The sound of sleigh bells, church bells and chimes always evoke warm memories of Christmas and winter for me and whether they jingle, jangle or chime, their sound is distinctive and conjures up feelings of peace and joy within . Long ago, as early as the Middle Ages, bells were part of everyday life and…
As a French-Canadian, I grew up with a slightly different version of the Christmas traditions I have been writing about in this Advent Blog. Nowadays, people recognize the importance of preserving cultural heritage in a fast changing and modernized society and that means, passing down customs, practices and values of our community to the next…
There are few things that can trigger memories the way certain tastes and aromas can, and in an instant transport us to events and places that have a strong connection to an emotion.The taste, smell, and even texture of food can be extraordinarily evocative, bringing back memories not just of eating food itself but also…
Every home I visited at Christmas in my childhood had a nativity scene under the tree, and as children we naturally gravitated towards the miniature scene carefully examining the delicate figurines and rearranging them while the adults enjoyed their visit. When I married, we inherited my husband’s childhood nativity scene from his family and it…
It’s the stuff that makes good movies – the protagonists overcoming obstacles of all kinds to reach their goal of being home for the holidays. They take planes, trains and automobiles to get home in time for dinner. Sometimes, the obstacles are too great, and Christmas is celebrated in company of strangers, in the most…
How many of us have wondered about the lyrics to the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” while we sing the merry tune? Have you been asking yourself when it is that these 12 days actually take place, and why such an odd number of days and since we are on the subject, what…
A recent study commissioned by the retail industry revealed that 64% of respondents said they had a traditional gift that they received every year. Many of these recurring gifts were practical ones, such as sweets, gift card/money, books, self-care items and pyjamas. When you are a kid, traditional gifts are appreciated but to be sure…
A few years back, we were introduced to the amaryllis flower by a friend who gifted a growing kit to us in the weeks leading up to Christmas. You have probably seen these kits in grocery and retail stores since they are often given as Christmas gifts or used as a holiday decoration. I like…
Stars have long been spiritual symbols of divine guidance and protection for many religions all over the world including the star of Bethlehem which we also know as the Christmas star. In Christian tradition, the Star of Bethlehem, revealed the birth of Jesus to three wise men who followed it to meet the new King. …
I have had the good fortune of travelling to many foreign places, and I don’t believe anything has been more disorienting for me than experiencing Christmas where there are palm trees. Hearing Christmas songs like “Dashing through the snow, in a one horse-open sleigh” being played over loud speakers while I am strolling in flip…
When did Christmas Markets become a thing? To my great delight, it seems that every town and city around me with a thriving hub of artisans, food producers, and hand made goods is opening up the public square to offer local populations a gratifying outdoor shopping experience this winter. The pandemic has made us more…
In the past, I have gone a little crazy at Christmas. Okay – a lot crazy. Those were years where I was aiming for spectacular, and perfection and my motivation was very much ego-driven. Alas I am older and wiser now and I find much more fulfillment in focusing on the true meaning of Christmas,…
At this time of the year, we are reminded of how meaningful it is to be in the “spirit of giving”. Certainly, our minds turn to adequately expressing how much our loved ones matter in our lives. In our desire to express an intangible feeling, we sometimes feel helpless and resort to buying extravagant gifts…
Have you put up your Christmas tree yet? I usually get it up the first week of December but there have been years where we left it ’til very late. When you have children in the house the tree usually is decorated early but as empty nesters I remember a few years where we finally…
I have always enjoyed writing, and looking back, I recall how I would look forward to writing assignments in school, even more demanding essays and papers during University. I usually was the first to volunteer to coordinate the production of newsletters for the social groups I belonged to and when those weren’t available, then I…
