shares. “It’s very festive, people are in a great mood. There are usually carolers who come in and sing as they wander around
Speaking warmly about Handmade from the Heart, Cathy Wozniak, executive director of Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, says, “Handmade for Heart has been a long tradition of our organization. We have wonderful women who make all kinds of wonderful sweaters and scarves and gloves and knitwear, local vendors who provide jewelry and pottery, we have ornaments, and this year we’re looking to have dog treats. And then there’s special
write something on the card if you want to honor someone or remember a loved one, or a past patient, or neighbor or friend,” says Wozniak.
The money that is raised at Handmade is divided equally between the three branches of the organization: hospice care, palliative care, and community grief counseling. “We rely on community philanthropy and community donations,” explains Wozniak. “That’s what keeps us alive, and allows us to provide the clinical care and social work that we need to deliver our services.”
Edgartown, and that’s fun.” There is also a chance to win prizes, sometimes donated items (one year it was a handmade quilt, another year, jewelry), and a lways gift certificates to local restaurants and vendors — also something w ith an Island association.
While Handmade, compared to other fundraisers, doesn’t raise a great deal of funds, there is the opportunity to make outright donations via the “giving tree.” Donors are offered a card, and “you can
There is information about the organization’s services at Handmade, another benefit of the event. “It’s really an opportunity for us to raise awareness i n the community, to make people know: If you have a serious or life-limiting illness, our palliative and hospice programs are here to help you. If you’ve experienced significant loss and you need counseling, we’re here to serve you.”
Wozniak offers some closing advice: “We always encourage people to call us sooner than later. There’s a real fear of death, and sometimes people wait too long to contact us, when we could have been there months and months earlier, to help the family.
Unfortunately, at some point in our life, we’re going to face our own mortality and the mortality of our loved ones, and there’s help out there — so use us.” k
Handmade from the Heart takes place at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 am to 3 pm, and in addition to the abundance of handcrafted gifts for sale, there will be treats at the Hospice-tality Café.
Colorful handmade gifts will be for sale at Handmade from the Heart.
PHOTOS:
Hanukkah feels like the most family-focused of the Jewish holidays I celebrate. So despite technically being a “minor” holiday (unmentioned in the Torah), it’s highly anticipated. For one of our eight nights a year of Hanukkah, my paternal grandparents will host my father’s side of the family, and a table of holiday foods awaits. The Hanukkah activities spur conversation, and more than Pesach or Rosh Hashanah the point is being together, talking a lot, and leaving with something. But because of Hanukkah’s length, most nights aren’t get-togethers. I remember the other nights allowing more space to consider the holiday’s basic elements.
Dreidel as a game is roughly 200 years old, though it began in some form in the 16th century as “totum.” Before Jewish adaptation, it was an English and Irish Christmas game.
And for a 2,000-year-old holiday, Hanukkah still gives a good amount of attention to novelty. My family might spin a crafted silver dreidel that seems like it’s been used for generations, or a bright plas-
perseverance. As the story goes, the Jewish Maccabees freed Judea from Syrian-Greek occupiers in the second century BCE. As the Maccabees reclaimed Jerusalem and their temple, they had to build a new menorah, which is a branched candelabrum used in Jewish rituals. Just a day’s worth of oil was available, but they were able to light the menorah for eight days, hence Hanukkah’s eight nights.
Hanukkah traditions at my house
At my grandparents’, food is eaten, and gamified, immediately. This is with the dreidel, a top with a Hebrew letter on each side, and gelt, foilwrapped chocolate coins. The game’s rules are simple, though may vary depending on who you ask.
What is different and the same through my eight nights. DANIEL GREENMAN
Each player gets 10 gelt and contributes one to a pool in the middle. (Going forward, when the pool reaches one or zero pieces, everybody pitches in one.) Players then take turns spinning the dreidel. If the letter gimel comes up after spinning, you take the pool. For letter hei, you take half the pool. If an odd number of gelt is in the pool for hei, round up to the nearest whole number. For the letter nun, nothing happens. For letter shin, you lose a coin to the pool. The winner is the last player left with gelt. When playing with children, of course
My brother and I celebrating in ‘06.
tic toy out of a 20-pack. When I consulted my parents on this piece, they also noted that the gelt we use mimics U.S. coinage. The biggest piece is a chocolate Kennedy half-dollar. “He was a nice Jewish man,” my mother suggested.
