Christmas Traditions

 Our Christmas Traditions

Everyone has a favourite Christmas tradition. They change over the years with the advent of children and then the teen years finally the empty nest phase. We are in the final category and the traditional thing that we look forward to each year in our town is the Christmas Home Tours. Each year several homeowners agree to open their homes to the public for one day in early December. The homes run the gamut from seaside homes to country houses, and contemporary to 17th century homes. You never know until a few weeks before the event, what type of homes you will be visiting this year, much like opening a Christmas present.

 Some homes that we visit have a welcoming feel to the entryway, just that little something that tells you that this is not just a house but a home.

Others, have scenery everywhere that you look, the ocean knocking on the back door

 Sometimes it is the little decorative touches on the outbuildings that let you connect to the heritage of the home, or maybe the quirky decorating elements that you discover as you move from room to room, seeing the owners vision of the season displayed in their house.


Other times you see how the owners have repurposed an element of their home and made it a statement piece instead of modernizing it.

 The trees come in all sizes like this 4 meter tall example on the left, or a hardwood decorated with thematic ornaments.

A fancy table to show off the fine china or a warm welcoming fire will greet you as you make your way from room to room and home to home, stopping to talk to friends, family, and acquaintances along the way. The joy of the day is contagious as you see what will be displayed next



The fine little touches like a letter to Santa left for us to discover or a light that twinkles like a star in a hallway, these evoke the feelings of the season.



And when all is said and done, there is usually a tea put on by one of the local churches, civic groups or museum. It is a time to unwind and talk more leisurely to others who have shared your experience of the day. You compare you favourite home or decoration as you sip a coffee or tea and munch on a tasty homemade cookie.

This can be your final stop or you can use it as a rest stop to catch your breath before the next stop. Time to let all that you have seen truly sink in.

It is a lot of hustle and bustle, but it is also a lot of fun seeing old friends again and making new acquaintances. As you travel from place to place, each group charting their own path, your path will cross with so many others throughout the day. No one is upset, all of us looking like Santa gave us exactly what we asked for , and in a way that is what happened. We all got the day to explore and share in someone else's vision of decorations.
  It is a magical time of year and one that we look forward to every Fall. This is one of our family traditions. Feel free to comment with some of yours.