Well, all is nearly prepared in many homes for Christmas on Tuesday. However, there is still time for a tiny amount of last-minute shopping. The Vineyard Colors calendar makes a swell gift and Marjorie Pierce reports that she will have fair trade coffee for sale after church services on Sunday in the parish house. After a month of shopping and a lot of decorating, inside and out, families will soon gather together to celebrate a blessed day. The boats were packed with people going to and from the mainland to shop for Christmas last weekend. Some folks got a head start traveling off-Island for the holiday to be with their families.

We are now officially into the winter season as of Friday and here is hoping it will be milder than last year. We now have reached the shortest day of the year and soon they will be starting to get a bit longer each day. Seed catalogs have begun to arrive in the mail so you can start planning your garden after the holidays.

Shopping has been difficult at best. However, we are managing. If you are in the Providence area and have Portuguese blood you must make a pilgrimage to the Taunton Street Bakery in East Providence: truly a delightful experience. Their orange cake is a specialty at this time of the year and it is out of this world!

Karen, over at the church, reports that you may choose to attend church services on Sunday, offered by the First Congregational Church. On Monday, music begins at 4:30 p.m. and at 5 p.m. The Annual Children’s Pageant will be held at the Agricultural Hall. All are welcome to attend.

The 40th annual solstice party held by Katherine Long and the Jacksons was a huge success as always. The wide array of people that attended was very impressive, the conversation was delightful and the food prepared by many chefs was nothing short of superb. A good time was had by all.

These folks with local connections want to wish you a merry Christmas: Jen Wool, Kim Bartlett and Lisa Lillabridge up in Burlington, Vt. send their best to their many Vineyard friends for the holidays; Dr. Gabrielle Walker, author, from London, England extends her best wishes; cousin Millie Fodor out in Lautenberg and Sarah Noggle in Huron and Chrisa Mayhew in Plainview, Ohio extends holiday greeting to everyone back here. Toni Kurash and Simi Horwitz send greetings of the season from New York city, as do the Plakins sisters, Ava, Tamara and Naomi, from Doylestown, Pa.; Shannon Burke and Kay Allen down in Dripping Springs, Tex.; Malcolm Hall and his wife Judy of Oklahoma City, Okla. wish all their Vineyard friends a very happy holiday season.

Bob Luskin, of Washington D.C., reports that his wife, Charlotte Fallon, and her children, Nathalie and Miranda, and his sons, Cass and Peter, wish their Vineyard friends all the best for the holidays and good wishes for the new year. So do Don Klepper-Smith and his wife, Marcia. Walter Smith, the premier antique dealer of the South, and good friend, from Augusta, Ga. and his wife, Lisa, daughter, Megan, and son, Bruce, and his wife, Angie, send along their best to all of their friends here on the Island. Joanie Wilson from Evans, Ga. sends her best to all. Sig Van Raan and his wife Susan Dickler extend holiday wishes to their friends and neighbors. Marian Irving and Geoff McCullough and family from Hingham pass along their very best for the holidays.

Diane Nolan, Jack Ryan, Tara Dolan and John Hirt over at the post office wish to thank their customers for their patience, kindness and generosity and wish everyone a happy holiday season.

Olivia Larsen, over at the library, reports that Monday through Friday, except Tuesday, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., a free soup and bread lunch will be served. All ages are welcome. The library will be closing at 3 p.m. and will be closed on Christmas Day.

Anna Barber, over at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, supplied the following story from 1863: Charles Macreading Vincent, better known as Charlie Mac, served nearly three years in the Civil War. He documented much of his time through letters to his family at home on the Vineyard. It’s not surprising that he kept these records, as a position he held prior to entering the service was an apprenticeship at the Gazette. The museum holds a large collection of Charlie Mac’s letters, including one from Folly Island, S.C.; it was his first Christmas away from home. After enjoying a meal of roast beef, turnips, potatoes, tomatoes and all the fixings, the soldiers were allowed to go off duty and spend the day competing in sack, wheelbarrow, and foot races. Charlie, however, explained that he did not take an active part in any of the games except the dinner.

Happy birthday to Cathy Weiss, Alex Goethals, Emma Conley and Fausta Edey Friday; Barbara Silk, Annie Chaves and Mary Lou Delong on Saturday; Susan Graham, Cecelia McCarthy, Mark Clements, Wendy Gray, Dr. Caroline Flyer and Omar Rayyan on Sunday; Ann Howes, Holly Coyne, Marg Luening and Gabriel Robinson-Lynch on Monday; Christopher Bird, Christina Montoya and Michael MacLean on Tuesday; Glenn Jackson, Anna Hughes and Rachel Baumrin on Wednesday; Claudia Canerdy, Mary Gross and Mark Bernard on Thursday.

Well, that is all of the social news for this edition. If you have any news about the holidays and guests at your house, please call or e-mail me. We want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.

West Tisbury town news can be sent to alleys@vineyard.net.