Family Tradition

Gretchen and her daughters, Megan and Phoebe, and their families celebrate Christmas Eve together. True to the artist’s sensibility, decorations are unfussy. The handmade ceramic tree, is a gift from a friend; the snow globe, vase, and reindeer come from Gretchen’s favorite local gift shop, Simple Pleasures. A few antique ornaments on an ironstone plate complement the multitude of reds on the table. The menu is simple and light: champagne, shrimp cocktail, salad, popovers, and nime chow from Apsara Palace, a Hope Street venue that receives rave reviews for its Southeast Asian cuisine.

Polly Bannister

Polly Bannister was a Yankee staff editor and a favorite of readers for more than 20 years. She is continually inspired by New England’s beautiful and diverse landscape—from cranberry bogs, sandy beaches, and granite-topped mountains to thriving cities, white clapboard houses on village greens, and red-brick mill towns.

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