“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”
–Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
The Christmas season is a special one, it’s special because it’s a time that reminds us of the love of family, the gift of friends and to share with others both material and spiritual goodness. For many, Christmas is a time to reflect on the year past, to set new goals and spend time with family.
As a Greek Canadian, Christmas for me is all of the above and more. There is no feeling comparable to that of Christmas lunch with the family. The smell of Yiayia’s homemade tiropita and stuffed turkey is like no other, it invites you in and makes you never want to leave.
For Greek Canadians– as well as Greeks worldwide – church plays an important role in preparing for the Christmas festivities. Along with the 40 day fast that some choose to participate in (from November 15 – December 24), the local Toronto churches hosted several services throughout the week leading up to Christmas day. Here you’ll see images of The Christmas Eve service at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Toronto.
The City of Toronto also had several activities and beautiful sites that people visit from all over the country and even the world. One very popular site is the annual Toronto Christmas Market. The market, located downtown, is a place where both locals and tourists visit to try one of a kind food, experience live music, shop from local vendors and relish in the stunning festive décor.
When you visit the market one of the first things you see is the massive Christmas tree lit up from top to bottom. Standing at 50 feet tall, this Norway spruce is definitely the anchor to the market and a perfect place for a photo-op.
Along with this majestic tree is the Ferris wheel and carousel for the children as well as a life-sized gingerbread house and of course Santa Clause himself. This year the market even had a maze of pink trees –simply fabulous – visitors enjoyed the magic of pink this holiday season.
Finally, I should mention the infamous heart, what guests call the “Heart of Christmas.” The Toronto Christmas Market has created a heart shaped sculpture that is 14 feet tall and 12 feet wide. With an elegant mistletoe hanging atop the sculpture, loved ones are encouraged to walk underneath it and share a tender moment.
Celebrating Christmas as a Greek Canadian living in Toronto is similar to the way Greeks all around the world celebrate as well. This is the beauty of the season; no matter where you live or even what your cultural background is, it’s all about family, food, friends and coming together.
Until next Christmas, I wish all of our readers and the entire GCT team health, happiness and prosperity in 2017!
*Christmas Market images courtesy of Toronto Christmas Market/Thane Lucas.
*Images of church service courtesy of the Facebook page of St.Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Toronto.
