February in the Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and Edmonton region can be a dreary month.  Everybody’s tired of winter’s cold, snow and dark, while Christmas and New Year’s celebrations are just a distant memory.  But this short month actually provides lots of opportunities to add a festive touch to day-to-day life.

Chinese New Year

While not a February holiday in 2014 (the Year of the Horse officially begins on January 31, 2014), the lunar new year does often belong on a list of this type.  The Wikipedia article tells us that the lunar new year can occur as early as January 22 or as late as the 19^th of February (get ready for the Year of the Goat starting Feb 19, 2015!).  Should you celebrate it this year with dragon costumes, dancing, food, fireworks, money in red paper envelopes, paper lanterns and more?  Did I mention food?  Why not?!

SuperBowl , February 2, 2014

In the US, the first Sunday in February every year is the championship game of the National Football League and is known as much for its great TV commercials (which, sadly, we Canadians often don’t get to see!) as for the game itself.

Groundhog Day, February 2

We all know the story that if the sun shines on Feb 2 and the groundhog sees his shadow, scaring him back into his burrow, oops, 6 more weeks of winter.  Big deal in Alberta where we’re happy if only another 6 weeks of winter is all we see!  Canada actually has three famous groundhogs making their predictions:  Balzac Billy in southern Alberta, Wiarton Willy in Ontario and Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia.  Wiarton Willy, whose festival began in 1956, even has his own statue and is the star of a big winter festival.  Of course, we all know rodents can’t predict the weather, but it’s fun to be reminded that winter will eventually end, and the day gives us a good excuse to watch Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day movie!

February 2 is also the date of a Christian holiday celebrated by many devout Catholics around the world:  Candlemas.   Check out the article in Time and Date.com.

Winter Olympics, February 7-23, 2014, Sochi, Russia

Even non-sports fans find themselves caught up in the hoopla, pageantry and emotion of triumph and defeat at the Olympic Games.  Lots of televisions in Canadian homes will be tuned in to the Games this month.  Whether you just like to watch the opening and closing ceremonies, cheer on your favorite athlete or team, or follow all the events avidly, the Olympics offer another great chance to show our national pride.

Valentine’s Day, February 14

Cupid with his bow and arrow, red cinnamon heart candies, chocolate in heart-shaped boxes, gifts of flowers or jewelry, Valentine’s Day cards exchanged by school kids, mushy romantic ones for the grown-ups…  Love the holiday and get involved, or throw an Anti-Valentine’s Day party!

National Flag of Canada Day, February 15

We Canadians are proud to wear and fly the red maple leaf, but I think most of us are a little hazy when it comes to some of the finer points of our nation’s history.  I wonder how many people these days remember just how young our flag is.  Here is some trivia for you:  Canada’s flag was designed by George F. G. Stanley, who was inspired by the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada.  The design was selected by a multi-party parliamentary committee on October 29, 1964 and approved by the House of Commons on December 15, 1964.  Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed the new flag on January 28, 1965 and it was inaugurated on February 15, 1965, replacing the country’s Red Ensign flag.  In 1996 1,000,000 flags were distributed to Canadians in the One in a Million National Flag Challenge for 1997.  Next year, in 2015, our flag will be 50 years old.  How should we celebrate?

Family Day in Alberta, February 17, 2014

Premier Don Getty back in 1990 was responsible for this holiday, making Alberta the first Canadian province to declare a day off work in February, recognizing time for family and the importance of family values.  Nowadays, many communities in Alberta stage special events on Family Day.  What are your plans for this special day?

Do you know why February has just 28 days, instead of 30 or 31?

Blame the Romans who created the calendar.  There are many explanations and theories about this, but it really comes down to February being a month that nobody liked much!

Is February a good month to buy or sell a house?  You bet!  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

The holiday season always seems to bring out the spirit of giving in people in the Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and Edmonton region.  While most of us exchange gifts with family and friends, many of us actively look for ways to help others.  My assistant told me about her brother and his family living in Vancouver who load up their vehicle every Christmas Day with sandwiches, cookies, oranges and warm beverages to distribute to the homeless on Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver.  I started wondering what opportunities for helping beyond tossing bills into a Salvation Army kettle there might be in our area.

