The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Newfoundlanders have always been known worldwide for their humour and hospitable nature, and Christmas is no exception. A Newfoundland Christmas is full of such traditions as: mummering, dances, baking cookies and cakes, getting together with family and friends, drinking Purity Syrup, having Christmas dinner and many more fun activities. In rural Newfoundland these traditions have been in affect for many years. The season of Christmas is often associated with falling snow and Santa coming on his sleigh. However there is a saying that goes "if there is no snow and it's a green Christmas than Santa will deliver his gifts on a trike." With winter comes such activities as skating on a newly frozen pond, snowmobiling through the woods and sliding down your favourite hill. Christmas begins with the baking of cakes and cookies. Families join together young and old baking everything from shortbread to fruitcake. This takes a few days to complete but in the end it was all worth it. For many Newfoundlanders Christmas is a time for some good old accordion and guitar music. It is a time of sharing what little they have with those they love and giving as much as they can to those who are less fortunate. Merry Christmas! Something to Ponder: If a man says something in the woods and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?
