From Thanksgiving to Hanukkah to Diwali to Christmas, there are dozens of holidays and festivals celebrated all across the world at this time of year. Here at Closer to Home, our staff celebrate a range of holidays, and with each one comes annual family traditions. Here are some of our staff’s favourites:
1. Diwali: Amandeep, one of our Family Support Workers, celebrates this festival of lights every October. She loves lighting up the house with her family!
2. Themed Christmas Dinners: Jodie, another one of our Family Support Workers, has come up with a creative way to spend more time with her kids on Christmas Day instead of slaving away in the kitchen – themed dinners! They’ve done grilled cheese (think Chandler from Friends), sundae bars and french fry bars!
3. Winter Solstice: Marsha, Program Facilitator for our Indigenous healing program Ee-des-spoom-ooh-soop, says winter solstice is a special time for many of the Indigenous families she works with. As a time of cosmic change and renewal, the solstice has been recognized as far back as Neolithic time.