#Canadian Christmas Tradition

[fieldtomatoes]

26 days of cancon - day 6

I’m gonna be posting a lot of Bruce in this series bc this is thee christmas album 2 me :)

[canadachronicles]

For a heathen, I do love listening to and singing carols at the top of my lungs at Christmas! O Come All Ye Faithful is a favorite as it should be performed with gusto! And gusto is precisely Canadian Brass' whole character! Happy Christmas Eve, friends!

[stitch-m]

My review of Loreena McKennitt's Under A Winter's Moon is now live! (was definitely unique listening to Christmas music in January for this one, heh)

[smorgasbordinvitation]

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Posts from Your Archives – 2022 – Christmas and New Year Special -#Recipe #History - French Canadian Tourtière, Our Family Tradition by Dorothy Grover-Read

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Posts from Your Archives – 2022 – Christmas and New Year Special -#Recipe #History – French Canadian Tourtière, Our Family Tradition by Dorothy Grover-Read

Since this series began in January 2018 there have been over 1200 Posts from Your Archives where bloggers have taken the opportunity to share posts to a new audience… The topics have ranged from travel, childhood, recipes, history, family and the most recent series was #PotLuck where I shared a random selection of different topics. This series is along the same lines and is a celebration of…

[sallygcronin]

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Posts from Your Archives – 2022 – Christmas and New Year Special -#Recipe #History - French Canadian Tourtière, Our Family Tradition by Dorothy Grover-Read

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Posts from Your Archives – 2022 – Christmas and New Year Special -#Recipe #History – French Canadian Tourtière, Our Family Tradition by Dorothy Grover-Read

Since this series began in January 2018 there have been over 1200 Posts from Your Archives where bloggers have taken the opportunity to share posts to a new audience… The topics have ranged from travel, childhood, recipes, history, family and the most recent series was #PotLuck where I shared a random selection of different topics. This series is along the same lines and is a celebration of…

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for refusing to buy my friend gold? 

I (f/33) have a very good friend (f/39) who is Hindu and an Indian immigrant, and this year she invited me and my wife (33) to celebrate Diwali with her. My wife and I are white canadians and not religious. We’ve been friends with her for almost a decade, but in the last few years have become very close and now she is basically family. We happily accepted.

We brought over food and the stuff to make paper lanterns, and we had a lovely time. The problem came when near the end of the night, when my friend told me that it’s been so long since she had people to celebrate Diwali with, and she was getting excited for presents. I didn’t know Diwali included presents so I hadn’t brought her anything, besides the craft supplies and food, she said that was fine and we could get her something next year.

I asked her what sort of gift she would like, and she said gold was the traditional gift and, I quote “but make sure it’s above 10 karat or it’s basically tin, I’d just throw it away.”

I thought this was a joke at first so I laughed, which made her confused. I explained that I would never give anyone gold as a gift, I’ve never even gotten my wife gold, we couldn’t even afford wedding rings. When she still looked confused I tried to clarify, and asked how much is a gift of gold, traditionally (since I’ve never bought gold, I had no idea how much it would cost.)

She told me a minimum of 500 dollars.

At this point is the behaviour I think might make me an asshole, because I was laughing in complete disbelief very openly. I told her that was completely insane, and I would happily spend every Diwali with her and get her a gift, but there was no way I was buying her 500 dollars worth of gold, ever, especially not if it was a yearly thing.

I know that in India, my friend was of a pretty high caste socially and her family is well off, and here in Canada she is an accountant who owns her own condo, and is looking to buy more property and become a landlord. My wife and I live frugally, we’re blue collar and both from working class families. An average amount I spend on a Christmas or birthday gifts for someone I’m close to would be about 20-50 bucks.

After I’d explained all this to her, I could tell she was disappointed and it had made her sad and confused. Part of me feels bad for laughing at her tradition, especially since she made the effort to include us and has no family here to celebrate with. But it honestly boggles me, and makes me a bit mad, honestly, which I know is unfair since it’s just differences in how we grew up, but I can’t help feeling annoyed and like she’s not seeing her privilege.

This has been compounded by the fact that for Christmas, which we also celebrated with her, she actually gave us gold, worth quite a lot, in the form of a special coin. We’re not the type to display fancy stuff, so it just sits in storage now. But I’m worried she may expect tit-for-tat, even though the only way we could possibly afford to give her gold back in exchange is if we sold what she gave us which we are definitely not supposed to do.

We still hang out constantly and we will continue to do so, she is a for-life friend for a lot of reasons, and I’d love to make her holidays and celebrations special, but this is just a sticking point for me, and I find myself feeling/acting like a prick every time it’s brought up.

So, AITA? Does anyone have suggestions for this situation?

[trulybetty]

dec' 03 x hot chocolate

Prompt: hot chocolate Pairing: joel miller x f!Reader Word Count: 3,196 Warnings: barely beta'd, all mistakes my own, this is au and way off the plot of anything to do with TLOU, mentions of coffee and festive fluff and introductions to our characters ☕ Summary: maplewood, a small town nestled in northern bc where people flock to see the festive decorations of main street and enjoy the festive traditions. finding yourself back home and working for the family business, you strike up a friendship with the town's local contractor. AO3: Linked

x. masterlist

The Little Coffee Shop Around the Corner - Part I

Joel Miller was the type who didn’t believe in buying coffee from a coffee shop. He had a perfectly good coffee maker at home that he’d had for a quarter century now. One that had moved countries and still worked just as well as it had done the first day he’d bought it. 

Well, that was until that very morning. 

With a sputter and a final wheeze, the machine gave up the ghost, leaving Joel staring in disbelief at his kitchen counter. Grudgingly accepting defeat, he grabbed his coat and ventured out to his truck on the brisk Maplewood morning.

He’d moved to the small Canadian town a handful of years ago with his daughter Sarah from Austin Texas. Many had questioned his decision to move not just to another country, but to a town that was drastically different and far removed from Austin.

He hadn’t answered with much more than a shrug.

His contracting business had been doing well enough to live an easy life, step back and enjoy someone else taking the reigns. 

