The day has come that we've all been preparing for. The day of celebration with family and friends. The day that brings us together in the spirit of giving.
The special attention December 25th gets comes from a miraculous event some two thousand years ago. Although we can't be sure when He was actually born, today we celebrate the birth of Christ, the child who's birth made way for the ultimate sacrifice that would save the world from sin. It is in this spirit that we give generously during the holiday season.
The greatest gifts we can give are our time, affection, and company. When we are with family and friends, the presents that we wrap and exchange come second to the joy we bring one another. Giving ourselves really is the most gracious gift we can give at Christmas. So this year, challenge your self to be a gift of joy for those around you and those who need it most.
From us to you, we wish you all a happy, holy and safe Christmas and New Year. Spend time with the people around you who matter and make this year one to remember. Keep Christ in Christmas!
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Thursday, 25 December 2014
Wednesday, 24 December 2014
10 Things To Do This Christmas Break
By: Sarah Asselin
Photo Credit: http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/06/01/11/
Now that you are out of school enjoying the Christmas break, it’s important to make the most of your time off with friends and family. Having exciting plans for the holiday will ensure that you’re having the best Christmas possible! Check out these exciting activities to make the most of your break this Christmas.
Photo Credit: http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/06/01/11/
Now that you are out of school enjoying the Christmas break, it’s important to make the most of your time off with friends and family. Having exciting plans for the holiday will ensure that you’re having the best Christmas possible! Check out these exciting activities to make the most of your break this Christmas.
- Ice Skating at City Hall- This Christmas make sure to visit the beautiful ice skating rink at Toronto’s City Hall to make the most of your winter experience.
- Explore Christmas Lights- Explore the bright Christmas light shows by visiting an amazing festival such as the Lakeside Festival of Lights in Burlington or Niagara Falls’ Winter Festival of Lights.
- Tobogganing- The many hills throughout the town offer exciting thrills waiting to be experienced this snowy season.
- Bake Christmas Cookies- Channel your Christmas spirit this year by baking delicious cookies such as gingerbread or shortbread and sharing them with your loved ones.
- Visit a Museum- The many museums close to Oakville will give you the chance to explore new things on your break; downtown Toronto offers the Royal Ontario Museum as well as the Art Gallery of Ontario and Hockey Hall of Fame. Many more are close by as well!
- Hot Chocolate- Enjoy a hot cup of cocoa with a friend to warm up this winter at home or a coffee shop near you.
- Christmas Movies- Enjoy one or two great Christmas movies such as Elf or The Grinch.
- Volunteer- Help spread Christmas joy to those in need this holiday by volunteering at a nearby shelter or food bank.
- Listen to Christmas Tunes- Listening to carols, either old classics or new finds, will keep up your Christmas joy!
- Celebrate New Year’s- Celebrate the beginning of the New Year with friends, family, or an event such as the one at Yonge & Dundas Square in Toronto.
Tuesday, 23 December 2014
Christmas Movie Recommendations
By: Joshua Volkers
Photo Credit: Marco Hidalgo
Hello Titans! It’s everybody’s favourite time of year now (save for the one grumpy guy on your street who mutters curses under his breath every time he passes a Christmas decoration), and as you can tell from the title, I am talking about a form of media that we are all familiar with. Since you guys have already had recommendations on what music to listen to while avoiding the insanity of last-minute shopping, hopefully, I decided that it would be a good idea to give you a baseline of what movies you may want to watch this Christmas. With that said, let’s jump in.
Christmas movies are so fun; they get you into the festive spirit of Christmas, and they teach good morals (usually). One of my favourites is “Elf”, starring Will Ferrell as a human who grows up as one of Santa’s elves, and knows little about how the world really works. When he goes out to New York City to find his father, silliness and hilarious shenanigans occur, but it is a good film to watch with the kids who are pushing 10, maybe 9 years of age. I also triple-dog dare you to watch “A Christmas Story” (hehe, see what I did there? Did you? NO!? Well, you just have to watch it then), which is a wonderful film that focuses on the dysfunctions present in most families. With enough warm nostalgia to keep the young ones entertained, and enough dark humour for the adults, it’s a great watch. To quickly run down some other ones, I’d recommend the 1950’s version of “A Christmas Carol”, “Fred Claus” if you’re looking for idiotic fun, plus “Miracle on 34th Street” and “It’s A Wonderful Life” for some classic movie magic.
