Christmas comes in all shapes and sizes.

Some celebrate, some donB次元官网网址檛, but some families have their own unique traditions and that take the traditional family dinner and turn it on its head. In the case of the family of Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton, they turn it on its pickle.

B次元官网网址淭here is actually a glass pickle decoration and the deal is you hide it in the tree, and the person who finds it in the tree, gets a special gift,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a hide and go seek kind of deal come Christmas morning. (Whomever) finds the pickle, gets the pickle prize.B次元官网网址�

Hamilton said it was a version of the more well known Elf on the Shelf, and has been participating with her children as long as she can remember. She said it wasnB次元官网网址檛 just about the spoils that came with the winner.

B次元官网网址淭he kids enjoyed that growing up and it wasnB次元官网网址檛 about the gift, it was the challenge of finding the pickle,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 will keep (the tradition) up and pass it along, buying pickles for (future generations) so they can start their own pickle traditions.B次元官网网址�

West Shore resident Bill McIlroy said his family started off giving each other gifts, but said their came a point when they didnB次元官网网址檛 need anything anymore. They eventually moved on to a $10 secret Santa gift exchange, but even that didnB次元官网网址檛 last long.

B次元官网网址淎 few years ago, our grandchildren decided that they had enough as well, so we started B次元官网网址渁doptingB次元官网网址� a penguin or polar bear, by making a donation to the World Wildlife Fund,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淢y grandchildren are vegan, so about three years ago, we made a donation through World Vision to donate five fruit trees to a family in Africa. We will do something like this again this year.B次元官网网址�

Metchosin Fire Chief Stephanie Dunlop spent many a ChristmasB次元官网网址� working dispatch. These days she is no longer on dispatch and her children are grown up, so the Metchosin resident doesnB次元官网网址檛 decorate or worry about Christmas at home.

Instead she participates in new holiday activities at the fire hall replacing a handful of holiday activities that no longer work.

B次元官网网址淭his year we are going to bring everyone to the fire hall with a breakfast with Santa for free,B次元官网网址� Dunlop said. B次元官网网址淗e will be there with crafts for the kids and they can still get a candy cane.B次元官网网址�

Another activity this year will see the team decorating 25 trucks for a Christmas light parade through Metchosin.

Former View Royal mayor Graham Hill doesnB次元官网网址檛 have any new traditions, but reminisced on those from years past. At one point he said his church choir would receive a list of shut-ins that were homebound due to chronic or short-term illnesses. With the addresses in hand, they would map out a route and see them all for a song.

B次元官网网址淚 like to sing and we used to go to different houses of shut-ins... and the church choir would celebrate and give them a carol just for them,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址�(We) would wish them the seasonB次元官网网址檚 blessings and go home and listen to the Messiah being played. It was our pleasure, an uplift.B次元官网网址�

alim@goldstreamgazette.com