Even the most reticent cook finds himself drawn to the kitchen during the holiday season. It’s time to bring out the cookie cutters and colored sugars, the family gingerbread and fruitcake recipes. Traditions vary from country to country and family to family with most families establishing their own traditions inspired by both their tastes and their ancestry. Comment.

Thinking of the perfect gift to give to the person who has everything? Consider a membership to a cultural institution (memberships have their privileges after all) or a gift from one of their shops. These gifts will delight your family and friends and serve as a sorely needed financial boost to the institution you choose to support. Comment.

"Anna Christie," Eugene O’Neill’s moody, ironic, tragic and ultimately redemptive work was from its very beginnings surrounded by ambivalence and uncertainty. Comment.