Welcome to the inaugural edition of Yesteryear: Stories from Home, a series that features first- hand reminiscences of the joys, challenges, and adventures of living in a small village on the Hudson, just up the river from New York City.

In this episode, Hastings-on-Hudson neighbor and prolific audiobook narrator Edoardo Ballerini reads “Magic of Christmas Past,” by long-time Hastings resident Steve Zebrock. The piece appeared in the local paper in 1970, and it captures the spirit of the Holiday season in the village a full half-century earlier. It comes courtesy of the Hastings Historical Society archives. Former mayor and trustee Lee Kinnally provides contextual commentary. Enjoy!