The holiday season is a time to gather with friends, family, and loved ones to celebrate the festive season with eggnog, carols, and Christmas movies. But as our world becomes more connected we’ve begun to pick up different traditions – learning about them on social media, adopting them from other cultures, and keeping them alive within our own families.
I never regarded my family as one who participated much in holiday traditions but looking back and remembering the hanging of lights and ribbons, the milk and cookies left for Santa, and the Frosty the Snowman carols we sung as kids, and the Advent calendars we’d eat chocolate from each day – it seems we did participate in some old Christmas traditions.
Now that I’m older and living away from family I’ve started traditions of my own. Of course there’s the Christmas tree, holiday movies, and eggnog but I’m slowly discovering and developing my own along the way. I thought I’d try to pick up a few more holiday traditions, so I surveyed a few staff within the agency to solicit them for their family/work holiday traditions. They had some pretty awesome ideas!
- “We hide a pickle in the tree and whoever finds it gets the extra gift…it’s not a real pickle!” – Nicole Bonner, facilities
- “I do a “Christmas Basket or Advent Basket” counting down the days to Christmas. Each day the kids get to open a little gift or an envelope with the activity of the day (writing letters to Santa, making Christmas cookies for the neighborhood, watching a Christmas movie in our pjs, etc.). And then we read the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve” – Natashia Schoenroth, Ehrlo Counselling
- “Our department goes out for lunch together and does a holiday gift exchange each year” – Tracy Johnson, accounting
- When I was a kid my family used to go to midnight mass on Dec. 24th and then we would go to my grandparents’ house and eat a full meal – turkey, mash potatoes, cabbage rolls, etc., into the wee hours” – Trudy Bosch, communications
- “Along with the nightly Elf on the Shelf, yearly viewing of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and twinkle tour in our pajamas. Leading up to Christmas Morning we also ask Santa to hide a glass pickle in the tree –the first person to spot it Christmas morning receives the honour of handing out the first gift. If this occurs prior to the hour of 6 a.m. however, the offer is void! Ha ha!” – Holly Huyghebaert, clinical assessment & resource services
- I enjoy the holiday season here at the Hudson building. The reception area is decorated, and has a full-sized Christmas tree. The house mothers bring us lovely baking and random boxes of chocolates seem to appear out of nowhere. It is certainly a festive time!” – Carole Bryant, VP
- “There are certain foods that we have, as my family is Romanian: rum cake, Challah (braided fresh bread), cabbage rolls, perogies, etc. We just like to rest, eat, drink, sing, sleep in, spend time in the snow and enjoy being together!” – Jennifer Murray, human resources
- “My dad has always asked for only one thing for Christmas, a picture of his three girls with Santa. So every since we were little, my sisters and I have piled onto Santa’s knee and had our picture taken. Over the years my sisters and I have added to our brood, but we have continued to get the one thing dad/papa has always asked for Christmas, the Santa picture. This year the Santa picture will include: myself and my two sisters, my parents’ five granddaughters and one grandson (nine people)! And we all still fit on (or around) Santa’s lap, although we get some weird looks in the mall! Secondly, my Grandma (who is going on 96 in February) has hosted a Boxing Day open house EVERY December 26th since 1956…that’s 58 years this year!” – Kim Buchan, volunteer services
Do you or your family have any special holiday traditions? If so, share them with us on Facebook or Twitter.
Happy Holidays!
