Living

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."

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!"

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.

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. 

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

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.

This year, haven't we had enough of turning inward already? And hibernating? Been there, done that . . . for what seems like forever. This should be the winter of not hibernating.

"This recipe is one of my favorite things to make" for the winter solstice, says Juli Everett. Not only is the soup delicious, but its ingredients are colorful, warm, and earthy — a perfect way to welcome back the sun.

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

At least we have the holidays to bring a bit of cheer. If you need a few tips to set the mood, the South Fork's musicians have no shortage of suggestions.

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.

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.