Santa Claus is Coming to Town!
Santa Claus is coming to town…
That’s right! This Saturday, November 8th the 58th London Santa Claus Parade will hit the streets of London, Ontario. This year’s route has been slightly altered , but is slated to leave Dundas and Egerton at 6 pm. It will jog up to Queens Ave via Quebec St and continue along until it finishes up at Ridout St. In addition to the Big Guy all dressed in red, there will be 35 other entries, including a brand new horse troupe! Giddyap!
I wonder if Santa is thinking about retiring the reindeer this year? Nah!
Christmas Trees are a symbol of celebration
Not everyone celebrates the London Santa Claus Parade though. For those of you who Bah Humbug the parade because it falls before Remembrance Day, we respect the point you are trying to make. CLC Tree Services is the first to stand up and support our troops past and present. We have helped out in the project to re-green the Veteran’s Memorial Parkway, both this year and in years past. And we will stand tall on November 11th to honour everyone whom has served Canada.
But we have to be honest here too. I don’t think a little Christmas cheer takes away from anything our noble men and women have done for this country. In fact, I think they would be proud that we are able to celebrate at all. Is that not what they served for? Did they not give their lives so we could be proud, strong and free?
Poppies are symbolic of remembering those who have lost their lives in service. They are worn in early November in the lead up to Remembrance Day
So while we don poppies in the lead up to Remembrance Day in honour to remember all those whom have lost their lives while serving Canada, we must remember that their sacrifices were so that we can be free. They gave their lives so that we can live ours in an honourable and just way. This will never be forgotten. The outpouring of support from across the nation after Cprl Cirillo and WO Vincent were killed in the line of duty proves that. Poppies sprouted early and were worn by many to remember these men who lost their lives in the name of Canada.
Add a Poppy Bauble from the RAF Museum Shop to your Christmas tree this year
It is not just there that recognition has been offered though. A private member’s bill has been put forth at Parliament Hill to make Remembrance Day a statutory holiday across the country. So far the support has been positive and it has passed the second reading. While the recent deaths of our soldiers on home soil precipitated this bill, it is also 100 years since the start of World War I. It was supposed to be the Great War to end all wars, but sadly, conflicts continue to rage on. And Canadian soldiers continue to do what they can to protect our freedom at home and abroad.
This year CLC and Christmas Decor London encourage you to wear a poppy with pride, attend a local Remembrance day event, and share your stories. We cannot and will not forget the sacrifices that our brave men and women have made. But make sure that you honour their sacrifices by living the best life you can and giving back whenever possible. Why not take some canned goods to the Santa Claus Parade this year for the London Food Bank? Or send a Christmas card to “Any Canadian Armed Forces Member” to brighten one of our troop’s day with a message of love and support this holiday season. Let them know we won’t ever forget them and we appreciate all they do for our freedom. Because that is why they do what they do. And they do it with pride.
So enjoy that freedom and celebrate all that makes us proud to be Canadians (including being excited to see Santa!).