My partner and I have been calling Prince George home for over a year now, but our relatives live on Vancouver Island. Usually we would make the trip south to see family for the holidays, but mindful of the recent climb of COVID cases across the province and the restrictions on travel over the holidays, we are staying home this year. As this is the first time we are staying home for the holidays, we have found some creative ways to keep in touch with family and enjoy some quiet time in our home city. Even though we are sad that we won’t be able to share the holidays in the usual fashion, we are actually excited to stay in Prince George and start our own rituals this year.
Decorating
Because we are holiday travellers, we usually do not put up many decorations for Christmas. But in order to make the holidays more festive this year, we headed to our local dollar stores to spruce up our living room. We were surprised how affordable it was to make our apartment bright and cheery. We even decorated our wall with leftover wrapping paper and ribbons so we have a festive backdrop for online get-togethers.
If you are looking for some businesses to visit this year to spruce up your holiday decorating, I encourage you to think outside the box-stores and support local small businesses. First, go see The Painted Shed, a specialty gift and decor shop located in a cute character home downtown. Located further north in the Hart, there is Hart Home Essentials, a locally owned and operated home value store with plenty of holiday decorations this time of year. There are also a number of thrift stores throughout Prince George, which you can visit to give some previously loved decorations a new home.
Snow for Christmas
Growing up on Vancouver Island, I always wished for snow on Christmas to make it an even more magical day. Being on the Island however, it usually rained. With Christmas in Prince George, snow is a guaranteed, meaning we can finally plan some snow-related festivities around the holidays. This year, my partner and I are gearing up to try some cross-country skiing at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Centre, and we look forward to going for walks at local parks such as Forests for the World. We love the opportunity to spend the holidays in this classic Canadian winter setting, and we look forward to spending some time outside.
Food
What would the holidays be without delicious food? This year, we will be making all of our favourite holiday treats ourselves. This will require some recipe sharing with family members, which is a great way to connect while we’re physically apart. Next, we will need to head to our local grocery store. For us this means paying a visit to Foothills Foods for their wonderful selection of specialty meats and cheeses. If you are looking for something a little different this year, why not support your local corner store and check out one of these 11 specialty grocers in the area.
Even though our Christmas will look very different this year, we are happy to be here to establish some new traditions and make the best of this wonderful time of year. From our family to yours, we hope you stay safe and have a fun and festive holiday season.
