NOVEMBER
      23,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      5
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NEWS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Christmas
      Break
      Nostalgia
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jaime
      Constable
     
     
      Reporter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      holidays
      are
      almost
      upon
      us,
      ripe
     
     
      with
      the
      promise
      of
      warmth
      and
      laugh-
     
     
      ter,
      good
      food
      and
      the
      spirit
      of
      giving
     
     
      and
      receiving.
      We’ve
      all
      had
      traditions
     
     
      passed
      to
      us
      through
      our
      religious
     
     
      groups
      and
      cultures,
      but
      over
      the
      years
     
     
      many
      families
      have
      come
      up
      with
      some
     
     
      unique
      traditions
      of
      their
      own.
     
    

    
     
      Other
      things
      have
      changed
      as
     
     
      well.
      For
      almost
      50
      per
      cent
      of
      us
      ‘kids’
     
     
      from
      divorced
      parents,
      the
      holidays
      are
     
     
      filled
      with
      hours
      of
      driving
      here
      and
     
     
      there,
      and
      being
      slowly
      turned
      into
      a
     
     
      turkey
      pifiata;
      Christmas
      Eve
      dinner
     
     
      at
      lunchtime
      with
      the
      future
      in-laws,
     
     
      more
      turkey
      that
      night
      at
      Mom’s,
      and
     
     
      the
      grand
      finale,
      Christmas
      day
      dinner
     
     
      at
      Dad’s.
      It’s
      a
      good
      thing
      we’ve
      moved
     
     
      to
      the
      automobile,
      the
      horses
      wouldn’t
     
     
      have
      made
      it.
     
    

    
     
      Many
      traditions
      involve
      foods
     
     
      other
      than
      turkey
      as
      well.
      Meghan
     
     
      Rooney,
      a
      fourth
      year
      student
      at
      UPEI,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      has
      a
      big
      smile
      as
      she
      recalls
      some
      of
     
     
      her
      family’s
      traditions.
     
    

    
     
      “Every
      Christmas
      morning
      we
     
     
      have
      meat
      pie,
      I
      think
      it’s
      so
      we
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wouldn’t
      eat
      too
      much
      candy,”
      said
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rooney.
      “Mom
      makes
      really
      good
     
     
      meat
      pie.”
     
    

    
     
      Brunches
      ate
      big
      too,
      and
      not
     
     
      just
      bacon
      and
      eggs.
      A
      fourth
      year
      psy-
     
     
      chology
      student’s
      family
      has
      a
      creamy
     
     
      lobster
      stew
      with
      their
      breakfast.
      It’s
     
     
      no
      wonder
      we
      all
      gain
      ten
      pounds,
      be-
     
     
      tween
      the
      gravy
      and
      stuffing,
      the
      sau-
     
     
      sage
      and
      waffles,
      and
      Nanny’s
     
     
      homemade
      candy
      and
      chocolate!
      The
     
     
      rum
      and
      eggnog
      just
      might
      have
      a
      lit-
     
     
      tle
      hand
      in
      things
      too.
     
    

    
     
      Not
      all
      memories
      are
      of
      eating
     
     
      though.
      Parents
      go
      to
      great
      lengths
      to
     
     
      preserve
      the
      magic
      of
      Christmas.
     
     
      Along
      with
      leaving
      treats
      out
      for
      Santa,
     
     
      one
      student
      described
      how
      her
      father
     
     
      used
      to
      take
      her
      out
      leave
      grain
      in
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      r
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Study
      hard,
      play
      hard,
     
     
      have
      one
      on
      us!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Free
      Fruit
      Cocktail!
      :
     
     
      Valid
      with
      the
      purchase
     
     
      of
      a
      $7
      meal
      or
      more,
      at
     
     
      the
      address
      below
      only.
     
     
      Present
      your
      student
     
     
      card
      before
      ordering.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7
      123
      Queen
      St.,
      Charlottetown
      902-569-5681
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Christmas
      Nostalgia
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo:
      Google
      Photo
      Search
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      yard
      for
      the
      reindeer.
      After
      she
      went
     
     
      to
      bed,
      her
      father
      would
      get
      the
      cows
     
     
      out
      of
      the
      barn
      to
      walk
      around
      the
      yard
     
     
      so
      it
      would
     
    

    
     
      look
      like
      the
      reindeer
      were
     
     
      there.
      She
      even
      remembered
      the
      nose
     
     
      prints
      from
      the
      cows
      eating
      the
      grain.
     
     
      Many
      of
      us
      have
      signature
      gifts
      we
     
     
      give
      or
      receive
      every
      year.
      “On
      Christ-
     
     
      mas
      eve
      we
      always
      got
      to
      open
      two
     
     
      gifts,”
      said
      Rooney
      “and
      one
      was
      al-
     
     
      ways
      new
      pajamas,
      socks
      and
      under-
     
     
      wear,
      and
      we
      would
      have
      baths
      and
     
     
      put
      them
      on.
      The
      other
      gift
      was
      al-
     
     
      ways
      a
      toy.”
      Other
      students
      described
     
     
      how
      they
      always
      get
      the
      same
      useful
     
     
      things
      in
      their
      stockings,
      or
      the
      same
     
     
      candies
      year
      after
      year.
     
    

    
     
      With
      exams
      only
      a
      couple
      weeks
     
     
      away
      it
      means
      that
      welcomed
      and
     
     
      much
      deserved
      holiday
      break
      is
      right
     
     
      around
      the
      bend
      as
      well.
      Whether
      it’s
     
     
      family
      dinners,
      or
      family
      drunks,
      work-
     
     
      ing
      at
      the
      soup
      kitchens,
      or
      heading
      to
     
     
      midnight
      mass,
      remember
      to
      enjoy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      those
      time
      honored
      traditions,
      and
     
     
      hopefully
      you’ll
      create
      some
      new
     
     
      quirky
      or
      meaningful
      traditions
      of
      your
     
     
      own.
      Thank
      you
      to
      all
      those
      students
     
     
      who
      shared
      their
      memories!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (-
      *
     
     
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      an
      idea
      or
      comment?
     
     
      Make
      it
      heardat
     
    
   
   
    
     
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