Festivals & Events – Page 15 – Just An East Coast Girl

Folklore from days of old…it’s a childhood fantasy land

Father Christmas often appears as a large man, often around seventy years old. He is dressed in a red suit trimmed with white fur, often girdled with a wide black belt, a matching hat or hood, often long and floppy in nature, and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back. It has been said that the red suit only appeared after the Coca Cola company started an advertising campaign depicting a red suited Father Christmas in the 1930s.

The Father Christmas Festival in Mahone Bay is this weekend and next, and I love all the different Father Christmas figurines.

David having a little chat with Norman the Gnome
It has become a somewhat new tradition for me to visit Mahone Bay for this festival and…pick up my new Amos pewter ornament. Living away makes you really appreciate local and what your community and neighbouring communities offer. I love Amos pewter things and have decided a few years ago to collect these special ornaments.

Each year the Amos Pewter company create a new collector ornament. This year is the Winter Blossom. Each has a lovely inscription about the ornament …” There is a beauty in the cycle of the changing seasons. We wonder at the uniqueness of each softly falling snowflake, joining with others to blanket the earthen a magical whiteness. As the days become longer and warmer, each melting snowflake helps to foster new life that grows, transforms and ultimately fills summer with bursts of blossoms and butterflies. Change is the hope for newness and transformation. Nourish your dreams you embrace the changes in life’s seasons.”

For the last few years at the festival the image of Father Christmas has changed. This year’s 2015 “signature” Father Christmas is Della Robia. He has a gentle face and an Old World European look.

And a new feature this year… The Nutcracker Fantasy. It was my favourite. The creativity and the detail. I am AMAZED that every year there is something new that tops the year before. I could spend hours wandering around here…

And David’s favourite…

Mahone Bay is definitely ready for Christmas and after this weekend with all the specials my mood is very festive, It really is a wonderful time of the year!

Who doesn’t love a parade complete with fireworks

The town of Bridgewater kicks off the Christmas season with it’s annual parade and fireworks! I just love this tradition…even on a cool rainy evening.

Such a wonderful evening. Thank you Town of Bridgewater for an awesome event!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…with Pirates!

Have you ever tasted roasted chestnuts? They are good. Not as good as one would think listening to the famous song…”chestnuts roasting on an open fire jack frost nipping at your nose, yule tide carols being sung by a choir…” I love that song and this time of year! It’s about a month til Christmas now and it is when all kinds of wonderful, special things happen around town.

Tonight…in Lunenburg, NS, the lighting of the fishing vessels down on the waterfront. Hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, a few of the shops open later, Christmas music playing, carollers singing …and PIRATES!!! I didn’t expect pirates! We enjoyed a nice dinner ( our favourite apps at our favourite place) ahh…it’s a great start to the weekend!

BUT we still have BLACK FRIDAY sales!!!!!

Today is American Thanksgiving. It is not in Canada. I guess it’s RED THURSDAY, so they say… the day before BLACK FRIDAY.

Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October. But, why then? Why doesn’t Canada celebrate Thanksgiving the same day as the United States?

Basically, Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks and is not based on a historical date like Christmas. So, the entire world does not celebrate Thanksgiving and even those that do, frequently celebrate on different dates than the United States. Canada is a perfect example.

Canada’s Thanksgiving is based on a bountiful harvest and not on the Pilgrims and the New World like the Unites States holiday. The reason it occurs earlier than the US Thanksgiving is that Canada is north of the United States and because of this the harvest season occurs earlier during the year. It only makes sense for Canada to celebrate its fall harvest during their fall and harvest time! It’s actually a very beautiful time to celebrate and be thankful.

The First Canadian Thanksgiving?

The first Canadian Thanksgiving goes back even further than the United States. Back in 1578 an English explorer named Martin Frobisher was trying to find a northern route to the Orient. He was not successful in his quest, but he did end up establishing a settlement somewhere along what is Newfoundland today. Despite not making it to the Orient Frobisher was thankful the journey had been safe and decided to have a day of thanks. This resulted in the first Canadian Thanksgiving.

During this same time frame many French settlers were making their way to the area and also began having days of thanks during the harvest time. They, like the American Pilgrims, invited local Indians to take part in their feast.

This is how the Canadian Thanksgiving started and why Canada doesn’t celebrate on the same day as the United States. BUT…

we still have BLACK FRIDAY SALES! Although I’m not sure why considering it’s a US marketing ploy…EVERYONE wants a good deal!

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So..Happy Thanksgiving to our American Family & Friends. May you have a wonderful day.

Time to light things up!

It’s one month til Christmas and time to light things up! I have had some of my inside lights on for the last week or so. We will decorate our Family tree this weekend ( a little early) because David will be away with work. But it’s time to have the outside lights on!

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Haha, no snow yet…just some flurries. BUT it’s looking VERY Christmasy!

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Just one month!!!!

too early?

decorations-early-

I don’t think so.

I was talking to some friends in China last night and they asked what I’ve been up to. I said well…not a lot but I am thinking about EVERYTHING Christmas these days.