That was until he became a widow at the age of thirty-six and all he’d wanted to do was get out of dodge. Everywhere he turned, there were reminders of her, making it too difficult for him to stay.

Sarah's arrival came after both of his parents had passed away. His brother Tommy had already moved to Wyoming in pursuit of joining a community that he insisted wasn't a commune, and he had settled down and started a family. This left him alone with Sarah, so when they were presented with the opportunity for her to receive a scholarship from a prestigious Canadian school with full access to their renowned soccer program, they eagerly took it as a chance for a new beginning. Despite its remote location in British Columbia, they saw it as a fresh start.

The transition had been challenging, no doubt about it. Neither of them possessed any winter clothing, and they both had to adapt to a new currency (Joel still struggled with the difference between a Loonie and a Toonie) while navigating unfamiliar locations. However, the warmth of the town's reception overshadowed all of those challenges. No one prodded for information or tried to uncover gossip; instead, they were embraced with open arms and quickly became just another part of the Maplewood community.

Sarah had quickly adapted to her new school, which didn't come as a surprise. Meanwhile, Joel had discovered that the town was in desperate need of a handyman, and soon enough Miller Contracting was back in business. 

Pulling into a parking space on the main street outside of the bookstore Sarah often frequented, Joel rubbed his hands together cursing leaving his gloves at home. Despite his years in Maplewood, winter still felt like a shock every time it rolled around.

After taking a moment to orient himself, he recalled that the coffee shop was located to the left around the corner. With this in mind, he began his journey to the end of the street. Luckily, his workload for the day was relatively light, so this unexpected diversion wouldn't cause too much delay

The stores had wasted no time in getting out their Christmas decorations, he looked across the street as he walked to the bakery - its window frames draped in holly and ivy, punctuated by glittering baubles were no exception. Merry Tree Trek, a Christmas tree scavenger hunt put on by the town's businesses was due to start the following day. One of the many traditions Maplewood had for the festive season. 

As Joel entered 'True North Brews,' the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and the gentle hum of conversation welcomed him. The shop was packed with locals, all happily chatting away as they waited for their orders to be ready. Standing in line, he scanned the menu, feeling out of his depth. This was Sarah’s territory - he usually was just there to provide payment before they headed on to whatever errand needed to be completed next.

He took in the festive decor as he waited in line. Christmas lights had been strung along the edges of the bar, while fake holly adorned every pillar in sight. Paper snowflakes hung from the ceiling and garlands of green and red festooned the fireplace. Which crackled merrily at one end of the room, and he smiled to himself as he watched an elderly couple sitting close together on one of the sofas near it - no doubt soaking up every minute of extra warmth they could get before trudging back out into the cold night air.

That’s when he noticed you behind the counter. You were relatively new, he knew your name and that you were the owner's daughter – Sarah had regaled your appearance in Maplewood several months back when you'd stopped by the bakery. Right now you were serving the town’s newest member of the tourism board, he couldn’t remember her name but knew he’d seen her with Marcus from the bakery here and there. Your eyes met briefly, and a hint of a smile danced on your lips.

Finally, it was his turn to order, “Hey Joel,” you said, recognizing him from his numerous visits with his daughter, “No Sarah today?”

He shook his head, “Just me.”

“In that case, what can I make for you?” you asked, your voice cheery in light of Joel’s look of utmost confusion.

“Just coffee, please,” he said, in a tone that suggested this was an everyday request.

You raised an eyebrow playfully. “Coffee? Coffee means a lot of different things around here. What kind of coffee would you like?”

Joel scratched his head, looking a bit lost. “Uh, just your regular coffee, you know? Nothing fancy,” he replied, his Texas drawl more pronounced.

You leaned against the counter with a friendly grin. “How about trying something a bit festive? A peppermint mocha, perhaps? It's like a holiday in a cup!”

Joel's eyebrows rose in surprise, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “That's far too fancy for my tastes.” he laughed, “Just a regular black coffee will do.”

You nodded understandingly but with a twinkle in your eye. “Tell you what, how about an Americano? It's close to black coffee but with a bit more character. It's on the house, and if you don't like it, you can come back, and I'll make you a straight-up black coffee. But, I have a hunch you might enjoy the Americano.”

Joel looked surprised but intrigued. “Well, when you put it that way... sure, I'll give it a try.”

As you began preparing his order, Joel glanced around, noticing the line behind him starting to grow. “Looks like you've got a busy day ahead,” he remarked.

You smiled, handing him the Americano. “Maplewood wakes up early during the holiday season. Enjoy your coffee, and remember, if it's not to your liking, come back up for that black coffee.”

Joel opened his mouth to respond, but the bustling line behind him urged him forward, cutting short the chance for a proper response. He settled for a quick, “Thanks,” and moved aside.

Later that day as you were wiping down the counters, your mother Jean and the current owner of the coffee shop, joined you out front. “I've been thinking,” she began, her voice laced with a blend of both excitement and seriousness. 

“That’s dangerous,” you quipped, ignoring the scowl she sent you as she made her way around the counter to the front of the store.

“I was thinking,” she said ignoring you, “that now might be a good time for me to step back with you back in town.”

You paused, cloth in hand. Coming back to Maplewood hadn't been your first choice, especially after things ended with Max. Your ex-boyfriend who had suddenly gotten too tied up in climbing the corporate ladder, after a business trip across seas, to notice the relationship unravelling. 

“I really don’t know how long I’m going to be here,” you replied, having already been in town a month longer than your original plan of just six weeks.

The statement was not an exaggeration; the apartment had been in Max's name, and the two of you had always planned to add your own on the deed. But procrastination got in the way. With rental prices on the rise and a sabbatical from work, coming home was your only option until you could figure out your next move.

She shrugged, “Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s long enough for me to do some travelling, get a taste of what an early retirement could look like.”

You sighed, “What’s the angle here, Mom?”

“What angle?” she responded as she fussed with the tree you’d both decorated with coffee-themed decor the night before for the Merry Tree Trek.

Your mother had a knack for mixing business with motherly concern in a way that only she could. She glanced at you over the rim of her glasses, a half-smile playing on her lips.

