As much as it pains me to consider the holidays, I can't help but notice the barrel of family engagements and last-minute stress slowly being pointed in my direction. Thankfully, the holidays bring many treats like annual Christmas pipes from marques like Peterson. The Peterson Christmas pipes have been a holiday tradition for pipe smokers around the world since 2009, and with the release of the 2025 edition, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the past 16 years of Christmas pipes.

2009

The first edition of the annual Christmas pipe was in 2009. While I can't find any photos of its packaging, Mark Irwin recounts that each pipe came in "an oversized red box with a lid (white velvet inside) with a Christmas tree on it." The 2009 Christmas pipe from Peterson closely resembles the Irish marque's "B33" shape — a Cherrywood-esque bent Dublin with a flat heel. The "B33" is one of the rarer shapes within Peterson's portfolio, making this Christmas edition particularly appealing, especially given its richly smooth finish and bright metal accent.

2010

The 2010 Christmas pipes came in a variety of shapes — all presented in a smooth finish with a ruby stain and bright metal and green acrylic accents, accompanied by a classic black vulcanite stem.

2011

The 2011 edition took a more overtly festive approach, introducing a number of Classic shapes rendered in a green finish with alternating bands of nickel and red acrylic, and further elevated by a foil "P" on the vulcanite Fishtail stem.

2012

2012's Christmas pipes were a bit more conservative, defined by a smooth walnut finish and a nickel band engraved with a Christmas tree.

2013

Peterson's 2013 Christmas edition brought back some of those festive touches from earlier editions, presenting a variety of shapes in a warm brown, smooth finish accented by alternating accents of bright nickel and red and green acrylic.

2014

Peterson's 2014 Christmas pipes expanded on that red palette, presenting a range of shapes dressed in a rugged, red-black rustication and topped with a bright nickel army mount and a shimmering stem of ruby-tinged acrylic.

2015

For the 2015 limited-edition Christmas pipe, Peterson continued to play with classic holiday palettes, but in a more muted, understated way. "It's the quiet Christmas aesthetic that we're always looking for in our lives but rarely seem to find," writes Mark. The series showcased a range of classic shapes in a warm, matte sandblasted finish, a rarity for Peterson at the time. The warm walnut stain of the stummel paired beautifully with the bright nickel accent engraved with Santa, and the composition was completed by a shimmery acrylic mouthpiece, swirled with hues of berry and cognac.

2016

Balancing the understated with more festive cues, 2016's edition saw the Irish marque play with color theory, offering a range of shapes dressed in a warm, ruby-tinged smooth finish accented by bright nickel mounts and glistening, forest-green acrylic mouthpieces.

2017

Introducing a new stem color to the series, 2017's Christmas line was defined by a dark, crimson-tinged sandblast paired to a nickel mount and a snow-white acrylic stem across 12 shapes.

2018

A milestone release in the Christmas line, the 2018 edition was the first iteration of the series to feature copper accents, a feature that's since defined some of the most popular Christmas editions in recent history. Dressed in warm, concise sandblasts, the copper mounts lent these pipes a tastefully festive "Stille Nacht" aesthetic, as Mark has called it, evoking the warmth of the hearth on a cold winter's night.

2019

The 2019 edition further elevated the use of copper as an accenting material, introducing a number of Classic shapes presented in a handsomely reserved, burgundy rustication, complemented by a copper military mount and matching stem logo — the copper's warmer tone offering a cozier aesthetic compared to, say, the brighter, harder flash of silver. The palette's warmth was further underlined by an acrylic stem of cumberland hues.

2020

For 2020, Peterson returned to a warm, fireside aesthetic championed in previous editions, complete with a rich, dark stain, a copper army mount, and a cumberland-patterned acrylic stem. Further elevating the Yuletide aesthetic, 2020's edition featured a craggy sandblasted finish, showcasing the marque's newly upgraded, artisan-style sandblasting equipment. It made for a gorgeous display of this pipe's grain in stunning relief.

2021

This year's edition was inspired by Sherlock Holmes, evoking a classic Victorian Christmas, with Holmes and Watson smoking pipes by the hearth. Moreover, Peterson's Christmas 2021 series was also the first to feature more than one finish: a sandblast, a rustication, and the smooth Heritage finish. Once again, all pipes in the 2021 edition featured copper bands, this time engraved with the marque's classic Sherlock Holmes logo. This particular example is found in the red-brown stain and dense texture of Peterson's signature rustication, offering a wealth of tactile appeal in hand and an invitingly rugged persona.

2022

The 2022 Christmas pipe continued the copper theme but expanded the array with two distinctive options: those with copper army mounts and those with spigot configurations. They were the first-ever Peterson pipes available with spigot mounts of copper, and the striking accents were fittingly paired to either the dark, smoky stain of the smooth Heritage finish or Peterson's signature red-black rustication. Such variety made the 2022 version among the most personalizable of all Peterson Christmas editions regarding finish, price, and accent type, and it was the first series of pipes fully produced at Peterson's new factory in Dublin's Deansgrange district.

2023

For 2023, Peterson showcased the skill of their silversmiths by accenting the pipes with broad bands of intricately etched silver. These silver bands featured inset beadlines around the Peterson logo and provided a wealth of contrast against the stummel's finish. In addition to the fine display of silverwork, these pipes exhibited Peterson's talent in the blasting cabinet by dressing the stummel in a craggy sandblast and a deep, rich red stain evocative of some of the earliest sandblasts in pipe making. The result was a finish that was inherently timeless, reminiscent of pipes crafted in the early 20th century, and embodied an elegant and charming character.

2024

The 2024 version returned to the copper theme, pairing its shapes to stylish copper spigot mounts, an arrangement first available in 2022's edition. For 2024's release, however, these warm copper mounts were paired to colorful acrylic stems in rich cumberland tones, providing complementary hues that ensured a cohesive palette no matter which finish these pipes were dressed in. Available in five finishes, these pipes featured a diverse range of colors and textures.

2025

The recently released 2025 Christmas pipes are a true celebration of the classic Yuletide aesthetic. Carrying the thematic torch of previous years, these pipes span a variety of fan-favorite Peterson shapes and utilize broad bands of polished copper against a timeless crimson rustication. Moreover, all feature vulcanite P-Lip stems, a nod to Peterson's legacy in celebration of the marque's 160th anniversary.

Looking back at the past 16 years of Peterson Christmas pipes, which edition resonates with you the most? Do you own any of these, or have any on your white whale list? Let us know in the comments below, and, as always, happy smokes!