Christmas Traditions

Christmas with its traditions, celebrations, and effects on communities and people is the central theme of the novel. The author incorporates both family and community-wide Christmas traditions in her novel as she describes how the Nantucket community celebrates the holidays. The Nantucket Stroll, for instance, is a Christmas tradition the entire community enjoys. Mandy’s family has incorporated its own traditions into the larger celebration of the Stroll. There are also a variety of other family traditions, like cookie baking and tree decorating, that are included in the novel.

The entire community either attends or participates in the Nantucket Stroll. It is described as being “the famous Nantucket Stroll, when all the stores were decorated for the holidays and restaurants reopened or stayed open until the weekend for a final hurrah before closing for the winter” (5-6). Connie is among those who participate in the...