The Citizen, 2013-12-19, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013.deBoer Christmas harkens back to Dutch rootsWhile the Dutch have a rich her-itage when it comes to Christmas,Fred deBoer, President of the BlythLions Club, said he didn’t really dis-cover what it all meant until recent-ly.
deBoer, whose parents immigrat-
ed to Canada prior to his birth,
explained Christmas in his parents’
native Holland is quite a bit different
from the experiences many
Canadian children have.
“St. Nicholas and Zwarte Piet are
the figureheads of Christmas in
Dutch traditions,” he said. “Saint
Nicholas comes from Spain on a
boat and rides his white horse, giv-
ing gifts to the good children.
Zwarte Piet gives coal to the bad
children.”
In those traditions, Christmas is
celebrated on Dec. 5, deBoer
explained, and Dec. 25 is set aside as
a celebration of Jesus’ birth.
deBoer’s parents, however,
were very proud to be coming to
Canada and celebrated Christmas
on Dec. 25, though deBoer
said Zwarte Piet may have been
used to get him to behave once or
twice.
Beyond that, he said, family is the
real tradition at Christmas.
“The kids and grandchildren get
together and we have gifts for
them,” deBoer said. “I basically
spoil my five granddaughters.
I try and get them some large
gifts and some stocking stuffers.
My kids don’t exchange gifts,
we’re just together and have fun.”
Being together is what’s impor-
tant, says deBoer, who said
Christmas has meant the same tradi-
tions since he was young.
“We always get together onChristmas Day,” he said.“Sometimes we would go to achurch service on Christmas Eveand do a candle light ceremony.”A big part of Christmas, fromwhen he was just a young child tonow, is the Lions’ involvement inChristmas.
“As a child, I recall the Lions
would be the people that would
bring Santa in to town to visit,” he
said. “He would hand out treats with
peanuts and oranges and then we
had a matinee movie,” he said. “I
always looked forward to that as a
child.”
Now the Lions carry on some dif-
ferent traditions, but deBoer said it’s
just like any other Christmas cele-
bration, it’s about family.
“The Lions Christmas is a family Christmas,” deBoer said. “It’s about the families, the childrenand the grandchildren and we still have that surprise visit fromSanta.”The group also hosts a dance andChristmas dinner as a fundraiser tohelp support their involvement with
the community. This year, the event
consisted of the annual dinner, dance
and a hypnotist show.
“Whether it’s having Santa
there for our children and grandchil-
dren or the events we host that
involve the community, the holiday
is all about having people around
and enjoying being with family
whether it’s an immediate family, or
a larger one like the Lions,” he
said.
Continued from page 17
taken during dinner, a refreshing
change.
The food itself was also different.
“In Ireland we had figgy pudding
and there was a church service on
Christmas Eve,” she said. “We also
played a game on New Year’s Eve
that involved passing around a hat
and oven mitts and unwrapping
presents. It was an interesting
game.”
The trip was also unique in that it
let the family see some unique
places like Land’s End and
Stonehenge. They also saw some
amazing things like people surfing
off the coast of the United Kingdom
in December and January, a sight
Don won’t soon forget.
The Lions are a big part of the
family’s Christmas experience not
just through the student exchange
but also through their regular experi-
ences as well.
“The Lions family Christmas has
always been a part of our celebra-
tion,” says Kittie, who recently
became the club’s first female mem-
ber said. “They do their Christmas
dinner on the third Thursday of
December and sell Christmas
trees.”
Whether it’s their immediate fam-
ily or the family of the Lions or the
family the MacGregors take in, fam-
ily is important.
“We don’t see each other enough,”
Kittie said.
Both Kittie and Don feel giving is
a very important part of Christmas
and a very important part of being a
Lion. Be it contributing to programs
that support guide dogs, literacy,
diabetes or sight, they both feel it’s a
great way to give back to the com-
munity and the world.
“Lions help out,” Don said.
Lions Christmas a special one
Fluffy and family
Fred deBoer, shown here with his cat Fluffy, celebrates his
Christmas with two families, his own and the extended fam-
ily of the Blyth Lions Club, of which he is the president.
(Denny Scott photo)
Howson &
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Have a wonderful holiday!
Sweet Tidings
To You!
We’re going out on a limb to say,
“Hope you enjoy a great holiday”
May it be filled with enough joy
and cheer
To last throughout
the coming year!
By Denny ScottThe Citizen