It’s that time of year, when good cheer flows freely. We have so much to be thankful for including living in a neighborhood full holiday spirit, charming shops, interesting characters, quaint architecture and twinkly lights that seem like icing on a beautiful cake. In the spirit of sharing, I asked Chestnut Hill Community Association board members to share a holiday tradition or memory that brightens their hearts. Let’s unwrap a sampling of their stories together.

First up, Henry Trapnell:

“At the Trapnell house, the holidays begin with a favorite contradiction: Cozy versus Glam. Each year, my husband Judson and I bring home two real Christmas trees. The Cozy Tree glows with big, old-fashioned multicolored lights and is filled with handmade childhood ornaments, felt forest creatures, broken Santas, plaid, and sentimental favorites — like a photo of grade-school Jud in a wreath frame and a gold pear engraved in toddler’s scrawl: ‘I love you, Daddy.’ The Glam Tree shines in white lights, dressed in sparkles and silvers, an overflowing miniature martini, all topped with an angel and grounded by a fur-lined houndstooth tree skirt. Friends gather to decorate with eggnog and RuPaul’s Christmas album, ‘Slay Belles,’ on repeat. Magnolia wreaths and homemade garlands dress every fireplace, needlepoint stockings hang for the Trapnells’ two dogs and cat. The bookshelves nearby are lined with a sprawling Department 56 village — its oldest porcelain house gifted by Jud’s grandmother, Jumper. The Trapnells’ village tradition was rekindled in 2020 when Jud painstakingly rebuilt Henry’s shattered childhood village piece by piece with Super Glue and patience. And just as the season begins with Cozy and Glam, it always ends with the same question: Which tree will hide the pickle this year?”

Next to share is Allen Barkus:

“I have fond memories of our family’s traditional cranberry meringue pie, which was my grandmother’s recipe and a hallmark of Thanksgiving dinners at my grandparents’ home when our whole family was together. Now, most of our family is in Toronto, where my mom was born. They continue to make this pie in Canada. My sister Harriet, who lives with me, has made one this year and shared the recipe. When we dive into this family classic, it reminds us of those special holiday dinners.”

Recipe as follows:

1-3/4 cup sugar

¾ cup water

4 cups cranberries

2 tsp margarine

4 tsp power sugar

3 tsp flour

4 eggs separated

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Cook sugar and water to syrup. Add cranberries, cook till they stop popping and cool. Mix flour, salt and egg yolks till smooth. Add to cranberry mixture a little at a time (temper) so it doesn’t end up like scrambled eggs. Simmer 3 minutes. Add margarine. Turn mixture into pie crust. You can make this days ahead and cool in the refrigerator to thicken. Add meringue.

Rounding out the holiday merriment, Appointed Board Director Marjie Scott of Chestnut Hill College shares:

“I have very fond memories picking out a live tree with my family and decorating it together. Waiting for my dad to put the tree in the stand and put the lights on, it seemed to take forever. My mom used to give us popcorn and cranberries to string to help us to stay busy before we could decorate the tree. To this day, I love decorating my tree and looking at the ornaments that belonged to my grandparents and the special ones that I have picked up in my travels. Merry Christmas to all!”