“No angle,” She said, adjusting a tiny coffee bean ornament. “I've been running True North Brews since before you were born, and it's been a dream. But, I'm not getting any younger, and the world's a big place. I'd like to see some of it while I still can.”

You couldn't help but smile at her adventurous spirit, something you had undoubtedly inherited. “You want to travel? Since when?”

“Since always,” she replied with a twinkle in her eye. “The shop has been in our family for two generations now. I'd hate to see it end up in different hands, or worse, closed down.”

The weight of her words hung in the air. Taking over the coffee shop wasn't something you had considered seriously. You had other dreams, didn't you? But then again, the shop was more than just a business; it was a piece of Maplewood's heart, and undeniably, a big part of your family's legacy.

Your mother continued, “I know you're figuring things out, and I'm not asking you to decide right this second. But think about it. This place could use your touch and your ideas. You've always had a knack for making people feel welcome, just like your grandmother did when she opened this place.”

You leaned against the counter, absorbing her words. The coffee shop had been a staple in your life for as long as you could remember. Your earliest memories were of playing behind the counter, the smell of coffee always in the air.

Perhaps this unexpected turn of events was not just a setback but an opportunity, a chance to add your chapter to the story of Maple Brews.

“I'll think about it,” you said finally, a mix of apprehension and excitement bubbling inside you. But you still threw her a pointed look, “just thinking about it, okay?”

“That's all I'm asking,” she replied, her eyes softening. “Now, help me with this stubborn string of lights, will you? This tree needs to look perfect for when the scavenger hunt starts this afternoon.”

It was nearing closing when the ring of the bell at the front door rang signalling a customer. Looking up you saw Marcus, the owner of Maple Delights standing at the door, stamping his feet to rid his boots of the snow that had started the fall that afternoon.

“Hey Marcus,” you greeted, “can I get you anything?” you asked as you accepted a stack of pink cake boxes from him. Maple Delights had a long-standing business deal with True North Brews to sell their baked goods in their displays - one that extended beyond Marcus' tenure as owner.

He gave you a wide smile, “Actually, it’s what you can do for me?”

You raised an eyebrow, “Well, I’m intrigued.”

“So, the Jingle Bell Movie night later this month,” he said, posing the event as a question. It was an annual tradition of the town, with everyone coming together for an evening of festivities and movie-watching in the community centre. “I was thinking, what if Maple Delights and True North Brews tag-teamed the event?”

Your interest was piqued. “Go on,” you encouraged.

Marcus's eyes lit up. “I'll supply the treats—cookies, pastries, you name it—and you guys could handle the hot drinks? Hot chocolate, spiced cider, maybe some festive coffee concoctions?”

You nodded, already visualizing the bustling event. “Sounds like a perfect match to me. Maple Delights' treats and our drinks? The town will love it!”

“Hey, speaking of the bakery, question for you about the renovations you did when you bought the place. You restored it to its original façade, right?” you asked, as Marcus leant against the counter.

He smiled, a hint of pride in his voice. “Yeah, I did. Wanted to preserve a piece of Maplewood’s history. The building has such character, it felt right to bring it back to its former glory.”

“Well, it certainly is stunning. It must've been quite a project,” you remarked.

Marcus nodded. “It was a labour of love, but totally worth it in the end.”

Your mind was buzzing with ideas and your mother's earlier conversation replaying over in your head, “Who did you get in to do the work?” you asked, knowing that Maplewood wasn't exactly crawling with talented contractors and designers.

“Actually it was Joel Miller, he did the renovation.”

“Really?” you asked, surprised.

Marcus chuckled. “Joel really did some great work on the bakery. He's got a really good eye for detail. Took my vision and made it even better than I could have imagined.”

You were impressed. “Wow, well he did an amazing job. It was one of the first things I noticed when I came back. It adds so much charm to the street.”

“Thanks,” Marcus said, a warm smile on his face. “Joel's a really talented guy. He's a great addition to the community, both him and Sarah.”

“Well, if he did such a great job with the bakery, maybe he could help us with the coffee shop,” you said, half-jokingly.

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “You're thinking of doing a reno?”

You hesitated, feeling a bit exposed not having intended to speak out loud your internal thoughts, “It's something my mom and I have discussed in the past, but she's the type if it ain't broke don't fix it.”

Marcus laughed, “I can testify to that, I mentioned I was looking to scale back serving coffee in the bakery, and asked if she had any interest in the espresso machine,” you rolled your eyes knowing what was coming, you'd been begging her to replace the old machine for years, “told me that this one,” he jerked his thumb in the direction of the tired looking machine, “worked just fine.”

You shook your head, “One of these days she's going to realize giving it a good thud is probably doing more damage than fixing it.”

Marcus glanced at his watch. “I should get going. Got to make sure we have enough gingerbread dough for tomorrow. Those gingerbread men won't bake themselves!”

“Thanks for stopping by. Let's touch base early next week to finalize those plans for the movie night.”

With a nod and a wave, you watched Marcus leave, but now the seed of an idea was planted in your mind. A reno could be just what True North Brews needed to give it a fresh look and make it stand out. But you weren't taking over, you reminded yourself, no -- it was just you helping out with the family business, nothing more, right?

The next morning, Joel’s kitchen still lacked a new coffee maker. The old one sat forlornly on the counter, a reminder of a morning routine disrupted. With a resigned sigh, Joel grabbed his coat and headed out to his truck. The town was slowly waking up, the street sprinkled with early risers and the promise of a busy day ahead.

As he pushed open the door of the coffee shop, the familiar jingle of the bell greeted him, along with the rich aroma of brewing coffee. You looked up from the espresso machine, a smile spreading across your face as you recognized him.

“Morning, Joel,” you greeted. “Americano?” you asked with a hopeful smile since he'd never returned for that black coffee.

Joel nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You know, I never thought I’d say this, but I think I actually like it a bit more than my usual.”

You laughed as you prepared his coffee. “Glad to hear that. We might make a coffee aficionado out of you yet.”

“Let's not get too ahead of ourselves.” he laughed as he watched you prepare his drink.

