November 27, 2002

In this issue

BACK IN UPSTATE New York, when I was growing up, the winter holidays were quite a production at my house. We generally spent them holed up with 15 or 20 of my parents' closest friends for a party that often stretched on for at least three days. Denominations ranged from lapsed Baptist to begrudging Jew, with a few sulky adolescents such as myself to dim the holiday cheer. There was usually a tree, but it was most often made out of artistically twisted wire or a repurposed walking stick. More salient features included platters of baked goods and mixed nuts on every available surface, so many dishes we had to use the great outdoors for a refrigeration system, and such an overabundance of cooks in the kitchen it's a miracle everyone was still on speaking terms by the time we said our farewells.

After decorating the walking stick, the main thing we did for three days – aside from the occasional stroll through the woods – was cook, eat, do jigsaw puzzles, bake, eat some more, and open presents, while eating. During the ceremonial unwrapping of the gifts, celebrants were expected to maintain a state of enraptured curiosity, followed up by appropriately timed expressions of admiration and wonder, as each recipient ripped his or her 15 or 20 gifts free from paper and fancy ribbons (until my brother and I went on an environmentalist tear and forbade the use of anything other than newspaper). The whole thing took about four hours, after which we ate cookies.

A note on gift giving: While those were good times, the vast quantity of hideously patterned socks I received over the years smelled of last-minute desperation and/or a lack of imagination (not surprising: inventively shopping for 15 or 20 people isn't easy). Either way, they made, at best, a tepid argument for the ultimate worth of holiday gift-giving. One year, though, my mother's friend's son gave me a beautiful piece of pottery fashioned by a student at one of the local art schools. It was the first piece of artwork I ever owned, and I still have it. Which is to say, a good way to look at your holiday gift list is to examine the city around you and think about what it has to offer, what makes it lovely or unusual or downright extraordinary. Support local artists, give creatively, and as you're casting around for inspiration, consult our Holiday Guide for a wealth of ideas on where to go and what to get.

P.S. Most important holiday activity: continue protesting the impending war with Iraq.