Holiday Traditions

The holidays are here again! The Christmas season is the perfect time to get together with friends, family and loved ones while making memories old and new. Whether you always watch the same classic Christmas movie on Christmas Eve or set up the same Christmas village each year, holiday traditions are an important component of preserving special memories of the season year after year.

This year, we were very fortunate to bring back one of our long-standing holiday traditions after a 2-year pause: our traditional Polocorp Christmas party!

This has been a staple industry event for our staff, partners, and friends for over 35 years. It’s a chance for us to celebrate the past year’s successes and reconnect with our colleagues and community, thanking them for their hard work and dedication to the communities we build.

One of our favourite traditions we incorporate into this event is our Food + Fund Drive for The Foodbank of Waterloo Region. Helping neighbours in need is a community effort and this is just one small way we can help make the holiday season a little brighter for people and families in the region.

Food and fund donations allow the Foodbank to fill gaps in inventory, buy food to meet diverse cultural and dietary needs, and support the Community Food Assistance Network, a system of 120+ community programs and agency partners throughout the Waterloo region.

Our goal this year is to reach $5000 in donations and food items. You can visit our page here if you would like to generously donate to this amazing cause. We will be accepting donations until January 2nd, 2023.

traditions to make your own

If you’re looking for ideas on holiday traditions to start on your own, you’ve come to the right place! No matter the tradition you choose, what’s most important is that it offers an opportunity to slow down and enjoy quality time with the most important people in your life.

Here are some traditions to make your own this year:

ice skating party

Gather your friends and embrace the cold weather for an ice skating party. There are plenty of places in Kitchener Waterloo to skate both indoors and out. Check out the City of Kitchener and City of Waterloo websites for more information. No skates? The Kitchener Public Library (KPL) has hockey skates that you can borrow from Central Library. You can borrow skates for one day and keep them overnight. Learn more on KPL’s website.

Host an open house

The holiday season is a busy one for most, so hosting an open house so friends and neighbours can just drop in to say hello is a great option. Keep it simple and offer easy appetizers or a hot cocoa bar.

adopt a family or support a toy drive

The Adopt-A-Family Program connects families who need support during the holiday season with donors who give hope and joy to them by shopping for wish gifts and providing gift cards for their needs. Families are referred to the program by social-community agencies in Guelph and Wellington County. While Adopt-A-Family was originally a Christmas holiday program, it is open to families of all backgrounds and traditions to meet their needs and wishes.

 An annual toy drive is another great way to give back this season. Check with your local library, community organizations, or local businesses that are hosting a toy drive to find out how you can get involved. Or start one in your neighbourhood, making your house the collection point.

mail holiday cards

Even in the age of social media and instant updates, real cards are a way to reconnect with family and friends far and near. It’s the one time a year we can send and receive good wishes in the mail and make it a special tradition to look forward to.

christmas movie countdown

In December, start a Christmas movie countdown. Once a week, gather the family or friends to watch holiday favourites until Christmas day.

prepare for the new year- the scottish way!

The tradition goes that you must end the old one well before you can celebrate the new year. Cleaning the house from top to bottom has long been a Scottish New Year’s Eve ritual. Traditionally, great emphasis was placed on sweeping out the fireplace, to rid the house and its inhabitants of any unwanted burdens. After the cleaning, guests are welcomed on New Year’s Day into the home and offered a shot of whiskey.