Handing him his coffee, you hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Actually Joel, can I ask you something about your contracting work?”

He looked surprised but nodded. “Sure, what about it?”

“I heard from Marcus that you did the renovation work on the bakery. It looks incredible. Said you kept the original design when you worked on it?”

Joel’s expression softened, a hint of pride in his eyes. “Yeah, I did. Marcus wanted to retain the historical look of the building. It was a great project to work on, restoring it to its original state while giving it all the modern requirements.”

You were genuinely interested. “That’s impressive. It’s such an integral part of the town’s charm. I’ve been thinking, True North Brews could use a bit of sprucing up. Would you perhaps be up for discussing a quote any time soon?”

Joel looked around the coffee shop, considering. “Sure, I’d be happy to. What did you have in mind?”

“I'm not too sure, mostly starting fixing what needs fixing and going from there, just keeping the cozy vibe but maybe adding a little Maplewood flair to it.”

He nodded, sipping at his coffee thoughtfully. “Sounds like a good project. Why don’t we sit down sometime next week and go over what you’re thinking? I can put together some ideas and a quote for you.”

“That would be great,” you replied, feeling a surge of excitement at the prospect of giving the coffee shop a fresh, new look.

Placing his coffee on the counter, Joel handed you his business card from his wallet, giving you a quick glimpse of a family portrait tucked inside. 

“Here,” he said pocketing his wallet and handing you his business card, “why don't you give me a call and we can arrange something?”

You smiled as you traced the logo of Miller Contracting, “Sure, sounds like a plan!”

As Joel left, coffee in hand, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. Not only at the idea of possible renovations but for the growing sense of community you had quickly settled into while only being back for a short period in Maplewood. But before you could think any further about it, the bell above the door rang and a group of tourists trekked in, Merry Tree Trek maps in hand.

You gave them a wide smile as you welcomed them in, “Welcome to True North Brews, what can I get started for you?”

[rowdyhughesy]

bringing Jamie to ur family’s Christmas party!!

Grateful you’re mine - J.Drysdale

I’m not really a Christmas person but I tried my best and I hope you like it! ♡

Letting your boyfriend tag along to your family gathering is always something that gives you the jitters. You know that your dad loves Jamie and your brothers too, hell they like the Canadian more than they like you sometimes. But coming from a family like yours it will never be calm. It’s the exact opposite of who Jamie is as a person. That’s why you sometimes wonder why the two of you even fell in love in the first place.

Jamie’s gentle, soft, a living teddy bear for Christ sake. You on the other hand could be found in the dictionary under chaos. Always running around, talking, anything that can get the excess energy out of your system you do. Maybe that’s what drew Jamie in, he saw the chaotic personality and fell in love with the girl who always tried to make people smile and never let the grown up responsibilities stop her from letting the childlike side come out.

—

The two story house is loud and there are people everywhere when the two of you step inside. “Jamie!” Immediately the hockey player is swarmed by your dad and siblings. All of them wanting to know how his shoulder is feeling and what he thinks about the season so far.

Before you started dating Jamie your family had zero interest in hockey but after they met the blue eyed boy they started watching every ducks game that was on. No matter how late it was for them back in Europe. Your dad made it a tradition to take a picture and send to Jamie with a kick their asses today before the games. You knew Jamie loved it, he was nervous that your dad wouldn’t like him in the beginning but he was proven wrong within the first hour. It felt good that he fit in so well with those closest to you, no boyfriend prior had even tried to get to know them but Jamie did and you couldn’t be more grateful for that.

—

You lost Jamie early on, your younger cousins deciding that they wanted him to play with them before dinner. You know you shouldn’t get baby fever at 20 but seeing your boyfriend with kids made that hard. He was so sweet with them, even if they could barely speak any English or even understand what he was saying. He just smiled, nodded and used words he knew they could understand as they ran around him.

When dinner is served you all sit down piling food on your plates. You can see Jamie’s confusion at the food, it’s nothing like he’s used to but you assure him that it’s good and that he will like it. He even tried the Christmas edition cola that’s a big tradition in your country and he admitted to it tasting weird at first but he liked it after a couple of sips. It felt nice to share the things you grew up with, with him. Some things he even leaned in and whispered that he wants your kids to have when you’re older. Like the Donald Duck Christmas show you all watch at 3pm every Christmas, most of the adults taking the chance to get an after dinner nap in. “I know my family can be kind of crazy but I’m so happy that you’re here.” Jamie flashes you a big smile wrapping his arm around your waist so that he could pull you closer on the couch. Leaning in he plants a kiss on your lips. “I love your crazy family, they gave me you didn’t they?”

After dinner all the presents are opened after your show the kids yet again see their chance and steals Jamie away. Leaving you to sit alone on the love seat watching, taking in the happy squeals of laughter as Jamie tackles one of your cousins in a bear hug. The other kids jumping on him creating a dog pile of toddlers and a twenty year old hockey player. It sure is a funny sight to you.

Your father sneaks up beside you, leaning down so that he can whisper something in your ear “You did good Mein Liebling. I’ve never seen you as calm as you are with Jamie. He brings out the best in you.”

Standing there, watching who you know is the love of your life belong with your family you can’t help but agree. He truly brings out the best in you and you can’t ask for anything else but him by your side forever.

[devskindawritingblog]

Dating Laura Lee Christmas HC’s (1996)

Thank you too @schrodingerspsycho for telling me I should do this because all I needed was one person to say yes they wanted to read it . I grew up Catholic. I spent 14 years at a Catholic school. I don't know if Laura Lee is Catholic. Most of my knowledge is from my childhood/teen experiences. But I will try my best.

