Living

Anne Cooper-Menguy and Robert Marshall, Ph.D., of East Hampton and New York City, have become engaged.

Ms. Cooper-Menguy has been an interior designer for more than 60 years and has had her work displayed in Architectural Digest and Interior Design magazines. 

Hyatt Mannix and Matthew Thomas Powers had planned to marry at the bride's parents' house on Bluff Road in Amagansett, but the pandemic forced a change of plans. They decided instead to have a very small outdoor wedding on Dec. 30 in Jackson, Wyo., near where they live, with the stunning vistas of the Grand Tetons as a backdrop. The Rev. Alison Coplan officiated, and a reception followed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jackson Hole.

The bride is the daughter of Gretchen and John B. Mannix. The groom's parents are Joyce and Jerry Powers of Paxton, Mass.

You can come from the depths of salt-of-the-earth New England and still know nothing of the East Hampton clam pie. I should know. I am such a person. I was raised in Newburyport, Mass., home to such icons as the American Coast Guard, William Lloyd Garrison's Liberator Magazine, and parts of the Underground Railroad. I grew up on whole-bellied clams, both steamed and fried, but, until I moved to East Hampton half a decade ago, I had never heard of them being baked into a pie. 

Bill Evans, chief meteorologist at WLNG Radio and the National Weather Service, was at least honest about the likelihood of a white Christmas on the East End this year. "Eleven percent chance," he said apologetically, adding, "That's why, when Bing sings, he says, 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.' He's dreaming of it!"

Saint Augustine points to the early Christians’ tradition of celebrating Christmas in the winter as anything but coincidental. In the Northern Hemisphere, we have just passed the darkest day of the year and now move into a period of ever-increasing light and a new year brimming with hope and enthusiasm.

Christmas was a new experience when I married into a local family and settled in Amagansett in the early 1960s. Neither my upbringing, which was secular and Jewish, nor my college years or gad-about life in New York City as a young woman of bohemian leanings had been at all Kris Kringle-y.

Calls for change — for justice system reforms and an end to systemic racism — echoed throughout 2020 in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others. That is why, when James Banks of Southampton celebrates Kwanzaa this December, he will reflect a little more closely on some of the principles of the holiday — most notably, he said, "unity."

At Christmastime in East Hampton, the festive lights across town enliven holiday spirits. This is the story of one of those spirits.

To light a menorah in the window at Hanukkah is to illuminate one's small corner of the world with hope. This year in Sag Harbor, for the first time in quite a while, a highly meaningful menorah will be lighted in the window of the Center for Jewish Life.

To give is to love, is it not? Especially during the winter holidays, and more especially when there is no expectation of getting something in return. Here are six ways East Enders can spend their time and share their resources to help their neighbors in need.

Santa's Little Helpers

The Star's hunter-gatherer, Durell Godfrey, went shopping for "cozies" so that everyone can stay warm against the winter chill. Bundle up for a beach walk, or cuddle after walking the dog. Indoors or out, take these warm wishes, wrap them up, and share them. Remember to shop locally and drive carefully.

The pandemic has ensured that this year many more stockings will be hung on the East End over the holidays. Whether you're hunkered down for your first East End winter or are an old-timer innovating traditions in light of Covid-19, here's how to make the most of things.