Holiday Traditions - My Way
I love Christmas! The snow, the decorations, the lights, the music, the food, Christmas cards - all of it is amazing. 🌟
Shopping Challenges
Stationary stores, Canadian Tire, Pharmacies, Grocers and anywhere that sells plants are the hardest places for me to restrain my shopping penchants. I always go into these stores with the intention of buying specific things, and always end up with way too many other ‘goodies’.
It is particularly hard to say no during the holiday season. There are special bell-shaped crackers, and peppermint ice-cream sandwiches, and poinsettias in shiny ball decorations…
I am a total sucker for Christmas marketing!
Christmas Cards
Although not many people send real Christmas cards anymore (emailed ones are really NOT the same), I still string up some old, beautiful ones that I’ve saved. I have piles of cards I haven’t sent too…as I often feel rushed before the season to sit down and write them, and then there is the inevitable Canada Post strike before the holidays as well (2024 is no exception). Perhaps my resolution should be to write them and actually send them when they’re done. So, if you get a Christmas card in June, just blame the postal service!
Carols
I have favourite Christmas songs too, but I do love almost all of them! 🎼Some include:
‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland’ - which I sing to myself whenever I’m walking in the snow.
‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’, ‘Santa Baby’, ‘I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas’, 🦛and ‘Six White Boomers’ 🦘will also get me laughing and singing along - which I try to do only when I’m alone. I may have many talents, but singing is (apparently) not one of them. 😂
The Nutcracker
For many seasons I have traditionally always gone to see The Nutcracker, or attend some choral performance. It is so lovely to experience the ballet 🩰or music in person. Another option is to visit your local zoo for their festival holiday light show.
Dinner and a Movie
Being single (most of my life) meant spending most Christmases alone. When I was in the Navy that meant I was inevitably on duty for Christmas, and would often invite other singles over on Boxing Day for a traditional home-cooked meal. After I left the military I would create a special menu and cook everything from scratch each year - usually just for me. I would then eat (in my pajamas) while watching my favourite Bing Crosby Christmas movie ‘White Christmas’. ❄️It’s my tradition, and I enjoy it!
Decorations and Lights
I know there is a problem when I have 3 large boxes of Christmas decorations (not including the boxes in my two other storage lockers located on either side of the country). I now restrict my decoration buying to only one ornament per year! That’s always a tough choice. As I plan to retire in Egypt in a few years, I wonder what I will do with all these things that I know I won’t be able to take with me?
Walking the neighbourhood and viewing lights and outdoor decor is always delightful too. I’m incredibly amazed as the effort some people make - but it truly makes me happy! So thank you to everyone who lights up our lives for a few weeks per year!
I hope you enjoyed some of these photos of my Christmases past. Feel free to share your holiday traditions with me in the comments below!
For 2024 - a new tradition - AWA staff put our papier-mâché and faux fur Grizzly together before our Christmas market!
L-R: Kennedy, Loreen, Amy, K.C. the bear,[1] Lindsey and Pamela ✨
From me to you - have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! 🎄❌⭕
[1] To see a time lapse of how we put this amazing bear together check out AWA’s Instagram. For information about the designer and builder, AWA’s Wild Lands Advocate - December 2011 article (pp. 28-29) talks to Zoë Preston.