Also little Canadian slang lesson a winter hat with a Pom Pom is called a toque

Laura Lee really likes Christmas and the Advent season

She has an advent calendar 

And one of those Advent wreaths with the purple and pink candles 

So she can light it each Sunday

Going to the Advent and Christmas masses with her if she can convince you

She likes having you there, even if you aren't as religious as her

Laura Lee is for sure in her church choir 

So if you came to a mass with her to listen to her sing, she would be very happy about it

Her family doesn't know that you are dating each other

Her family's beliefs seem super traditional 

So it's best you keep it quiet

But also, Laura Lee is the most sweet innocent-looking girl, I don’t think her family would ever suspect anything

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think Laura Lee is much better at cooking than baking

So she needs a little bit of help 

But she is okay with admitting that she needs help

You walk into the kitchen, and her shirt is covered in flour

“Hey! Could you help? I sneezed, and the flour flew everywhere”

It's all over her kitchen counter, on her shirt, and in her hair

“Can you believe how much sugar is in cookies?”

She also seems really clumsy as well 

Ice is her worst nightmare in the winter

She is clinging to you while you walk anywhere

But I do feel she also loves the snow

Making snow angels with her 

And doing that thing where you have to try and stand up without disrupting the snow around it

She seems so nice until you’re chilling outside and she tosses a snowball at you harder than she expected

But then she instantly feels bad and comes over to brush it off your face

Watching Christmas movies with her that she wasn't allowed to watch as a kid

I know this did not come out before 1996, but imagine even in the future  watching Krampus with her

It's not scary, but Laura Lee does not like any type of horror movie

She prefers the more happy, cheerful Christmas movies

Like the old stop-motion Rudolph with the elf dentist

She is really bad at keeping secrets 

She would accidentally tell you what she got you for Christmas

Like it just slips out 

She is the type of person to get you guys matching toques and mitts

She definitely got to play Mary in her elementary school nativity play

And she was very excited and told her parents about it instantly

*  Fun fact I played the Star of Nazareth For one year. They had a cardboard star with a hole cut out for my face ☹️⭐️ *

[such-a-barbarian]

Weekly tag game - holiday edition 🎄

Thanks for the tags @jrooc @mybrainismelted @metalheadmickey & @lupeloto

🔠 Favourite nickname you’ve ever been given: Honestly, I never really had a nickname. Kell is a short form of my kinda unique name, so I've always just gone by my full name cause I like it. My dad will call me kellski every so often and I've always liked having that with him.

🗺️ Where are you located? Ottawa 🇨🇦

🥶⛱️ What season is it where you are now? Pretty sure we are technically still in fall, but there is enough snow on the ground for it to feel like winter. ❄️

🥳 Favourite tradition this time of year: sooo many. I love Christmas so much. Christmas Eve drives to look at the lights, panettone raisin bread on Christmas morning, my 90 year old grandparents still taking whiskey shots before Christmas brunch - Nostrovia!

🥧 Favourite holiday food: tourtiere (french canadian meat pie) and shortbread cookies!

☕️ Mulled wine, eggnog or hot apple cider? mulled wine always and forever

🍗 Turkey, Ham or Nut Roast (Or Tofurkey?)? Ham! I enjoy turkey when it's done right, but ham can never be bad!

🏔️🏖️ Would you rather spend the December holidays in:  A cabin in the woods surrounded by snow, or a house on the beach with sun and sand? a cabin in the woods for sure! To be fair I'd prefer a cabin in the woods anytime of year.

❄️ Are you pro-snow or anti-snow? pro-snow!!! I'm good with snow until about mid to end of February, then it can go away. There is no need for snow in March, but from December - February I am all about the stuff!

⛄️ Have you ever built a snowman? so so many! I have an almost 4-year-old and a 1.5-year-old, so I have made like 5 or more already this month.

⛷️ Skiing or Snowboarding? Ski! It is my favourite winter hobby. Before kids, my husband and I would get some night skiing in multiple times a week after work. This year my oldest is finally big enough that we can take them out and hopefully force them to love it! haha

🎍 Do you decorate for the holidays? oh yeah! It was so fun this year with the kiddos. My oldest decorating the tree was hilarious, wrapping ribbon around the tree as if they were the first person ever to think of putting ribbon on a tree. They were so proud of themselves!

🎬 Favourite holiday movie? Home Alone! And the old school cartoon Grinch and stop-motion Rudolph - not sure if those actually count as movies since they are so short, but it's not Christmas until I watch them!

📖 Favourite holiday fanfic? All I Want for Christmas! Drunken confessions on Santa's lap - need I say more!

🎥 If you were to star in a Hallmark movie, who would be your love interest? Where would it take place? Taylor Zakhar Perez - he has that perfect cheesy Hallmark swag and he is a very pretty man! As for setting probably like a ski resort or something.

tagging @francesrose3, @juliakayyy, @lupeloto, @zutaralesbian, @bawlbrayker. @suzy-queued, @iansw0rld, @depressedstressedlemonzest, @tanktopgallavich, @transmickey & @meagaboooo if you wanna share and if not have a happy holidays! 🎁

[mybrainismelted]

🎄 Tag Game Wednesday 🎁

It's Festivus for the rest of us so grab your Chanukah bush, your mistletoe, your pagan ritual or whatever brings you joy and come gather round the fire 🪵 and celebrate your pocket friends 🤶🏻

Thanks Jess @jrooc for hosting the game this week!

🔠 Favourite nickname you’ve ever been given:  My Director once introduced me to a client team as "Our Developer Extraordinaire"... and that stuck for awhile

🗺️ Where are you located? Ontario, Canada

🥶⛱️ What season is it where you are now? Winter. Stupid winter.

🥳 Favourite tradition this time of year: Anything that involves food, staying inside, or napping

🥧 Favourite holiday food: Stuffing. Chocolate. Baked goods... ok, all of it?

☕️ Mulled wine, eggnog or hot apple cider? This is a tough one. I'm VERY picky about eggnog, although if it's good, I love it. But... hot apple cider I guess

🍗 Turkey, Ham or Nut Roast (Or Tofurkey?)? Turkey! Or Ham.

🏔️🏖️ Would you rather spend the December holidays in:  A cabin in the woods surrounded by snow, or a house on the beach with sun and sand? The beach. Sun, sandals, and tequila, right?

❄️ Are you pro-snow or anti-snow? Definitely anti. Snow is the worst.

⛄️ Have you ever built a snowman? I'm Canadian.. so yes. (keeping Jess' answer here, because, well.... same)

⛷️ Skiing or Snowboarding? ew, no. That involves going outside in the snow.

