Jade Cavendish, owner of the Beachtown Detective Agency, says Christmas is her favorite time of year. She loves everything about the holidays, from the lights to the music to the food. Well, actually, if you want to be picky about it, her favorites are the desserts…and the hot cocoa…and the eggnog. Then again, why quibble over details?

Marla Vail says, We celebrate Hanukkah with my family. This involves a traditional meal including potato latkes and lighting the menorah with ritual prayers. We also have Christmas dinner with Dalton’s family. Both holidays involve gift exchanges. We’re an inter-faith marriage so it’s important to respect and honor both of our traditions.

Sarah Blair says, My mother, whom we all refer to as Mother Maybelle, is a stickler for holidays and family togetherness. She’s also an equal opportunity holiday celebrator. Consequently, we get together as a family for dinner on Christmas, during Chanukah, when Kwanza hits, and for any other ‘holiday’ she can invent. The only twist is that we eat at my sister’s restaurant because Mother Maybelle can’t cook and hates doing dishes.

Miranda Trent here. In my family, the most important winter holiday is Thanksgiving. Although most of us celebrate Christmas, we’re pretty spread out, and not all our friends are in town. Thanksgiving is the one celebration where we know we’ll be gathered around the large round table in the farmhouse dining room with all our friends and family.

Nina Fleet of the Georgia B&B Mysteries says, I always used to fly back to my old hometown and spend time with my family over the holidays. But now that I own the B&B, my plan is to celebrate Christmas through New Years with my local friends and B&B guests. With the help Gemma and Daniel Tanaka, owners of the Java Lava bakery and diner, I’m going to put out a spread that will feed us all for a week!

Tabby Winslow, amateur sleuth of A Magic Candle Shop Mysteries, says: My family didn’t celebrate winter holidays, per se. Our family candle shop celebrates Christmas because that is very good for business. However, when my first December with my boyfriend, Dr. Quig Quigsly, rolled around, we decided we wanted to decorate a tree in our apartment. We bought a live tree and collected locally made ornaments that feature Savannah. True confession: I bought one from a famous national gift shop that says, “Our First Christmas.” It’s my favorite.

Anastasia Pollack says, We celebrate Christmas with our family and friends, minus my communist mother-in-law. Being a communist, she’s an atheist and wants no part of the holiday, or any holiday for that matter.