Decorating, gift buying, what to bake…all consume my thoughts. I told them I have my home pretty much decorated for Christmas. ( Just the Family room left to do, which I will do today)

Isn’t it a bit early they asked? For Christmas?

Not for me. I asked if they remembered when I was in China, and how my apartment looked in November and December? I LOVE the coziness that Christmas decorations bring. The lights are just so wonderful. They bring a warmth and coziness, almost magical atmosphere to this dark grey time of year. Darkness falls so early and the evenings seem long and the lights and a nice scent simmering on my scentsy burner just really help. I love it!

So…is it too early? I don’t think so. I am enjoying it and besides there’s only 5 weeks left til Christmas! It’s time to deck the halls!

5 wk to xmas

A gift for friends

Such an important annual tradition!

In December 6, 1917 a huge explosion rocked Halifax.

The SS Mont Blanc, a French cargo ship fully loaded with wartime explosives, collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the Narrows, a strait connecting Halifax Harbour to Bedford Basin. A fire on board the French ship ignited the cargo causing a cataclysmic explosion that destroyed the Richmond district of Halifax. About 2000 people were killed by debris, fires, and collapsed buildings, and another 9000 were injured. A huge disaster for Nova Scotia and it’s capital Halifax.

South of the border in Boston authorities learned of the disaster via telegraph, and quickly organized and dispatched a relief train. A winter blizzard following the explosion delayed the train, which finally arrived in the early morning on December 8, and immediately began distributing food, water, and medical supplies. Numerous personnel on the train were able to relieve the Nova Scotia medical staff, most of whom had worked without rest since the explosion occurred.

In 1918, Halifax sent a Christmas tree to the city of Boston, A gift, a thank you , a remembrance for all the help that the city of Boston provided immediately after the disaster.

In 1971 this gift of a Christmas tree was revived by the Lunenburg County Christmas Tree Producers and later taken over by the NS government. Knowing the symbolic importance the tree represents to both cities, there are specific guidelines for selecting the tree. It must be a balsam fir, white or red spruce that is 40 -50 feet tall with a beautiful green color. The trees are often chosen from open land privately owned by local ordinary people. People that love the tradition of this gift and are truly honoured that “their tree” for Nova Scotia’s gift to Boston.

This year’s tree was cut TODAY! This morning at 10:30. And then tomorrow there will be a special send off with love and special wishes from Grand Parade square in Halifax

Bill and Andrea MacEachern of Lorne, Pictou Co. are the donors of the 49foot White Spruce that is approximately 72 years old. The tree will be delivered to Boston city to it’s place at the Boston Commons to be lit at the tree lighting ceremony on December 3.

Merry Christmas Boston…and THANK YOU!

The bins are out…It’s begun

I know I know…all the opinions are out. When to, when not to, after this day, before this day, not too soon…

But honestly, it is REALLY up to each individual what and when they choose. I don’t mean any disrespect whatsoever. I am so very thankful and feel blessed to live in Canada where brave men and women fought for our freedom and I am thankful that we do remember , pay tribute, and celebrate that every November.

And for me, I do usually wait until after Remembrance Day only because it’s closer to the middle of November and usually by then it’s a bit colder and most of the signs of a beautiful Autumn have disappeared and it just “feels” more like Christmas. I know even the words “feels like Christmas” is up for debate. In Canada, for me Christmas feeling and mood is… cooler weather, crisp frosty mornings and powdery light dustings of snow. However when we lived in Brazil, it was hot, sometimes rainy, beach weather with powdery white sands. It was a real effort to get in the mood of “feeling like Christmas” that year. But fun to decorate and not worry about snow affecting the decor on my patio! haha

So today…the bins are out and I have begun. Just a little, taking my time, enjoying the Christmas music that is now once again added to my Playlist for the next 6 weeks or so, and cleaning my house well, room by room and adding touches here and there that will make things look and feel like Christmas. It will take a few days because I’m not doing it all in one day but I’m enjoying it.

My first baking was done yesterday ( gotta get the fruitcake done early)as I watched the Remembrance Service in Ottawa. And I even did a little shopping online to be delivered in the next few weeks. And so little by little Christmas merrymaking has begun.

Isn’t it just the most wonderful time of the year? Brr…and today “feels” chilly, it “feels” like that time of the year 😀

HaPpY HaLLOwEeN 🎃👻

And from China…

Wan Seng Jie

Deep fried Turkey Day!

This weekend is Thanksgiving and many Canadians will enjoy family feasts of turkey, cranberries, pumpkin and apple pie. This year we’re switchin’ things up! Oh for sure we are still going to enjoy cranberries and pie and definitely turkey is on the menu BUT …instead of hours roasting in the oven. Tonight, a few days early ( because of family work schedules on the weekend) we are deep frying our turkey in a pot in the backyard!!

It’s been a few years since we’ve done this and our kids don’t remember doing it so, we will give them this fun experience. And…it only takes 45 minutes!! Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside.