The Citizen, 2012-12-20, Page 26For Ray Hallahan, the Christmas
season is one of visiting friends and
family and recognizing the true
reason for the season.
The East Wawanosh Ward
councillor from North Huron
Township told The Citizen that,
starting on Christmas Eve, the
celebration is very much about being
with the ones he loves.
“I celebrate with my family,” he
said. “We get together and go to
midnight mass on Christmas Eve
and then we’ll go to one of my
family’s houses for a get-together
afterwards. We don’t usually have to
travel far.”
Hallahan explained that midnight
mass may be a bit of a misnomer,
given that it’s typically around 5p.m. or 7 p.m., but he said themeaning is the same.“On Christmas Day we get
together in the morning at a family
house and open gifts and see what
Santa brought us,” he said. “But we
don’t forget that Christmas is really
about getting together with family
and friends, reminiscing and
celebrating the Birth of Christ.”
He said that the season proves to
be both happy and sad at the same
time as his family remembers those
who have passed away and those
less fortunate.
While Hallahan said that
Christmas moves each year, it hasn’t
always been that way. Before his
children were married and moved,
they always returned home to the
family farm on Westfield Road to
celebrate.
That is one of the few things that
Hallahan said hasn’t changed over
the years; spending time with his
family. Other aspects of the holiday,
however, don’t look anything like
what they used to.“When I was a kid, Christmas wasa lot less commercialized,” he said.“I guess I was fortunate enough that
Santa always did come to my house.
I guess I must have been good.
“Generally my toy was something
like a bulldozer, a truck or a loader
or something like that,” he said,
stating that the one toy was what he
got as well as saying that he still has
some of them to this day. “I also got
a pair of breeks every year. They
were these pads that were tight in the
legs, wide in the hips and made of a
similar material to what army
clothes were made out of.”
He explained that the Breeks
looked bad and itched worse, but
that he always had them on when he
walked to school.
To Hallahan, the picture of a
perfect holiday is what he calls an
old-fashioned one.
“You have your family and friends
around a real Christmas tree, with
cards and Christmas pudding,” he
PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2012.
Continued from page 25
cards, and even a one page account
of the year and how things are going
really helps people to keep up to
date with family.”
As for Neil, he said that he
already received a Christmas
present earlier in the year when the
crops did as well as they did.
“I’m extremely thankful that all
the crops, except the hay and the
pasture, came through even though
it looked like they were dead due to
drought in the summer,” he said. “A
number of people even had record
crops when, earlier, they thought
they were going to lose everything.
We’re truly blessed to live in this
area.”
Christmas is family time
Whether it’s attending midnight mass or simply sitting around the tree, Christmas is a time for
the Hallahan family and their patriarch (and North Huron Councillor) Ray, shown here sitting
with his tree, to get together and be thankful for the time they have together. (Denny Scott photo)
Hallahan enjoys school’s Christmas concerts
Vincent thankful
for crop season
From our Family to Yours
PROFESSIONAL SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION
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Cathy Kovacs,
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Wayne Coombs,
Jonathan Miller.
Absent: John MacLennan,
Les MacDonald,
John Moore
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Re-Opening Wednesday, Jan. 2nd, 2013
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Celebrating the Warmth of the HolidaysCelebrating the Warmth of the Holidays
WARM GREETINGS
AND BEST WISHES FOR A FIRE SAFE HOLIDAY TO ONE AND ALL.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPOR T!
The Fire Department
of North Huron
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 30