Hanukkah offers many other salty-sweet foods, like matzo ball soup with vegetables in a chicken broth. Challah looks excellent — and is. Latkes are best with applesauce. Hanukkah gifts, though a highlight for many, have been a tradition for only about 150 years. My family gives larger gifts on night one, or when everyone gets together.
But aside from the gifts, games, and food is Hanukkah’s historical justification. Like multiple Jewish holidays, it commemorates persecution and
"Sufganiyot," or doughnut, is a jelly-filled Hanukkah treat.
NOAM FURER
On each of the eight nights, we light a corresponding number of candles in the menorah, along with the shamash (“attendant”) candle. The shamash is lit first, and is used to light the others in order. Blessings accompany the lighting, with an additional prayer on Night One. Those new to the holiday can do their best to sing along.
When it was just my nuclear family there, on most nights of Hanukkah, I remember the menorah receiving a different kind of attention. The gifts given then were littler things that my parents saw: candy, or something they thought would entertain us. And I would thank them earnestly for these gifts, then quickly eat or Mad-Libs them.
But I remember on those nights focusing more on the menorah — for us, a multigenerational object — and the several years of rainbow wax accumulated on it. The menorah is the holiday’s ultimate symbol, despite enjoyment of gifts or food. Its candles are not to be put out, but are to burn out on their own. It is a literally slow-burning reminder of a moment successfully passed down within the family.
Note: Though Hanukkah is this article’s focus, it is worth noting that I celebrate Christmas with my mother’s side. Her late mother was Jewish as well. Sometimes, Hanukkah, operating on the Jewish lunar calendar, shifts within the Gregorian calendar and falls near Christmas.
In how I celebrate both holidays, there are key similarities — excitement, gifts, candy, and a tree-like icon. Hanukkah may be lacking in TV specials.
As much as I remember celebrations with my father’s side, I recall just as well my maternal grandmother lighting her menorah. When she clicked a lighter and led the blessings, I saw her sealing in wax her 80th-plus Hanukkah. k
New traditions
A new generation of Kwanzaa celebrations
BY SHARISSE SCOTT-RAWLINS
Iwatched my grandmother’s reflection in the bathroom mirror as she put the finishing touches on her Karamu dinner best: a black blazer with hints of red and green that represented our African American/Black Liberation flag.
I could hear my little brother in the next room inquiring of our grandfather Keith, his namesake, about why we had to get “all dressed up” for the Kwanzaa celebration we were attending that evening. I remember my grandfather expressing the importance of paying respect to celebrate our culture, honor our ancestors, and reinforce cultural identity.
The glossy pages slid between our fingertips as we read through the two Kwanzaa books our grandparents introduced us to that year. We read along, intrigued. My grandmother, Elizabeth, who was a college dean and professor in education, had an entire lesson planned out for us to understand the importance of Kwanzaa and
meaningful ways to celebrate.
Now, the two books we read during the week are “The Complete Kwanzaa: Celebrating Our Cultural Harvest” by Dorothy Winbush Riley and “Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story” by Angela Shelf Medearis.
Dictionary.com says of Kwanzaa, “The name for this holiday originally comes from the Swahili word kwanza, which translates to ‘first, firstly,’ and is a reference to the Swahili saying matunda ya kwanza, or ‘first fruits of the harvest.’”
In 1966, Maulana Karenga, activist and professor of Africana studies, used African harvest celebrations to create Kwanzaa, because the communal aspects that lead to a successful harvest are also aspects that build and maintain strong communities.
Kwanzaa being a Pan-African holiday means that it can be observed by not just African Americans, but by all Black people in the diaspora. Unlike Christmas, Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday. It is
also not a celebration focusing on purchases such as decorative lights, Christmas trees, gifts, and other items. It is the rich values of each of the seven days of Kwanzaa that make the celebration so groundbreaking. Kwanzaa can also be observed by other races and ethnicities who wish to learn more about the African American culture, regardless of their religion, race, or ethnicity.
Our Karamu, or communal feast, was the sixth evening of Kwanzaa, Dec. 31, and included other families from the Island community. As we all sat around the table together, there was a diverse representation of ethnicities present — African American, Wampanoag, Caucasian, Jamaican, Brazilian, and so many more!
