Off The Beaten Path

Celebrating the Festive Season – Again

 

Christmas may be over for another year.  This does not mean the end of family get-togethers and visiting friends for winter’s celebration.  For midway through winter, is another festive time of year.  Many communities organize winter carnivals to get family and friends to get together to have fun and to break up a long winter.

The three largest winter carnivals in Canada, in order from largest are Bonhomme L’hivere (Quebec City Winter Carnival), Winterlude (Ottawa Winter Carnival), and Bon Soo (Sault Ste. Marie Winter Carnival).  These winter carnivals celebrate winter fun and draw tourists from all over Canada, the United States and nations farther away.  They are known for downhill and cross country ski races, snow sculptures, ice carving, dog sled racing, ice skating, hockey, live theatre, mascots, a large assortment of parties at various local establishments, fireworks lighting up the night sky, and the Beavertail pastries that can be purchased at different event sites.

Many communities hold local winter carnivals including Elliot Lake, Espanola and Blind River.  In addition to the above events, they also offer cross country ski loppets, snowshoe golf, lantern ski outings, sleigh rides and a whole assortment of events both indoors and outdoors to get the family and friends together for some old fashioned fun.

If you find winter seemingly long, the winter carnival season is the perfect time for you and your loved ones as well as organizations you are involved with to plan activities similar to what you did at Christmas and in the run-up to Christmas.

Fun things you can do include a skating party at the local rink followed by hotdogs and hot chocolate, moonlight snowshoe outing over a frozen lake followed by a fun sing-a-long at a bonfire, a day at the ski hill followed by dinner, ice fishing followed by a fish fry, or cross-country skiing followed by a potluck supper.  Perhaps if you are more adventurous, organize a trail rally puzzle tour or a progressive dinner all over town.  Pretty soon, you will have another festive season to enjoy thanks to all the creative fun activities that will be almost like Christmas all over again.  Come out and be creative, and soon winter will fly by quickly.

Pim D.