I also like to make the case that not all Christmas movies need to have the theme of Christmas, so watching fun films like the “Harry Potter” series, “The Avengers”, and “Guardians of the Galaxy” might get you more into the spirit of Christmas if that’s your thing.
We hope you enjoy these recommendations and that you leave your own favourites in the comment section below! Have a very merry Christmas!
Photo Credit: Marco Hidalgo
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| You can catch some of your holiday favourites live in-theatre! |
Hello Titans! It’s everybody’s favourite time of year now (save for the one grumpy guy on your street who mutters curses under his breath every time he passes a Christmas decoration), and as you can tell from the title, I am talking about a form of media that we are all familiar with. Since you guys have already had recommendations on what music to listen to while avoiding the insanity of last-minute shopping, hopefully, I decided that it would be a good idea to give you a baseline of what movies you may want to watch this Christmas. With that said, let’s jump in.
Christmas movies are so fun; they get you into the festive spirit of Christmas, and they teach good morals (usually). One of my favourites is “Elf”, starring Will Ferrell as a human who grows up as one of Santa’s elves, and knows little about how the world really works. When he goes out to New York City to find his father, silliness and hilarious shenanigans occur, but it is a good film to watch with the kids who are pushing 10, maybe 9 years of age. I also triple-dog dare you to watch “A Christmas Story” (hehe, see what I did there? Did you? NO!? Well, you just have to watch it then), which is a wonderful film that focuses on the dysfunctions present in most families. With enough warm nostalgia to keep the young ones entertained, and enough dark humour for the adults, it’s a great watch. To quickly run down some other ones, I’d recommend the 1950’s version of “A Christmas Carol”, “Fred Claus” if you’re looking for idiotic fun, plus “Miracle on 34th Street” and “It’s A Wonderful Life” for some classic movie magic.
I also like to make the case that not all Christmas movies need to have the theme of Christmas, so watching fun films like the “Harry Potter” series, “The Avengers”, and “Guardians of the Galaxy” might get you more into the spirit of Christmas if that’s your thing.
We hope you enjoy these recommendations and that you leave your own favourites in the comment section below! Have a very merry Christmas!
Thursday, 11 December 2014
Christmas Concert Preview
By: Joshua Volkers
Photo Credit: Taryn Bratz & Maddi McNevitts
Hello Titans! I am here to report to you what to expect from the Christmas Music Concert this year! For those of you that don’t know, everybody who is a part of the school’s music department (including the junior and senior bands, concert choir, jazz band, and guitar classes) is going to be performing amazing music on Thursday December 18th from 7:00 p.m. to, at the latest, 9:00 p.m. Anybody in possession of a ticket bought from Mr. Harkin before then is welcome. The tickets are $5 each, but anyone who is performing in the concert or has helped set it up will have backstage VIP access, so that’s the only way you are getting into this thing for free.
For anybody turned off by having to pay for it, allow me to win you over: the night will feature classic Christmas jingles that everybody should have heard, as well as other songs to mix things up. For example, Silent Night will be performed, but there is also a Spanish piece called ‘La Madre de Los Gatos’, which translates to 'the mother of the cats'. Each group will be performing anywhere from 3-6 pieces, so there will be plenty of content to enjoy- or potentially- roast. In addition to all of that, yours truly will be performing in the concert, struggling to play pieces by the band Kansas, Beethoven, and that famous German composer called, eh… it was… aha, that’s it: Franz Xaver Gruber.
