Each December when I was a kid, my brother and I waited eagerly for our parents to pull our artificial Christmas tree out of storage and slot the color-coded stems into the dowel trunk, shaping the wire branches and fluffing the plastic needles as they worked. We lived in the desert and had rarely seen trees, let alone a live Christmas tree, so we loved our slightly dusty imitation version.
As a young adult, I was introduced to “real” Christmas trees and was smitten. I loved the scent, the varieties and the elaborately choreographed quest with family or friends to pick the perfect tree. Sure, they’re more expensive, require more care, make a mess, tempt the cat and tend to drop ornaments — to say nothing of needles! — in a way our old faux fir never did, but I’m a committed member of the real-tree club.
As I learned from Greg Weatherford in his story about Christmas tree farming (Page 68), that club is more than 25 million American families strong. And we’ll all tell you that part of the fun is the hayride, hot cocoa, makers market, petting zoo — whatever amenities your tree farm of choice offers to ensure you make happy holiday memories. Greg introduces three area farming families and explains how they cultivate Christmas all year long.
When I joined the magazine late last year, I learned some new year-end traditions. Our arts & entertainment editor, Nicole Cohen, offers holiday happenings for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the uniquely Richmond annual Cone Parade (Page 44). Plus, we like to see the year out by reviewing its highs and lows (Page 26) as well as remembering the notable Richmonders we lost in the past year (Page 32); our news editor, Mark Newton, coordinated both projects.
December, with its celebrations and indulgences, is also a prime time to take stock of the restaurant scene. Food Editor Eileen Mellon led a team of experienced tastemakers in sipping and sampling around the region to determine the top 25 restaurants of the moment (Page 74). That their choices are carefully considered goes without saying, but the selections are also provocative, diverse and comprehensive, representing different cuisines and cultures and ranging from a 50-year-old deli to a pop-up launched in 2021. The team layered in mentions of bottle shops with outstanding menus and sister spaces helmed by the same exceptional owners and chefs, for a total of three dozen remarkable restaurants. If you need a goal for the new year, start making reservations!
Wishing you a happy (and delicious) holiday season!
