Christmas is a magical time at Hilsden House.
Hilsden House’s clients are aged eight to 12 – the age where the enchantment of Christmas is as important as it ever will be. Staff work hard to make sure that the entire month of December is full of holiday delights.
At the beginning of the month, everyone pitches in to decorate, both inside and out. A tree is put up and stockings are hung by the fireplace.
A few days before Christmas is when the magic really kicks into high gear.
At Hilsden House’s annual Christmas party, where all the staff and youth gather to celebrate the season, there’s a knock on the door. Someone opens it, and there stands a jolly man in a red suit.
Santa has come to visit!
“Who’s that?” someone whispers. “It must be David.” (David is the unit manager of Hilsden House, and it’s not him – he’s standing right over there.)
“Maybe its Daniel,” someone else whispers as Santa takes a seat. But no, it’s not Daniel, who is Hilsden’s youth care leader, either, because he’s the one who ushered this man in the suit in.
As Santa sits near the Christmas tree, the children continue to wonder who the man in the suit could be. But soon they realize that all of Hilsden’s staff is accounted for – everyone is in the room with the white bearded fellow. It only makes sense… this man must be the real Santa Claus!
“Who would like to sit on Santa’s lap?” he asks, in a voice so jolly it could only belong to St. Nick himself.
Children and staff alike take their turns visiting with Santa; their suspicions confirmed when he knows each of them by name. He hands out the gifts beneath the tree, each purchased in the previous weeks by youth and staff for the house’s annual Secret Santa program.
All too soon, Santa has to slip back to the North Pole to make sure the elves are assembling the proper toys for the upcoming holiday. But the fun isn’t over.
Weather permitting, staff and clients partake in another Christmas rite of passage – the horse drawn hayride, complete with hot chocolate.
On Christmas Day, youth who are unable to go home wake up to full stockings and open presents, and everyone gathers for a special meal at the end of the day. Phone calls and letter writing are always available and staff work hard to keep all the children happy and distracted on a day that might bring up some tough emotions.
The idea behind all of Hilsden House’s Christmas festivities is that they are a family –the staff and the clients form a unique bond all year long, not just on Christmas. So even if youth aren’t able to see their biological relations on the holiday, they’re guaranteed to spend time with family.