🎍 Do you decorate for the holidays? Nope. Bah humbug.

🎬 Favourite holiday movie? there is no such thing as a good holiday movie. Maybe The Nightmare Before Christmas.

📖 Favourite holiday fanfic? I'm enjoying Sam's 12 days of Christmas series this year

🎥 If you were to star in a Hallmark movie, who would be your love interest? Hmmm. Noel as the younger but famous man that comes on scene when it's least expected. Where would it take place? Are there specific places in Hallmark movies? I dunno, somewhere that we are trapped inside during a snowstorm maybe?

tagging @krystallouwho. @juliakayyy, @creepkinginc, @crossmydna, @softmick, @skylerwinchester, @spacerockwriting, @stocious, @scurvgirl, @depressedstressedlemonzest, @crestfallercanyon, @francesrose3, @bawlbrayker, @darlingian, @such-a-barbarian, @gallawitchxx, @dynamic-power, @jessieoneday, @solitarycreaturesthey, @michellemisfit, @tsuga-of-mars, @transmickey, @ian-galagher, @whaticameherefor, and @heymrspatel

[grey-and-lavender]

10, 13 and 24 for the non-american ask? :D

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

I mostly swear when I'm driving and let me tell you the regional nature of my upbringing leaps out. There's a russel peters bit about how Canadians sound like donkeys when we swear. Every time I go "oh for fucks sake" I hear it, and that makes me giggle. place holder for my unhinged voice.

I spent a not chill amount of time trying to upload a file of me saying that lmao. Stay tuned.

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

I have no idea how strange it is but we're very dedicated to knocking on wood to avoid jinxing ourselves. We also give pyjamas on Christmas Eve. We also have a family tradition where snacks before dinner is called Noggins but that is family specific and I have no clue where it came from.

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

100% it's the united states. Sharing such a large border (and media, and and and) means we definitely spend a fair amount of time trying to differentiate ourselves from them and joking about them.

I'm not from the US asks

[gogandmagog]

Thanks to some friends at the Lucy Maud Montgomery institute (what up, University of PEI), I was recently put on to the ‘100th Anniversary Scholarly Annotated Anne of Green Gables,’ and you guys… you know how the Grinch’s heart ‘grew three sizes’ that one Christmas in Whoville? Well, similarly, my little brain grew three sizes by the time I was even a quarter of the way through that book.

I cannot recommend it enough, to any dedicated Anne fans. I’s guess I personally still need several months, to fully process everything.

Lucy Maud!!! She was so so so… deep, and thoughtful, and capable of weaving together stories of such intricacies that one scarcely can begin realize what seeds are being planted. The stealth feminism that is so natural and abundant, because feminism is natural and abundant.

In the annotated book (so many contributors to credit, I’ll update this post for sure when it’s somewhere less than midnight), we learn so much. You see things you provably never saw before.

And a major disclaimer right here, before the cut, because I’m doing by best here to summarize a level of absurd genius that is not necessarily easy to grapple, and HEAVY quoting the brilliance of this piece, and other essays others have written on this piece, so pls understand that 0% of what’s coming was borne of my own insight. Just straight up copy/paste behavior here. And also, consider doing yourself a favor at this point by sitting down or holding on to something.

From the jump, the ‘100th ANNEiversay Scholarly ANNEotated Book’ outlines Montgomery's evolution of the first Anne text drafts to make very deliberate and clearly feminist points.

For example, as they say, it is one of the first (perhaps the very first) bildungsromans about a woman who comes of age in mind and spirit as well as in body and community. “In traditional European symbolism, men get associated with sky and spirit, women with earth and body.” In the long, lyrical passages that describe the beauty of Prince Edward Island, Montgomery begins with the trees and the flowers -- which she scoured Canadian and American sources to find feminine vernacular names for -- like "Lady's Slipper." Masculine flower names, such as "Bachelor's Button," are changed out for "aster" or for feminine alternatives. Anne usually gives them feminine personal names too, "Snow Queen" we are looking at you. Sometimes LMM writes the masculine name in her first-pass manuscript and later comes back with a neutral or feminine alternative. She was purposefully locating the feminine in the flowers and then -- in just about every passage describing flowers at length -- she expands the focus to the sky. Sunsets, stars, sunrises, clouds, all of that symbolically extends Anne from the bodily world of the earth into the spiritual and intellectual world symbolized by the sky. A traditionally masculine world. It's deliberately transgressive. She isn't just waxing poetic about the vast beauty of Canada; she's locating Anne within a symbolic structuring of the world where Anne, crucially, has an emotional and intellectual life that is put on an equal plane with traditional masculine coming-of-age stories ... but without denigrating the femininity of the earth. She also applies flower words to the sky itself, describing its colors as "marigold" and "saffron" and so on. The down-to-earth stories of women doing women's work is a feminist point, that Anne can dream and learn and love and go to college and teach, but she can also sew and weave and care for children and become a wife and mother. She uses a symbolic structure of Earth Mother/Sky Father that dates back to Plato and that reaches its full flower in the Romantic poets that Anne loves -- in order to subvert it and locate women and men on an equal footing, and to make the claim for young women reaching for the profoundly-metaphorical stars.

Anne appears in spring, like Persephone, and starts bringing Avonlea to life -- and almost the first thing she does in Avonlea is wear live flowers into the church. HEY SYMBOL OF PATRIARCHY, HAVE SOME FEMININITY IN UR TEMPLES. The actual Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown becomes Queens College -- COLLEGE IS FOR LADIES, YO.

Quotations in Montgomery are never JUST the apt point to the moment, but virtually always point to the larger work the quotation comes from and, if you know the reference, underlines her themes or make deeper points about the characters or situations. (Like referencing the masculine romantic epics that Anne loves, to make the point that Anne is going through the same quest, just like a boy.) Names too -- Biblical Anne is the mother of Mary -- Marilla -- who in the book is a virgin-become-mother, who both mothers Anne and is mothered by her as Anne helps give birth to Marilla's long-repressed true self. Rachel Lynde, as in Judaism, stands for fertility, the mother of Avonlea, a symbol of plenty and fecundity and earthy women -- it's no accident she's fat and poor love-starved Marilla is thin. Diana is a pagan, sensual girl, who is always described as wearing (or eating) something red, and is the only character in the book to get drunk. Her physicality is sometimes set against Anne's spirituality -- but not too much, because this isn't a book about either/or but about both/and when it comes to the physical and spiritual.

