Christmas changes as we get older. For me, the holiday defined by childlike wonder and excitement has transformed into a more reflective experience. Things are much different this year, so I decided to cherish the past and start a new tradition at the same time: I got my brother a brand-new Peterson pipe.

A year ago, I wrote about a pipe my dad gave me for Christmas in 2009. Dad loved Petersons, and he held the company’s Irish Whiskey line in high regard. I do, too: although they’ve been discontinued for some time, the inexpensive series was fetching with its brass bands and tan finish. Dad gave me a robust sandblasted billiard carved in the 107 shape. 

I smoked it all the time- my very own Petey was my favorite! It was my first pipe that wasn’t a hand-me-down, but it was also a competent smoker that became a good friend during my first year away from home. Unfortunately, the fire burned out when Dad died. Something stirred me back into the hobby a couple years ago, but the old 107 has only come out of retirement on Christmas. I can’t help but think of Dad when I smoke it.

For that matter, I can’t help but think about Christmas when I smoke any pipe! Santa Claus has one, of course, and all it takes to bring Frosty to life is an old corn cob. Whatever the season, smoking a pipe takes on a particular Christmasy quality that creates an atmosphere of warmth and comfort, at least for me. These days, the distinctive aroma of some vanilla Cavendish takes me right back to Christmas at Dad’s. 

As a kid, I was blessed to attend celebrations full of pageantry, people, and presents on both sides of my family. Unfortunately, my pipe-smoking habit wasn’t the only thing to change after Dad died: someone flipped a switch on the holidays as well. For reasons, I decided not to go to either celebration for the first time this year.

Choosing not to go to a family holiday -much less two- is a luxury I don’t take lightly. I saw nearly everyone I wanted to from both sides of my family around Thanksgiving, and my mom and stepdad went above and beyond to make Saturday feel like Christmas as we exchanged gifts. Nevertheless, I’ll be lonely and a little out of step this season. At least I got my hands on a quiche. 

A pipe will also be smoked. My brother isn’t as much of an enthusiast as I am, but he’s got a nice collection going that includes some hadmade Boswells, a slick Erik Stokkebye Rhodesian, a couple Ropps, and most of Dad’s old specimens. He was missing a brand-new Peterson, so I picked out a rusticated billiard from the company’s Derry line.

Peterson named the Derry series after Ireland’s second largest city. It’s a hilly place, and Peterson paid tribute to its surrounds through some deep rustication. Aesthetically, the pipe is similar to mine from the Donegal Rocky series I’ve smoked before with mixed results. 

My new Petersons feature black stems, nickel bands, and black stain. John’s has a walnut stain, a nickel army mount for easy disassembly, a traditional fishtail mouthpiece, and an acrylic stem churning with hues that remind me of a cup of hot chocolate. The X105 shape is a smaller version of the 107, so the new pipe’s a little more lithe than my old one. 

A pipe from Peterson’s Derry series costs about $95.00. John’s rung up for a bit less since I’m a Silver VIP member at SmokingPipes. After gift wrap and shipping, I was out the door for about $100, including a free tin of Nutcracker tobacco from Cornel & Diehl’s Winter Reserve series! C&D calls the mixture “a stout and portly blend of white, dark, and cube cut burley, combined with choice Virginias and a dash of perique.”

I gave my brother his gift last week. So far, he seems to really like it! Unfortunately, he may need to wait until he smokes it a few times before he can really say for sure. Will John’s new Peterson become a cherished friend for life like my 107 did? I sure hope so, and I hope the Kiribi Kenshi lighter he gave me follows suit as well.

I don’t expect us to spend $100 on a pipe or a lighter in the coming years, but I am hoping this new pipe-smoking tradition of ours sticks. In fact, it already inspired me to buy a new pipe for myself so I can permanently retire my old Peterson! This holiday is one of change, and I think it’s time to move past the ghosts of Christmas past and embrace a different sort of Christmas future.

John and I plan to give our new pipes a smoke this afternoon. It’ll be the first pipe I’ve smoked since my hernia surgery, and here’s hoping that the seeds we’re planting this Christmas will blossom into a long-standing ritual to share.