A cup of cheer: a traditional holiday coffee draws friends to celebrate in Vicksburg.

Four Vicksburg friends were visiting one day when the subject of cohosting a Christmas party arose.

"Why not have a coffee and let each of us invite 15 people?" said one. This remark heralded the beginning of a Yuletide tradition that has lasted eight years.

Anita Collins, Martha Day, Lee Waring, and Hazel Milner host their holiday coffee--which has grown to include 150 guests--at Lee's home on a Saturday each December. But the preparations actually begin on the day after Thanksgiving, when Lee begins decorating her home. She strings twinkle lights on the crape myrtles lining her side yard and driveway and continues the sparklers on her Louisiana-style porch and front entrance. Next, she wraps every chandelier with ribbons and garlands of fresh greenery and holiday balls. For finishing touches, she decorates the mailbox and even adds a little glitz to the fountain in her backyard.

Lee says she is proudest of the 12-foot Christmas tree that graces her country French living room. An angel collection, garlands of red and gold ribbons, and tiny white lights adorn the tree. An 18th-century French secretary and an Empire sofa add to the elegance of this formal room.

Martha is in charge of table decorations for the party. Last year, her arrangement for the dining room table featured an Oriental bowl filled with red roses and poinsettias.

When the ladies planned their first coffee, they made all of the refreshments themselves. They quickly discovered, however, that frequent trips to the kitchen to replenish trays prevented them from mingling with their guests. Now they prepare a few of their favorite party dishes and turn the rest of the menu over to a local caterer. They rotate caterers each year, but in 2005 their choice was Story Ebersole of Storycook Favorites. The hostesses contributed a traditional spiced beverage called wassail, hot clam dip, and an array of sweets.

"No one in our group is a native of Vicksburg, but we all have lived here for over 30 years," says Anita. Just as their friendship has endured over the decades, the group's much-anticipated holiday party is poised to continue for years to come.

LEMON BARS

2 1/4 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together
2 cups flour, confectioner's sugar,
and butter, and stir until crumbly. Press
mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan, and bake
for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together
sugar, eggs, and lemon juice; beat
well. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour and
baking powder, and stir to combine.
Pour over hot crust, and bake for an additional
20-25 minutes.

West Point Hostess V West Point Officers' Wives Club

HOT CLAM DIP

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
6 green onions (plus half of green tops),
  chopped
2 to 3 (8-ounce) cans minced clams, drained
  (reserve some liquid)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Few dashes cayenne pepper
Melba toast rounds
Paprika for garnish

In a double boiler, melt cream cheese
with onions. Add clams, lemon juice,
Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper,
mixing well. If mixture is too stiff,
add a little liquid from clams. Serve in
a chafing dish with Melba toast rounds.
Sprinkle with paprika for garnish. Yield:
2-3 cups.

Vintage Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary of Vicksburg

WASSAIL

1 gallon apple cider
48 whole cloves
4 teaspoons whole allspice
6 tablespoons lemon juice
12 sticks cinnamon
2 cups sugar or to taste
1 cup orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan,
and bring to a slow boil. Simmer for
10 minutes. Strain, and serve hot.

Maryland's Way: The Hammond-Harwood House Cook Book

KISSES

2 egg whites
Pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces butterscotch bits
1/2 cup nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat egg
whites and salt until soft peaks form.
Continue beating while slowly adding
sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla,
then fold in butterscotch bits and
nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a foil-lined
cookie sheet. Place in oven, and
turn off heat. Let kisses remain in oven
until oven cools. Yield: 3 dozen.

Holiday Favorites Dot Gibson Publications

VANILLA FUDGE

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cream
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place sugar, cream, milk, syrup, and
salt in a saucepan. Cook slowly, stirring
constantly, until mixture boils. Continue
cooking, stirring occasionally, to soft-ball
stage. Cool; add vanilla. Beat until mixture
thickens and loses its gloss. Pour into a
greased pan. When cool, cut into squares.

Charleston Receipts Junior League of Charleston, South Carolina 

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Any tart preserves (such as plum)

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks. Sift flour and salt; blend
into butter mixture. Add vanilla. Chill dough thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and place
on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make an indentation in the center of
each ball with your thumb; fill with preserves (jelly or pecan halves
will also work). Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool
slightly; remove to a rack to finish cooling. (These keep well in
a tightly closed container.) Yield: 5 dozen.

The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook 

Paula H. Deen Random House

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM ELLIS