Christmas and Kwanzaa
- elainebac1
- Dec 24, 2025
- 2 min read
Christmas Eve:
The origins of popular Christmas traditions:
Tracking Santa Claus - the NORAD way:
Some facts:
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Volunteers for NORAD Tracks Santa take calls at the NTS Operations Center Dec. 24, 2012. More than 1,200 volunteers took over 114,000 calls over a 24-hour period. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher)
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The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa - Thursday, December 26 - Thursday, January 2, 2025.
Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but a cultural celebration based on African harvest festival traditions and is a way to celebrate African heritage and legacy, much like other cultural celebrations.
37 Kwanzaa Recipes That Will Bring Everyone to the Table.
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Things to see:
Quartier des Spectacles – Lumino Montreal:
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Free installation designed by artist Laurence Petit and the residents of Dorval. This winter, the Holiday Craft Corner celebrates Snow Day! Discover the beautiful mosaic ornaments created by Dorval citizens and schools. A collective exhibition, led by artist Laurence Petit, that lights up the season with creativity, collaboration, and a festive community spirit. Come admire these unique works that pay tribute to the magic of winter!
On until January 6, 2026, at the Peter B. Yeomans Cultural Centre, 1401 chemin du Bord-du-Lac—Lakeshore, Dorval, Quebec H9S 2E5.
More about Laurence: https://www.gogofrisette.ca/art-public/
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Artists to know about:
Pamela García Valero is a multidisciplinary artist based in Monterrey, Mexico. Her work explores emerging approaches to nature, landscape, and the self, highlighting gestures that have the potential to create new narratives. She explores ways to approach notions of image, materiality, and memory through a mix of creative fields, from mixed media, drawings, photographs, and installations that perceive space as a reflective medium of time.
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Inspired by the work of photographer Robert Polidori the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Concordia professor and author Stephanie Bolster just released a book-long poem that explores the images captured by Polidori and being mindful of “disaster tourism.”
“Long Exposure”
Robert Polidori: https://www.robertpolidori.com/
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Music:
‘Something happened spiritually’: Paul Anka on writing My Way. The prolific Canadian singer-songwriter cried after writing Frank Sinatra’s signature song.
Paul Anka's new HBO documentary, Paul Anka: His Way, can be streamed on Crave in Canada. (Mark Weiss)
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Harp Magic: Loreena McKennitt Sings Tennyson's Lady of Shalott.
Loreena McKennitt - Caravanserai
Loreena will be performing in Montreal in 2026:
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Rob Reiner’s legacy:
The late director brought Harry, Sally, Lardass, Inigo Montoya, Colonel Jessup, and more to life in some of the most celebrated films of our time.
The music:
From “Spinal Tap” – Stonehenge, featuring Elton John:
From “The Princess Bride” - THE PRINCESS BRIDE super soundtrack suite - Mark Knopfler:
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