Holidays

Black Press Media File

St. Patrick’s Day rites: Parades, bagpipes, clinking pints

Oh, Danny boy, ‘tis the time of year when Irish bagpipes are…

 

Kids go tobogganing at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa on Family Day, on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

What’s closed as 8 provinces celebrate regional holidays today

Most banks, provincial services closed Monday

 

Wiarton Willie sits in his cage in Wiarton, Ont., on Friday, Feb.2, 2018. Famed and furry forecasters of spring are set to make their predictions this morning. It's Groundhog Day, and as folklore goes, a groundhog will emerge from its burrow and if it does not see its shadow, then spring is just around the corner, while if it does and retreats, then we can expect six more weeks of winter. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Hannah Yoon

Groundhog Day: Fred is dead in Quebec, Willie and Sam at odds over spring’s arrival

Tragedy and discord reigns in the world of rodent winter weather forecasting

 

Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

Holiday passengers arriving without bags as Toronto Pearson airport luggage piles up

Passengers unsure how to reclaim bags as hundreds of pieces of luggage show up late to YYZ

Luggage bags are amassed in the bag claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
Christmas lights account for much of the light bulb waste found in landfills, according to Product Care Recycling. (Hollie Ferguson/News Staff)

One way to support the Earth this holiday season? Recycle old decorations

Product Care Recycling is urging British Columbians to take care of holiday waste responsibly

Christmas lights account for much of the light bulb waste found in landfills, according to Product Care Recycling. (Hollie Ferguson/News Staff)
Santa and Mrs. Claus take a well-deserved break after reading through all the Black Press Media papers in Greater Victoria to update the naught and nice list. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)

10 questions with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Black Press Media staffers put together a line of questioning for the…

Santa and Mrs. Claus take a well-deserved break after reading through all the Black Press Media papers in Greater Victoria to update the naught and nice list. (Christine van Reeuwyk/News Staff)
This photo shows certified dog behavior consultant Gabrielle Johnson with her dogs on Oct. 11 in Richmond, Va. Johnson said a little preparation goes a long way for people bringing their pets along on holiday home stays with loved ones. (Josh Mark Rickey via AP)

Bringing a dog along for a holiday stay? Make sure to plan

Tensions can be dialed way down with a little preparation

This photo shows certified dog behavior consultant Gabrielle Johnson with her dogs on Oct. 11 in Richmond, Va. Johnson said a little preparation goes a long way for people bringing their pets along on holiday home stays with loved ones. (Josh Mark Rickey via AP)
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas lights the first candle on the menorah on Dec. 18, 2022 to kick off Chanukah celebrations. (Brittany Webster/Capital News)

Kelowna fire department helps Jewish community kick off Hanukkah

The menorah will remain at Stuart Park for the duration of the holiday

Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas lights the first candle on the menorah on Dec. 18, 2022 to kick off Chanukah celebrations. (Brittany Webster/Capital News)
Justin Eveline and his wife, Amy Bracken. The couple, known for their generosity, redirected GoFundMe donations given to Eveline after he broke his leg to fund a Christmas dinner for the homeless in Salmon Arm. (Contributed)

After breaking leg, Salmon Arm man to pay kindness forward to people in greater need

Justin Eveline to host Christmas Eve dinner for those living rough

Justin Eveline and his wife, Amy Bracken. The couple, known for their generosity, redirected GoFundMe donations given to Eveline after he broke his leg to fund a Christmas dinner for the homeless in Salmon Arm. (Contributed)
Sunta Sem, seen in an undated handout photo, is a Toronto private chef and caterer who sells meals through the Cookin app. Sem will swap sweet potatoes for other root vegetables like parsnips or when preparing food with greens, opt for Boston lettuce, which she says hasn’t risen in price too much. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Cookin

Hosting a holiday dinner? Here are some cost-saving tips

‘It’s crazy, like you need a mortgage to go to the grocery store right now’

Sunta Sem, seen in an undated handout photo, is a Toronto private chef and caterer who sells meals through the Cookin app. Sem will swap sweet potatoes for other root vegetables like parsnips or when preparing food with greens, opt for Boston lettuce, which she says hasn’t risen in price too much. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Cookin
Employees and their guests attend the holiday dinner and karaoke party for Ajinomoto Health and Nutrition North America employees Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, in Schaumburg, Ill. Say goodbye to virtual wine tasting, and practice your karaoke. Company holiday parties are making a comeback. After more than two years of working in pajama bottoms and clinking glasses over Zoom, many office workers are yearning for a bit of glamour, or at least a sense of normalcy. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Company holiday parties are back — but with some restraint

