People of the Passage December 2024

by Kyle Davis — The Beacon asked some Ocean View Continuing Care residents what some of their favourite holiday traditions were. A few residents provided answers anonymously, while Kay Naugle and Nancy MacDonald were happy to share their memories of Christmases past.

One resident, a former teacher, had memories of her classroom to share. She said she would have her class draw a name and then each student would have to make a personalized homemade Christmas card for the student whose name they drew. She also remembered fondly singing Christmas carols with her class every year.

Other memories are around church and food. “Each year we would attend midnight mass and come home and either have a big turkey dinner or rabbit stew.”

Christmas decorations were also a big part of holiday memories. “Growing up the family would all decorate together. My father made a Church cathedral out of Popsicle sticks and decorated it with little people inside. We would place it on the mantel every year, and…bells on all the windows.”

This resident, originally from Sydney, said one of her fondest memories as a young child was going to the “big store” in Sydney and waiting in line with all the other children to see Santa. She loved sitting on his lap, giving him a kiss on his hand, and telling him what she wanted for Christmas.

As this year will be this resident’s first Christmas at Ocean View. She is looking forward to Christmas dinner will be and spending time with all the people she has met here and listening to their traditions.

 Ocean View resident Kay Naugle said her Christmas traditions also revolve around family, food, and decorations. She remembers Quigley’s Corner would “put on lights.” She explained they would sing Christmas carols and Santa would visit. She described decorating her house with candles in the windows. 

Kay explained what her Christmas food preparation entailed. “I always remember  Christmas eve making a lobster dinner and then attending midnight mass. I would go to my daughter’s for Christmas dinner where there would be a lot of people and we would have turkey and ham.”

Another of Kay’s specialties included light and dark fruit cake and she loved Moir’s white pound cake.

“Between Christmas and New Years, I would have a party with guitars and fiddles. I would make my famous White Rolls and Shortbread cookies.”

Nancy MacDonald, another Ocean View resident, remembers family, music, food, decorations, and midnight Mass.

“I remember always going for a drive to look at Christmas lights,” she said. “We would have three trees decorated in the house at Christmas time. Would decorate the outside of the house with so many lights.”

Nancy’s husband Malcolm featured in her Christmas memories, noting he would play music for friends and family, and because he printed flyers and materials for IGA, they would give him a free turkey. 

“We would always have plum pudding or plum cake, and I would make lemon and coconut squares.”