It’s the holiday season, and there is no other place than New Canaan for celebrating.
Taken during the holiday stroll in town on December 5th, where hundreds of New Canaanites and our neighbors from the surrounding area gathered, despite the rain. There was no moment met with more anticipation than this one, when the lights on the trees in town were lit up; well except maybe when Santa Claus arrived. Credit: Jes Sauerhoff
From the Holiday Stroll in early December, to the Exchange Club’s Christmas tree sale at Kiwanis Park, to the lights on the trees and lampposts in town reminding us all of the beauty town has during this time of year, and culminating with the caroling on Christmas Eve.
Each opportunity gives New Canaanites a chance to experience the romance of this town, as well as that feeling like there’s no place like home for the holidays.
The beauty of a night in New Canaan during the holidays. Credit: Jes Sauerhoff
New York City is just an hour train ride away, and one could argue that its ambiance this time of year is unrivaled. If you have the time to plan a trip with family or friends, this is the best time of year to do so.
But don’t expect it to compare to what we have right here in New Canaan, which provides what this holiday season, to me, is all about. Those are the three ‘F’s’. No it’s not family, food, and football like some suggest that Thanksgiving is all about. Rather it’s family, friends, and faith.
A picture of me and my cousins at our grandparent’s house in the late 90’s during the annual family get-together of opening gifts. From left to right are Rachel Barber, Hailey Sauerhoff and her older sister, Emily Sauerhoff. Courtesy of Jes Sauerhoff
Family
I have lived in New Canaan since 1995. Every holiday season since then has been spent here. When I was younger, Christmas morning was something that I looked forward to every December—because of the presents. I feel like I was not alone in that sentiment. When we’re young, we’re taught that if we’re good little boys and girls, that Santa will bring us many nice things.
One year, though, and I can’t remember the exact year but I was in elementary school, I thought that I had been not so good, as there were no presents in the usual spot. I was so devastated that I cried my eyes out, which had my mother wondering why. I told her, “I’ve been a bad boy because Santa didn’t come. There are no presents.” She assured me that he did come, and that there were, and as she walked me downstairs, she showed me where my presents were, hidden from view on the stairwell.
All those Christmas mornings, I was concerned with what I got from Santa, and my parents as well, because that’s what the innocence of youth allows us to do—to place importance on material things, because most of us, when we’re young, take the significant things for granted.
For some time now, though, I have been aware that the time spent with family during the holiday season is one-third of what this time of year is all about.
Nothing reminds me of that more than the time spent during the holidays at my grandparents’ house on 124 Farm Road. They would host a get-together of aunts, uncles and cousins from my dad’s side of the family, typically after Christmas but before the New Year, and have us open our presents from these family members.
We would go around, one by one, youngest to oldest, opening one present at a time. This time for my family members was a time where we all got to have more things to be thankful for. When we were younger, my cousins and I would compare gifts. Being a sports fan, I got a lot of sports clothing—others got dress clothes, books, movies.
As we got older, though, the gathering became more about the time spent with family. I am close to my cousins today because of this annual tradition, one that hasn’t been at 124 Farm Road since 2009.
That was when my grandmother sold the house. She would still have the gatherings in the years that followed—however, because it wasn’t at 124 Farm Road, where she and other family members had spent the holidays since 1966, it just didn’t really feel the same.
This past July, my grandmother, Margaret Sauerhoff, passed away. Therefore this marks the first holiday season without seeing her beaming smile. She was always so thrilled to open any present, the last one to do so each round, for most of those gatherings, with her being the oldest.
However, ever since I was younger, I remember her reacting like she was always surprised when it was her turn—because for her the gift was watching all of us, her sons and daughters, sons- and daughters-in-law, and her grandchildren, so happy. She was captivated by it.
We all will miss her whenever we get together opening presents this year, but she’ll be with us in spirit, and her smile ever present.
I hope that your family has a tradition like ours, and I wish that you recognize that during this holiday season, your family is an essential part.
Friends
For me, the second ‘F’ of this holiday season is as important as family, because to me, my friends are my family. Having lived in New Canaan for going on two decades, I have had the opportunity to build a handful of incredibly close friendships with those who have been in this town just as long as me.
Growing up with these people, I am able to see the maturity in both ourselves and our friendships at this time of year. Like my cousins, when my friends and I were younger, we would come back to school from the holiday break and compare the presents we got from Santa and our family members.
As we’ve gotten older though, we’ve been able to recognize that one of the greatest gifts we’ve ever been given is the friendship that we have with one another.
In fact, this holiday season as much as any other reminds me that I am most thankful for these friends because it is they, as well as my family, who make New Canaan home. I would not be who I am today without their impact on my life, and I feel confident in saying that I have helped impact theirs.
My thankfulness for my friends goes beyond just the handful of close ones with people from here, though.
It extends to those who I am still in touch with today from New Canaan, many of whom I was glad to see during Thanksgiving weekend. It also certainly extends to those of my friends from my time in Durham, NH. These are people who made Durham feel like a second home for me, so without them I would not be who I am today either.
It’s great to have such people in my life. I am making every effort I can to see all of my friends this holiday season, but if I should not see you, know that you are in my thoughts every day, and that I wish you and yours happy holidays.
Friends, if we lose them we lose ourselves. I heard that once, and I’ve embodied it in the effort I’ve put forth to maintain all of mine.
I hope you get to spend some time with some of your friends, and if you shouldn’t, at least let them know you’re thinking of them. It’ll likely make their day.
Faith
The last ‘F’ of this holiday season I would say is just as important as the first two. And this can be applied to whatever holiday you celebrate.
Without Christ, there is no Christmas. So even while you spend time with family and friends, do not forget why the holiday exists in the first place; why many of us go to church on Christmas Eve and/or Day—to celebrate something that is greater than us.
I am thankful for everyone that is in my life, but I personally attend church on Christmas Eve at St. Mark’s to observe my faith and belief in Christ.
The community feel of the event (the place is literally at capacity) gives an emotion that doesn’t compare to many. The singing of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” at the beginning of the service to the singing of “Joy to the World” at the end, is a time where I sing every word with resounding excitement.
But it is my faith, in addition to my family and friends that gets me through each day. So every Christmas Eve, I look forward to attending that service, whether I’m there in time to grab a seat or not.
I love the nativity scene that’s performed by the children of the families that attend. And while the story is the same, I am reminded every year that the innocence of youth allows us to do one more thing, which is believe that there are great things out there to be accomplished.
Some of which are miraculous. And I believe that we should carry that feeling with us forever.
That is what a New Canaan holiday season means to me. I am forever grateful to have called this place home for almost 20 years. I hope you have had the chance to experience some of the great things that this town offers during the holiday season. If you haven’t, there’s still the carol singing on Christmas Eve. I hope you attend.
I’m sure 2015 will bring new, exciting challenges to my life, as well as ones that will test me. I imagine the same will happen for you.
Through it all, remember that you have at least three things to hold on to during every one of them; your family, your friends, and your faith.
Happy holidays!