After two years of Zoom, many workers seem to be yearning for a bit of glamour

Employees and their guests attend the holiday dinner and karaoke party for Ajinomoto Health and Nutrition North America employees Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, in Schaumburg, Ill. Say goodbye to virtual wine tasting, and practice your karaoke. Company holiday parties are making a comeback. After more than two years of working in pajama bottoms and clinking glasses over Zoom, many office workers are yearning for a bit of glamour, or at least a sense of normalcy. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
The donation bin at 575 Gramiak Road is empty this year. (Jacqueline Gelineau/Capital News)

Kelowna’s Candy Cane Lane seeing only 10% of donations compared to years past: Organizer

The collection bin at the centre of the light display is sparse

The donation bin at 575 Gramiak Road is empty this year. (Jacqueline Gelineau/Capital News)
The Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers of a scam involving barcodes being swapped on gift cards. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Gift card scam catching B.C. holiday shoppers off guard

Better Business Bureau issues warning after barcodes swapped on cards

The Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers of a scam involving barcodes being swapped on gift cards. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Anna Lopez (left) and Kailyn Beaudoin are aiming to collect 1,000 toys for kids in need ahead of Penticton Secondary’s Tot for Toys Fundraiser on Dec. 8.

Grade 12 duo leads much-needed return of Pen High’s flagship Christmas fundraiser

Kailyn Beaudoin and Anna López are at the forefront of the Dec. 8 Toys for Tots fundraiser

Anna Lopez (left) and Kailyn Beaudoin are aiming to collect 1,000 toys for kids in need ahead of Penticton Secondary’s Tot for Toys Fundraiser on Dec. 8.
Scientists say cooking food helped fuel our evolution, give us bigger brains — and later down the line, would become the centerpiece of the feasting rituals that brought communities together.

How cooking food and gathering for feasts made us human

‘The story of human evolution has appeared to be the story of what we eat’

Scientists say cooking food helped fuel our evolution, give us bigger brains — and later down the line, would become the centerpiece of the feasting rituals that brought communities together.
CATSA employees perform security checks of passengers and their carry on at a security screening area at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

Unions say turnover rate high for airport security officers as holiday season looms

Just 1/3 of those hired under one union in last few months have stayed on

CATSA employees perform security checks of passengers and their carry on at a security screening area at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Tools used for “papel picado”, the traditional manufacture of tissue paper cut-out decorations, long used in altars for the Day of the Dead, lay on top of a stencil in a workshop in Xochimilco, a borough of Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. Begun in the 1800s, experts say using tissue paper is probably a continuation of a far older pre-Hispanic tradition of painting ceremonial figures on paper made of fig-bark sheets. Mexican artisans adopted imported tissue paper because it was cheap and thin enough so that, with sharp tools, extreme care and a lot of skill, dozens of sheets can be cut at the same time. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

In Mexico, Day of the Dead is actually a celebration of life

Holiday rooted in agriculture-related beliefs from Mexico’s pre-Hispanic era

Tools used for “papel picado”, the traditional manufacture of tissue paper cut-out decorations, long used in altars for the Day of the Dead, lay on top of a stencil in a workshop in Xochimilco, a borough of Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. Begun in the 1800s, experts say using tissue paper is probably a continuation of a far older pre-Hispanic tradition of painting ceremonial figures on paper made of fig-bark sheets. Mexican artisans adopted imported tissue paper because it was cheap and thin enough so that, with sharp tools, extreme care and a lot of skill, dozens of sheets can be cut at the same time. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
People pass a large Christmas tree as they go shopping on Christmas Eve at a mall in Ottawa on Dec. 24, 2020. A new report from Deloitte Canada says holiday spending in Canada is expected to drop this year as inflation shrinks consumer buying power and economic uncertainty looms over household finances. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

VIDEO: Holiday spending expected to slump amid inflation

Canadian households forecast to spend an average of $1,520 this year

People pass a large Christmas tree as they go shopping on Christmas Eve at a mall in Ottawa on Dec. 24, 2020. A new report from Deloitte Canada says holiday spending in Canada is expected to drop this year as inflation shrinks consumer buying power and economic uncertainty looms over household finances. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
A Thanksgiving turkey dinner is shown in Toronto on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

VIDEO: Thanksgiving dinner will come with a hefty price tag this year

Homemade turkey dinner now more than $200 for a family of four

A Thanksgiving turkey dinner is shown in Toronto on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits 10 Downing Street to meet with British Prime Minister Liz Truss in London on Sunday, September 18, 2022. Trudeau met with his British counterpart Sunday as world leaders converged on London for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Monday will be a federal holiday to mark Queen’s state funeral: What does this mean?

Day off only for federal workers in some parts of the country

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits 10 Downing Street to meet with British Prime Minister Liz Truss in London on Sunday, September 18, 2022. Trudeau met with his British counterpart Sunday as world leaders converged on London for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette