Victoria December 2022

Dear Friends One of the joys of Yuletide is seeing how loved ones express themselves in their seasonal decorating. While my own home gleams with silver bells and cascades of rich red ribbon, I also appreciate other looks. My sister collects snowmen, and she displays these treasures of porcelain and glass on her holiday table, which shimmers with shades of pale blue and white. The sight of her frosty winter wonderland always warms my heart, and I never spy a snowman without thinking of my dear Janice. Our December issue opens the door to interiors across the country, allowing us to step into the worlds of homeowners who greet this time of year with signature flair. My sister will especially love the simple beauty of fresh-cut boughs added to a serene alabaster…

FUN FINDS * PLACES TO GO * ENTREPRENEURS TO MEET Visit our website to read this issue’s online stories and to find more of the content you love. Take a closer look at some of our favorite December features: Decking the Halls In this Steamboat Gothic–style residence, antique treasures shine brightest at Yultide, when stories of provenance unfurl alongside the ribbons during decorating. At Haverstraw Hill Victoria’s test kitchen chefs offer our recipe for panettone, an Italian specialty dressed for the holidays with a homemade glaze from Mary Jane Calandra. Scents of Nostalgia As Aromatique marks its fortieth anniversary, the home fragrance brand reflects on the milestone, as well as the path that led founder Patti Upton from the foothills of the Ozarks to peaks of success. Tokens of History Learn fascinating details about a cache of official White House…

How dear to my heart are the holidays of my youth. If my family was not at home in Rhode Island having a big feast—prepared by my paternal grandmother with the help of numerous aunts and uncles—then we were in New Canaan, Connecticut, at the home of my maternal grandmother. She was a kind, gentle woman who was always joyful and never complained. In her kitchen there were always baked goods: both homemade delights and specialty cookies from the Swiss Chalet Bakery. In 1968, which holds particularly beloved memories for me, the Yuletide festivities began with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at my aunt and uncle’s before we all drove back to Grandma’s house. She was busy preparing the Feast of the Seven Fishes—an Italian-American celebration of Christmas Eve—while the rest of…

According to the calendar, winter does not officially start until December 21. But for me, the season always begins in late October, when days grow short in the Pacific Northwest and the rain moves in. Out here, we’ve all developed our own tricks to get around the dark. A few years ago, I convinced my husband to put up our holiday lights right after daylight saving time—small, white bulbs strung across our porch, along with corresponding sets framing the archways inside the house. A timer turns them on every afternoon at five. It took some convincing; it seemed to him like we were on a slippery slope toward never taking down our holiday lights at all, but I told him they were seasonal, in the most basic of senses. “In its own…

As Aromatique celebrates a milestone anniversary, learn more about the brand at victoriamag.com.…

Nestled in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic—also called Czechia—is a country blessed with beauty and an interesting narrative that dates to fourth century B.C., when it was settled by the Celtic Boii tribe and originally christened “Bohemia.” As its capital, Prague has been at the center of Czech life for centuries, and the city enjoys a sterling reputation for its dedication to the arts and its stunning architecture, which encompasses a variety of styles, from Romanesque and Gothic to Baroque and Moorish Revival. While a visit here is enjoyable in any season, at Christmastime, Prague is positively mesmeric as it hums with the holiday spirit. Sheltered beneath the twin Gothic towers of the Church of Our Lady before Týn, Old Town Square is the ever-bustling center of Yuletide festivities.…