Christmas in our family isn’t just a day, it’s a 3-day event that carries on through the week, a gathering, and a tradition that’s been passed down through generations. Christmas Eve is the main event. It always begins with my sister’s legendary crab cioppino, a tradition that has become almost sacred in our family. The recipe, the ritual, the timing, all of it carried on year after year, just as it was when we were growing up. By nightfall, the house is full. Nieces, nephews, spouses, children, nearly 35 of us under one roof, talking over one another, laughing loudly, and soaking in the joy that only comes when everyone is together. This is the night when all the presents are opened. It’s joyful chaos, wrapping paper everywhere, kids darting from room to room, and adults lingering a little longer at the table with another glass of wine. It’s loud, imperfect, and exactly how we like it.

Christmas morning shifts gears, becoming a bit more intimate. Tom and I host our children and grandchildren at our home for another round of gift-opening, followed by a festive breakfast that stretches into the late morning. It’s cozy and unrushed

That evening, Tom and I open our doors once again. Anyone who still has the energy comes by for Christmas dinner, often centered around lobster, a simple but special tradition that feels celebratory without being overdone. Some years it’s a full table, other years it’s a smaller group, but the feeling is always the same: gratitude, fullness, and the comfort of being together. By the time the dishes are done and the house grows quiet, Christmas has done what it always does best, it brings us back to what matters most.

And Then Comes the Exhale. The day after Christmas marks a subtle but welcome shift here in Sonoma County and Healdsburg. The big gatherings are behind us. The pace softens. The decorations stay up, but the urgency fades. This is the week when locals reconnect, lingering over lunches, heading out to dinner, meeting friends they haven’t seen during the busy weeks leading up to the holiday. Restaurants feel lively but relaxed. Tasting rooms remain festive. There’s an unspoken understanding that this is a wind-down week, still celebratory, still warm, but gentler. It’s the perfect time to savor where we are, reflect on the year behind us, and ease our way toward what’s next. And here in Sonoma County, we do that the best way we know how, good food, good wine, and good company, carrying just enough of the holiday spirit forward until we toast the New Year.