It's a book about mutually-supportive relationships between and among women and how that love helps them self-actualize. There's only ever room for one man at a time in these novels -- not until Matthew dies can Gilbert enter Anne's life, because men are so secondary to the narrative in Anne, which is about the webs of support that women weave to support and uplift each other, to hold together communities, to make it possible for women to become fully self-actualized, spiritual, intellectual, bodily people.

I think, in some ways, it would have been a bit of a cheat for Anne to become a famous writer, because a large point the novel makes is not that women can be just like men, but that women are fully-actualized human beings as women and don't have to imitate men; that the world of women is rich and valuable, and that women are not thereby less intelligent or less spiritual than men. Having her become a wife and mother, as most women of that era did, and leading a rich, fulfilling life in that role is probably a more fit ending to Anne's story than if she'd been "exceptional," since Lucy Maud Montgomery's (hereafter to be known as literary Beyoncé) entire point is that it's not just the rare, unusual woman who has a rich interior life -- it's all women.

[ohc-and-the-music-tapes-archive]

Artwork from "The Singing Saw at Christmastime"

Front cover by Brian Dewan Design by Katy Clove

Drawings by Julian Koster Photos by Nesey Gallons

Transcipt:

Saws encouraged to sing (alone and in groups) by Julian Koster

1. The First Noel 2. Frosty The Snowman 3. Silent Night 4. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 5. Jingle Bells 6. White Christmas 7. Silver Bells 8. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing 9. O' Come All Ye Faithful 10. O' Holy Night 11. O' Little Town Of Bethlehem 12. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Singing Saws sing all by themselves. The idea that a Human Being could play one, as one might a cello or a tuba, is a common and understandable misconception, as this illusion is encouraged and cultivated by the Saws themselves. Saws are tremendous pranksters, and the ruse of causing Human Beings to believe that they are actually playing them is perhaps the most beloved and persistent joke in Saw-kind’s long history. The absolute truth, however, is a bit more nuanced than this. Most Saws are incredibly shy about singing, and especially so in the audience of a Human Being. Saws regard Human Beings, their creators, much as children do their parents. But a human can learn to comfort and reassure a Saw to the point of singing. The perpetuation by the Saws of their age-old ruse simply serves to detract from their own shyness and fears while providing the comfort of another to take the blame should they sing poorly.

A Saw can be encouraged to sing by taking it into one’s lap and cradling it there, while gently petting it with a small violin bow. Many of the Saws who sang on this record were encouraged to sing in this way. Some of the others, especially the youngest as well as the choir from the Singing Saw Symphony, sang without need of any such coaxing. This I have witnessed them do on several occasions. It was a challenge in the making of this record that they have thus refused to do so in front of the smallest audience. Even when recording, the Saws often waited until the album’s co-producer Nesey Gallons retired to the control room before beginning to sing.

The Singing Saw’s excitement for the Christmas holiday is quite like that of a Human child. Christ, being by far the most highly regarded and beloved carpenter of all time, was a great friend to the Saws. Left abandoned by Human Beings on Christmas Eve, workshops, barns, and such places become the sites of the Saws’ Christmas festivities. Their observances, often attended by varying societies of small bells, usually begin at nightfall but do not begin in earnest until all the Humans have gone to bed. One of the most beautiful of these is the traditional beginning of their Christmas Eve celebrations: the Saws gather outside and arrange themselves into a giant circle, each angling itself so that it reflects the moon, so that in the darkness, one is surrounded by a vast circle of reflected moons. The field recording from which the version of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” was chosen for inclusion on this album marked the first time that Human Beings have been allowed to be present at the Singing Saws’ traditional Christmas Eve observances. This recording, made at a rural barn in the the central Canadian province of Manitoba, was made possible by the generous loan of Ms. L. Boulton's Presto Recording Lathe.

Certain songs have an almost inexplicable popularity among the Saws. There were so many who wanted to sing "Frosty the Snowman" that I actually had to record several versions of it in order to appease them. I ended up choosing the version of one of the youngest who, while lacking the maturity and polish of some of the elders, delivered the song with unmatched earnestness and sincerity. I only wish there were film footage to accompany this recording so that you might see the seriousness and solemnity of bearing with which he sang this song.

The Saws featured on this album represent a great range of ages and ability. Each Saw has its own unique voice and manner of singing. Some of their voices are quite high, others low; some have a great range, while others can only sing a few notes but with extraordinary sweetness. Saws are born a certain age and remain so for the rest of their lives. Saw children are children forever, while others are born fully formed adults (I have yet to find a satisfying physiological explanation for this phenomenon). The children were all wonderful to work with and were often absolutely fascinated by the methods and practice of sound recording, never tiring of listening to playback and watching the tape reels go round and round.

Another challenge in the making of this record, from the standpoint of co-producer, was the tendency of Saws to occasionally skip notes in the melodies of Human Christmas songs, due largely in part to the fact that they, unlike us, do not sing with words. And so we would commit a wonderful recording of “White Christmas” to tape, only to find when singing along later that the song would conclude, “and may all your Christmases white”; they had left out the “be.” And so the entire song would have to be recorded over. The ability to miss mistakes of this sort was heightened also by the fact that the recording of this album often went from night into the next morning, requiring myself and Nesey Gallons to ask the Saws to recreate some of our favorite versions well into the beginnings of the next day. Luckily, the Saws remained inexhaustible.

It was a wonderful experience for Mr. Gallons and me to spend those days and evenings recording them and so take part in the extraordinary simplicity and sweetness of the Saws’ observances of Christmas. There is hardly room here to describe all of the games and traditions they allowed us to observe and take part in. I only hope that a measure of the warmth and kindness of those wonderful hours has made its way onto the recording tape, and so, through your record player, into your rooms.