In an article titled “Kwanzaa: The Food and Traditions,” the Food Network shares, “The menu can range broadly depending on family traditions, from classic African American soul food to dishes from every point of the African diaspora. The most
Sharisse holding the Pan African flag with pride.
Kwanzaa principles intertwined in the designers Juneteenth showcase for the community.
important thing is that the meal is shared, as Kwanzaa is, at its heart, a holiday about community.” As we indulged in our Kwanzaa foods potluck-style, I remember feeling the warmth of the community around me and pride filling my spirit.
This memory is from the first introduction to Kwanzaa my brother and I had. Like many African American families of the 20th century, our family mainly celebrated Christmas each year. However, I never forgot the importance of celebrating Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, and other holidays expressing our pride in our history and heritage. Now, with our grandparents watching over us in heaven, my brother and I decided to start our own family traditions and initiate ways to celebrate together for years to come.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture share the seven principles of Kwanzaa:
1. Umoja (Unity)
2 . Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
3. Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
4. Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
5. Nia (Purpose)
6. Kuumba (Creativity)
7. Imani (Faith)
Kwanzaa is celebrated for seven days, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Throughout the week, each of the seven principles outlined is celebrated on its own respective day. It is known as a time of family and celebration, but it is also a time of learning. Each day we will light a candle to highlight the
principle of that day and partake in various activities to breathe life into the essence of that day’s philosophy. As my brother and I unboxed our new kinara (7-branched candelabra) this year, with intentions to reimagine and initiate our own traditions this holiday season, our spirits swelled with pride knowing our grandparents and ancestors would be so proud.
After doing research, my brother and I were able to create our own Kwanzaa itinerary full of initiatives we are excited to uphold for years to come!
I have shared my favorite initiative from each day, along with a song of the day, to help us embody the essence of the seven principles.
Day One, Unity:
Candle: Black
Discussion topics:
Share your favorite memory of each person present from the year.
Share a goal you would like to achieve with each person in the new year
Is there anything anyone can do to better speak your personal love language to strengthen your relationship?
Song of the Day: “Worth His Weight in Gold (Rally Round),” Steel Pulse
Day Two, Self-Determination:
Candle: Red
Discussion topic: Personal Goals
Activity: Building Self-Confidence: On index cards, write down three things you admire about each person, and exchange cards with one another.
Song of the Day: “I Am the Black Gold of the Sun,” Rotary Connection and Minnie Riperton
Day Three, Collective
Work and Responsibility:
Candle: Green
Activity:
Choose a group task with a common goal and delegate responsibilities based on each person’s strengths. Song of the Day: “Optimistic,” Sounds of Blackness
Day Four, Cooperative Economics:
Candle: Red
Activity: Gift Exchange; But no regular gift exchange this will be … each person will create a handmade gift for the
person whose name they choose from a hat. There isn’t any right or wrong gift in this exchange — the more creative and thoughtful, the better to provoke a lasting impression!
Song of the Day: “We’re a Winner,” Curtis Mayfield
Day Five, Purpose:
Candle: Green
Discussion question: What is your life purpose?
Song of the Day: “Higher Ground,” Stevie Wonder
Day Six, Creativity:
Candle: Red
Activities: Present a creative project. Whether it is a song, poem, dance, painting, special recipe, etc, show off your creativity in hopes to inspiring one another going into the new year.
Karamu Feast
Song of the Day: “Africa,” John Coltrane
Day Seven, Faith:
Candle: Green
Activity: Quiet Reflection and Meditation
Song of the Day: “Keep Your Head to the Sky,” Earth, Wind, and Fire
On each of the seven days, we have vowed to put the phones and outside noise away for at least an hour, and to spend time journaling about our thoughts on that day’s principles. These journals will serve as a safe space for each of us to be as vulnerable and honest as possible with ourselves, in hopes of elevating and going into the new year as the best versions of ourselves. We will also have “songs of reflection” playing throughout the days to set the energy and tone for the day. We found these songs outlined on the National Museum of African American History and Culture website, under the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa.
If you wish to celebrate with loved ones who will not be close by for the holiday, remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way — Facetime or Zoom. Call them into the celebration and have them participate virtually! As we get closer to the time to celebrate, be sure to check in with the Martha’s Vineyard Times calendar to find out where you can join in on the celebrations right here on the Island! k
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