Inside Yankee: Traditions Old and New
For any reader who feels that traditions no longer matter, that anything our parents or grandparents cherished should be cast aside, well, it’s possible that this issue may not be for you. These pages are soaked with tradition, I won’t apologize about that — but here’s the thing: The beauty of traditions is that they […]
For any reader who feels that traditions no longer matter, that anything our parents or grandparents cherished should be cast aside, well, it’s possible that this issue may not be for you. These pages are soaked with tradition, I won’t apologize about that — but here’s the thing: The beauty of traditions is that they can always change, become new even as they reassure us with the familiar.
Take, for instance, Boston Ballet’s annual Nutcracker. There are people who see this beautiful performance every year, yet each time come away with memories unlike any other. Enter our “One Enchanted Evening” feature and see whether you don’t feel the tug to go and see it once again, or maybe for the first time.
Whatever you may be planning to serve this holiday season, I trust you’ll find Annie B. Copps’ touches to old favorites in “Talking Turkey” to be just what you’re hoping for. And if you think one pumpkin pie is just like any other, sample a bite from our featured recipe, with its hint of maple syrup, courtesy of pastry chef Erika Bruce. When one of her fruitcakes appeared at a recent editorial meeting, we all agreed that one much-maligned tradition has never tasted fresher or better. This confection is made to be savored and presented as a gift — and Matthew Mead shows you just how to showcase your baked goods for friends and family (p. 68).
Yes, there are still places where Christmas goes deeper than malls and electronic gadgets. “O Little Towns of Vermont” takes you to a region where the small-town rituals of the season aren’t bound by any religious faith, but by faith in one another, in one’s neighbors, in the laughter, beauty, and joy in being together when the cold settles in and you need the warmth of friends.
Our annual “Angels Among Us” feature again spotlights the unselfishness of ordinary people who are making huge differences in the lives of people around them. This is now Yankee‘s own holiday-issue tradition, and we hope that you, our readers, will write and tell us of angels you know. Wherever you are, whatever traditions you honor during these coming days, know that everyone at Yankee welcomes you to our words and photos.
Mel Allen
Mel Allen is the fifth editor of Yankee Magazine since its beginning in 1935. His first byline in Yankee appeared in 1977 and he joined the staff in 1979 as a senior editor. Eventually he became executive editor and in the summer of 2006 became editor. During his career he has edited and written for every section of the magazine, including home, food, and travel, while his pursuit of long form story telling has always been vital to his mission as well. He has raced a sled dog team, crawled into the dens of black bears, fished with the legendary Ted Williams, profiled astronaut Alan Shephard, and stood beneath a battleship before it was launched. He also once helped author Stephen King round up his pigs for market, but that story is for another day. Mel taught fourth grade in Maine for three years and believes that his education as a writer began when he had to hold the attention of 29 children through months of Maine winters. He learned you had to grab their attention and hold it. After 12 years teaching magazine writing at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, he now teaches in the MFA creative nonfiction program at Bay Path University in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Like all editors, his greatest joy is finding new talent and bringing their work to light.
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