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Remember that Christmas when your son swore he heard Santa’s footsteps on the roof, came running downstairs, and shouted, “He’s here! Right now!” How about that New Year’s Eve when your sister came home from the army to surprise you? Or that holiday vacation when you broke your ankle and couldn’t join your best friend skiing, so she came to you? Some of our most memorable holidays aren’t necessarily the grandest, most exciting, or extravagant. Often, they’re simply stories about love. Below are a few favorite holiday memories from several beloved Islanders.
Rose Styron
97-year-old Rose Styron, best known as a poet, journalist, human rights activist, and the widow of famed author William Styron, has led an exciting and full life. And she hasn’t slowed down much — coffee out with friends, outings, and dinner parties to attend nearly every night.
Past holidays for Styron have been anything but dull. “We first met the Leonard Bernstein family decades ago on the Vineyard, and had most Christmases with them — singing Christmas carols and hamming it up, with Lenny on the piano and Bill Styron conducting the singing — in our Roxbury living room in Connecticut.”
This year, Styron’s holiday will look a little different, and she couldn’t be happier. “This Christmas, for the first time, all four of our children and their children and significant others are coming to have Christmas with me on the Vineyard. Two special family friends and close neighbors, the Garretts from Canada, and Sue Bailey and Rex Killian from the south, have offered us their homes, close to ours, to accommodate more than 20 family members. I am very much looking forward to it. Surely we will have more Christmas stories for you by next year!”
Nat Benjamin
Nat Benjamin, co-owner of Gannon & Benjamin, boat builders, who has designed over 100 vessels ranging from 8-foot yacht tenders to the 65-foot schooner Juno, says that although he has a slew of wonderful holiday memories, Christmas of 1977 stands out.
“We had just moved here a few years before, and our 7-year-old daughter Jessica was working at Tashmoo Farm, helping out with the horses,” he says. “We woke up on Christmas morning, and it was bitter cold — about zero degrees. We hadn’t seen that kind of cold weather here, and we thought we better go to the farm and check on the horses.”
Benjamin, his wife Pam, and their daughters, Jessica and Signe, all piled into his ’53 Chevy and headed to the farm. When they arrived, Donald DeSorcy, who owned Tashmoo Farm at the time, was outside breaking ice on the water troughs for the horses. “They were frozen solid,” Benjamin continues. “We made sure the horses had plenty of blankets and hay, and we even gave them extra oats. It was an adventure that day — exciting. It was a wonderful Christmas.”
Steve Bernier
If you know Cronig’s Market, you know Steve Bernier, the long-standing proprietor. You might just catch sight of him in the early mornings taking care of the plants surrounding the store, sweeping up outside, greeting employees or bantering with customers. Even though he transferred ownership, he still works every day and keeps up this morning ritual because it gives him a pulse on the community. Bernier is also the owner of The MV Times, which he sees as a place where a diverse array of Islanders come together to share their stories. A Cronig’s memory speaks to that: “My wife Constance and I were holding an annual Cronig’s Christmas party a few years ago. There were about 80 of us,” Bernier says. “Constance and I were going around doing our Christmas sharing and catching up with people. When we got back to our table, I turned to her and said, ‘Constance, I think there might be eight different countries, languages, cultures, and reasons why all these people are here, represented in this one room.’ It was so wonderful to see us all as a family — all our differences melted away under all that holiday cheer.”
Lisa Vanderhoop
Prominent Islanders photographer Lisa Vanderhoop and her husband, charter boat captain and Wampanoag tribal member Buddy Vanderhoop, have shared many Christmases together. And though the holiday seasons have slowed down a tad for Lisa and Buddy these days, there was a time when Vanderhoop Christmases were pretty lively.
“For years we used to go to my mother-in-law’s, and it used to be mayhem and madness — in the best way,” Lisa says. “There were like thousands of Vanderhoops, many of them children. Buddy wanted everyone to get a present, but I said, ‘Buddy, we aren’t millionaires!’ So what we traditionally used to do is go to Alleys, when Rhonda was the manager there. What a character she was. They had the funniest gag gifts, and they weren’t very expensive. One year, we got the kids dried seasoned crickets, and they got so excited about the crickets that they almost toppled the Christmas tree over. Luckily, someone saved it. The kids would dare each other — ‘You eat one!’ ‘No, you eat one!’ No, you eat one!’ and eventually they ate all the crickets. We used to go home afterward and say to each other, ‘Don’t talk to me. Just don’t say anything.’ We needed some quiet. We were so exhausted! But it was so much fun.”
Harry Seymour
Harry Seymour is a message artist dedicated to promoting social justice, and he welcomes any opportunity to do that. Rather than a single memory, Seymour would like to share a tradition that stands out for him. “Indeed, it is precisely this time of year when justice should be glorified through kindness, compassion, and loving our neighbors. For the past few holiday seasons, I delight in sharing my poem and painting ‘Santa’s Wish.’ For me, it speaks to the spirit of the season more than any story could think of.”
Santa’s Wish
This time of the year
Whispers in Santa’s ear
Elicit Ho, ho, hos
Smiles of children
Laughter of folklore
At a mythical figure
Master of illusion
Whose sole purpose
Is to create holiday bliss
For all who believe
St. Nick has a list
With their names affixed
Throughout history
A magical fantasy
Of complicity
In “good” deception
Among men, women, and children
Coalescing in a conspiracy
Of reciprocity
For the most incredible gift of all
Love and giving to each other
The essence of Santa’s spirit
In a world needing more, not less
Than once a year
A hearty Ho, ho, ho
Not just for children to hear
As Santa whispers,
“I wish it were all year.”
No matter what holiday you celebrate, here’s hoping the season brings you inspiration, joy, and wonderful new memories.