Julian Koster, 2008

This sound recording was produced and engineered by Nesey Gallons and Julian Koster, assisted by lan Ludder’s

Front cover by Brian Dewan Design by Katy Clove

[wyattjohnston]

hi luv, hope you are well <3

curious of what laurel and quinn will be doing for the holidays, if anything. thank!

oooo excellent question!

starting from what i think america classes as the beginning of the holidays

lots of this is influenced by laurel not having seen her family in years and not being a particularly festive person

they dont get to celebrate 'real thanksgiving' together because quinn is on a roadtrip. quinn seems a bit upset about it, laurel got her free feed for canadian thanksgiving so she's not super cut up about

she helps quinn as much as she can with any hannukah things he might want to do, sneaking in a call or two to Maggie when she needs help.

quinn is horrified to learn that everything in her apartment with any sort of christmas connotation belongs to Hayley

he makes her help decorate the christmas tree he has (it's just a small one that sits on his dining table)

mostly i think they just spend Christmas day at the house of whichever teammate is putting up all the guys who couldn't get back to their hometown and it's fun and festive and laurel begrudgingly admits that it is nice to spend the day with so many of their friends even if she was forced to wear a hideous christmas sweater

before anybody comes at me about quinn celebrating christmas; ellen is jewish (and by extension the boys are too) but Jim is catholic and they (quinn and jack anyway) went to a catholic high school before whatever moving to Michigan. so i reckon they do jewish and catholic traditions

[laresearchette]

Friday, November 10, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: FOR ALL MANKIND (Apple TV+) THE CURSE (Paramount +) EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS (W Network) 9:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? AFTER THE BLAST: THE WILL TO SURVIVE (ABC Feed) BELLE COLLECTIVE (TBD - OWN Canada) THE CURSE (TBD)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA 007: ROAD TO A MILLION DINA HASHEM: DARK WHISPERS KANDAHAR TREVOR WALLACE: PTERODACTYL

CBC GEM CRIME (Season 2) LE COYOTE TRAMPOLINE GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (starts today, goes until November 12th)

CRAVE TV A CHANCE FOR CHRISTMAS EVE AND THE FIRE HORSE FOUR CHRISTMASES GODFATHER OF HARLEM (Season 3, Episode 1) INTO THE DEEP THE JOURNEY HOME LAMBORGHINI: THE MAN, THE LEGEND MIRACLE IN MOTOR CITY ONE WEEK PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH SISU STILL MINE VIOLENT NIGHT

DISNEY + STAR BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT

NETFLIX CANADA AT THE MOMENT (TW) THE KILLER TEAM NINJA WARRIOR (Season 2)

2023 FIFA MEN'S U17 WORLD CUP (TSN/TSN4) 6:48am: Spain vs. Canada

GRAND SLAM OF CURLING (SN) 11:00am: National - Draw 14 (SN) 3:00pm: National - Draw 15 (SN) 7:00pm: National - Draw 16

NHL HOCKEY (SNWest/TSN4) 7:00pm: Flames vs. Leafs (SN1) 7:00pm: Wild vs. Sabres (SN) 10:00pm: Sharks vs. Knights

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN/TSN3/TSN5) 7:30pm: Nets vs. Celtics (SN Now) 8:30pm: Clippers vs. Stars (TSN/TSN3/TSN5) 10:00pm: Lakers vs. Suns

AMPLIFY (APTN) 7:30pm: Anishinaabe electro-pop artist Wolf Saga draws inspiration for his music from a painting his grandmother bought, which connects him to his culture. This episode features Richard Gracious, Janis Monture, Elder Mary Lou Smoke and Betty Albert.

THE FATHER (CTV2) 8:00pm: A man refuses assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and the fabric of his reality.

7TH GEN (APTN) 8:00pm: Matthew Monias - Mattmac: Many people know Matthew Monias by his stage name, Mattmac. Discover how this Oji-Cree blind recording artist from Garden Hill First Nation is taking the world by storm with his music and blazing a trail with his advocacy work.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF JERSEY (Slice) 8:00pm: La Finn

PLANET WONDER (CBC) 8:30pm: How the language used about climate change affects the motivation to do something about it.

A DASH OF CHRISTMAS (CTV Life) 8:00pm: To apply for her dream job at a foodie startup, an executive must learn to bake. When she recruits a handsome baker to help her, she inadvertently ends up in a Christmas Bakeoff.

FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER (APTN) 8:30pm: The inaugural NASCAR Pinty's race finally arrives at Ohsweken Speedway and Aaron Turkey proves to be a hometown hero in the historic event. Meanwhile, Joshua Hill hustles to get his car back on the track after getting into a wreck the night before.

THE FIFTH ESTATE (CBC) 9:00pm: The Girls Around Robert G. Miller: In partnership with Radio-Canada's investigative program, "Enquête," "The Fifth Estate" examines troubling claims that a Canadian billionaire had a long history of paying teenagers for sex.

TRANSPLANT (CTV) 9:00pm: Bash reconnects with the man who got him to Canada.

BEAT BOBBY FLAY: HOLIDAY THROWDOWN (Food Network Canada) 9:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): Katie Lee Biegel cracks the wishbone with Turkey Day classics and makes this holiday reunion a surprise family affair. Chefs Darnell Ferguson, Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio attempt to squash Bobby Flay with a new turkey tradition.

CATWOMAN: HUNTED (Cartoon Network Canada) 9:00pm: Catwoman attempts to steal a priceless jewel.

VIOLENT NIGHT (Crave) 9:00pm: An elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage inside. However, they aren't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.

W5 (CTV) 10:00pm: The Mystery Bomber: "W5" investigates the identity of a would-be bank robber who exploded in a dramatic heist.

CRIME BEAT (Global) 10:00pm: Nothing is What it Seems: Part 1: A man walking his dog comes upon a neighbor's garage engulfed in flames; when the smoke clears, a woman is found dead with drug paraphernalia nearby; nothing is what it seems, and police are left combing through a web of lies to find the killer.