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Local churches

If you belong to a church, you already know the programs and opportunities offered by your church.  If you are looking to join a local church, check out the comprehensive list in my Community Connections Business Directory.  Click on “Jump to Category” and then “Churches: Parkland County”, “Churches: Spruce Grove”, “Churches: Stony Plain”.  This information is also available in the Green Book Community Resource Directory.

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Parkland Food Bank

www.parklandfoodbank.org, 105 Madison Crescent, Spruce Grove AB T7X 3A3

780-962-4565

The Food Bank’s Stuff a Bus campaign ended on November 30, but donations of non-perishable food items and cash are welcomed with gratitude and enthusiasm all year round.  Volunteers will be put to work too!

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Tender Hearts Foundation

See article in The Grove Examiner entitled “Santa’s local workshop in Parkland County”

Shoeboxes containing small gifts and treats are assembled and given to the elderly residents of nursing homes in the Parkland region.  Contact Joann Babineau to donate or volunteer:

#2, 52224, RR 275, Stony Plain AB T7Z 1Z3

Phone 780-968-0065

Email joreid@tbwifi.ca

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Kinette Club of Spruce Grove Christmas Hampers

Working with local schools, businesses and other service clubs, the Kinettes assemble and distribute 100s of hampers containing food, food certificates and gifts to needy families in Spruce Grove.

PO Box 3664, Spruce Grove AB T7X 2A9

780-962-2088

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Kinsmen Club of Stony Plain Christmas Hampers

PO Box 2231, Stony Plain AB T7Z 1X7

780-915-6934

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Parkland Area Youth Emergency Shelter (PAYES)

PO Box 2732, Stony Plain AB T7Z 1Y2

780-963-3595

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Christmas Bureau of Edmonton

“Providing a Festive Meal to Edmonton Families in Need”.  Donations are used to provide food hampers and food certificates.  The Christmas Bureau also coordinates with 630 CHED Santas Anonymous and the Edmonton Sun Adopt-a-Teen program.

Mailing address:  Christmas Bureau of Edmonton, PO BOX 16000, Edmonton AB T5J 4B4

Street address:  2^nd Floor, 4230-118 Ave NW, Edmonton AB T5W 1A4 (2^nd floor of Servus Credit Union Building)

Phone:  780-454-6074

Email:  mail@christmasbureau.ca

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630 CHED Santas Anonymous

Since 1955 providing toys for needy children in Edmonton.  Donations and volunteers welcome all year round, and toys right up until Christmas.  Toy deliveries for 2013 are taking place on December 14 and 15; drivers are always needed.

Santa’s Depot 12345-121 St, Edmonton

Mailing address and year-round donations:  5204-84 St NW, Edmonton AB T6E 5N8

Email:  santa@santasanonymous.ca

780-428-TOYS (8697)

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Edmonton Sun Adopt-a-Teen Program

Providing gifts for teens aged 13-17 from low income families in the Edmonton area.

2^nd  Floor, 4230-118 Ave, Edmonton AB T5W 1A4

info@adoptateenedmonton.ca

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Women’s Shelters:

Women’s shelters are always in need of clothing, bedding, toiletries and children’s articles including toys, but the need is especially acute at Christmas.  Contact them to find out how you can help.

—Edmonton Women’s Shelter (WIN House)

PO Box 20088, Edmonton AB T5W 5E6

780-471-6709

ewsed@winhouse.org

—Lurana Shelter 

780-429-2002

director@luranashelter.com

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Youth Empowerment and Support Services

(formerly Youth Emergency Shelter Society)

9310-82 Ave, Edmonton AB T6C 0Z6

780-468-7070

yess@yess.org

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The Mustard Seed Edmonton 

Christmas Giving Opportunities.  http://www.theseed.ca/Christmas-Giving-Opportunities-Edmonton.html  Click on this link for a list of specific items (such as a travel mug filled with a coffee gift certificate, thermal socks, hand wipes, bus tickets, pocket hand warmers and a note of encouragement) that this organization gives to the needy at Christmas.

Mailing address:  PO Box 1842, Main Post Office, Edmonton AB T5J 2P2

Street address:  10568-114 St, Edmonton AB

780-426-5600

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So many formal organizations exist for helping others all year round, and many are specialized by type or age of person.  If this style of giving doesn’t appeal, why not look even closer to home?  Maybe there is an elderly or disabled person, or a young mother alone with her kids living on your street who could use your help in many ways, such as shoveling the driveway or getting groceries or providing a ride to an appointment.  And the best part is that when you help others in this way, you help yourself too!

