My earliest recollections of Christmas revolve around white puffy snow, sparkling wrapped gifts, and a fresh pine tree decked with shiny ornaments and coloured paper-chained links.
I remember large snowmen (and women) with carrot noses and clumps of pulled grass.
I remember warm (ugly) sweaters and woolen socks.
I remember a cultural family dinner of Chinese delicacies, Indian spices and western favourites. I remember snowball fights with my cousins, red noses and cold hands.
I remember bone-crushing hugs, wet kisses, bright red lipstick marks and slipped pieces of candy. I remember trees dusted with powdered ice, snow mounds taller than I was (am) and laughter.
I remember frozen pools and pretending to be Michelle Kwan; admittedly I never did manage to land a triple, let alone a double with much grace.
I certainly remember running across icy sidewalks and twirling and slipping and falling.
Christmas for me is about spending time with family and friends.
Now that I’m older, and living across the country, it’s about making time for a Skype conversation and writing letters.
Let’s ignore the commercialized manner in which this holiday is now celebrated and focus on family dinners, close friends and rich cups of hot chocolate – with marshmallows on top.
It’s a wonderful time to reunite with old friends and meet up with new ones, and it’s never too late to say hi.
The cold weather is excuse enough to cuddle down with a good book, open fire and cup of something warm.
However, recent weather reports revealed that 80 per cent of Canada will not be having a white Christmas this year, not to say that some areas won’t have snow on the ground.
Vancouver is wet, Toronto is warm, and many children won’t see snow on the ground.
These days children can keep dreaming for a white Christmas because it’s a disappointing revelation that winter blizzards don’t usually settle in until January.
In any case, wishing everyone a merry Christmas, season’s greetings, happy Hanukkah, a joyful Kwanzaa and all the best this coming year.
– Cassandra Chin is reporter for the Grand Forks Gazette