I always welcome your comments and questions.  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

The Christmas and holiday season in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and the Edmonton region is a big deal, but December 25 isn’t the only day of giving and celebrating.  If your family embraces the traditions of other countries and cultures, there are plenty more opportunities for making merry during the festive season!

One of these special days occurs on December 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas.  In fact, the North American Santa Claus is based on St. Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, as he is known in Holland.  In France, children leave out their sabots, or wooden shoes, in hopes that St. Nicholas will throw little toys and sweets (and not lumps of coal) down the chimney to land in their shoes.

This is what The Old Farmer’s Almanac has to say about St. Nicholas Day:

“In Holland, everyone celebrates the Feast of Sinterklaas, or St. Nicholas, on the eve of December 6.  After dinner, families hunt for presents, following clues in funny, anonymous poems.  They also eat cookies and candies, especially spicy Speculaas cookies formed in wooden molds shaped in the figure of St. Nick.

“Who was St. Nicholas?  His life, like the lives of many saints, is shrouded in mystery. We know that he was the bishop of Myra in Lycia, part of Asia Minor, during the 4th century.  He is credited with saving three sisters from lives of ill repute by throwing bags of gold into their house (some say down the chimney; others say through the window) to provide for their dowries.

“In many places in the United States and abroad, children still place their shoes by the window for St. Nicholas to fill with presents and sweets on the night before his feast day.”

Holidays are, of course, all about the food!  Why not try making your own Speculaas to celebrate St. Nicholas Day?  The recipe below is courtesy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.  Click on the preceding link for recipes for many more holiday goodies.

Spicy Sinterklaas Cakes (Speculaas) Recipe

Press the dough for these cookies into a carved wooden mold, or roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters.  Yield: Makes about 18 to 24 medium cutout cookies.

 1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon each powdered cloves and cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg and powdered ginger

1 pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon chopped blanched almonds

1 tablespoon minced candied fruit

5 tablespoons butter

large slivers of blanched almonds, for decoration

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and milk, and stir until smooth. Add the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, almonds, and fruit. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Chill. Preheat oven to 350° F. If using a wooden speculaas mold, dust it with cornstarch, covering every bit of carving. Firmly press the dough into the mold, then run a sharp knife along the edges of the design. Gently lift the dough or tap it onto a greased cookie sheet. Press almond slivers onto the cookies wherever they fit into the design. To make cutout cookies, roll the dough about 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Let them cool and crisp on a rack.

I’d love to hear about and feature in this blog your own family and cultural traditions surrounding the holidays!  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.

Central Park and Lions Log Cabin on King Street. Photo from City of Spruce Grove website: http://www.sprucegrove.org/programs_events/events/annual_events/christmas.htm

Those of us who live in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County know that the tri-municipal region has much to offer residents no matter the season.  One of my favorite things in December as the darkness closes in and the days get shorter is to drive past the magical light show that is Central Park.

Christmas in Central Park is an annual FREE event sponsored by the City of Spruce Grove.  Lots of activities for the whole family help kick off the festive season and get Spruce Grove residents into the holiday spirit.  This year, the celebration runs from 2:30 to 5:30 pm on Saturday, November 30, 2013.  Take a stroll through the lights, strap on the blades, enjoy a hot beverage and experience the beauty of the park.

2:30 to 4:30 pm:

• Photos with Santa (bring a camera)

2:30 to 4:45 pm: 

• Skating with the Spruce Grove Saints

• Cookie decorating for the first 500 guests

• Crafts and games

• Sugar Shack (Cabane à sucre)

• Complimentary hot dogs and brats from Johnsonville (while supplies last)

2:45 to 4:45 pm:

• Wagon rides

4:30 pm:

• Stage entertainment with Jeff Miller on guitar

5:00 pm:

• Light up ceremony begins, followed by a mini fireworks show

Spread the Christmas cheer by bringing an unwrapped gift item for the Kinettes Christmas Hampers and/or a non-perishable food item for the Parkland Food Bank.

Want to get more involved?  Volunteers are always welcomed to assist in the City’s events.  Contact the Event Coordinator at 780-962-7634, Ext 143, or send an email to events@sprucegrove.org.

I’d love to tell you more about what makes our region so special and a great place to call home!  Phone or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.