So anybody who is looking to enjoy music for a couple of hours and is willing to pay $5 is welcome, again, from 7:00 p.m. to, at the latest, 9:00 p.m. Remember, this all goes down in the school theatre, so be there to enjoy it. And since it was Mr. Harkin who provided me with the info to write this little preview, I feel that I should inform you that he may or may not wield a flaming guitar by the end of the night. Probably not, but remember you wouldn’t be able to see it in person if it were to happen unless you’re there, so buy the tickets in Room 333 for the concert if you want, and we hope to see you there.
Thank you Titans, and remember to be extra festive this time of year, look forward to your holiday vacations, and stay strong during culminating season!
Photo Credit: Taryn Bratz & Maddi McNevitts
So anybody who is looking to enjoy music for a couple of hours and is willing to pay $5 is welcome, again, from 7:00 p.m. to, at the latest, 9:00 p.m. Remember, this all goes down in the school theatre, so be there to enjoy it. And since it was Mr. Harkin who provided me with the info to write this little preview, I feel that I should inform you that he may or may not wield a flaming guitar by the end of the night. Probably not, but remember you wouldn’t be able to see it in person if it were to happen unless you’re there, so buy the tickets in Room 333 for the concert if you want, and we hope to see you there.
Monday, 8 December 2014
Taryn's Top Ten Yuletide Tunes
By: Taryn Bratz
This is a companion article to our first print edition, available for only a dollar in the Holy Trinity atrium this week.
Christmas is, without a doubt, my favourite holiday. There's so much to be grateful for, not just for the birth of Jesus, but to be able to celebrate it with family and friends. Every year around the beginning of November you start to hear hundreds of Christmas songs. So, I have decided to make a top ten list (in no particular order) which includes some classics, instrumentals, more-recents, and just down-right hilarious pieces. Hope you enjoy!
Just click on the link to the corresponding YouTube video for each song, or click here for a playlist of all ten songs!
Carol of the Bells- Trans-Siberian Orchestra: This is a great song that features both a classical orchestra and a rock band in one. This combination delivers a spine-chilling performance making you want to play it over and over again.
Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer- Elmo Shropshire: This is definitely one of the funniest Christmas songs out there. Although it may sound quite morbid, this is certainly a favourite for the clever lyrics. If you’re not singing out loud then you’ll be laughing outloud.
Santa Baby- Madonna: This Christmas hit by Madonna definitely makes you contemplate your christmas list. Is a yacht really a lot?
O Holy Night- Il Divo: There have been many renditions of this classic favourite, but Il Divo certainly adds the heartwarming touch. This cosmopolitan quartet of pop and opera beautifully combines traditional with modern to tell the birth of Jesus Christ and humanity’s salvation.
Mary’s Boy Child- Boney M: This song gives everyone a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and beautifully tells the story of the first Nativity.
The Holly and the Ivy- Jon Anderson: This song is a classic rendition of a British choir carol that makes you want to sing along to every word. In particular, this version has a beautiful instrumental background.
White Christmas- Bing Crosby: What would Christmas be without this holiday favourite? White Christmas by Bing Crosby certainly exclaims the expectations we all have and hope to fulfill at Christmas time. I know I’ll be dreaming of a white Christmas.
We Three Kings- Celtic Woman: This magical song brings the Celtic flare that this memorable story needs. This creatively tells the story of the three wise men, Jasper, Balthazar, and Melchior and the gifts they brought baby Jesus.
Silent Night- Josh Groban: Who can forget his classical lullaby with the combination of Josh Groban’s powerful voice and the children’s choir in the background? This is one of my all time favourites.
Baby It’s Cold Outside- Michael Buble and Idina Menzel: If you haven't heard this collaboration you're in for a treat. With both of their voices, this song will definitely go down in history as a great Christmas classic!
Happy listening!
This is a companion article to our first print edition, available for only a dollar in the Holy Trinity atrium this week.
Christmas is, without a doubt, my favourite holiday. There's so much to be grateful for, not just for the birth of Jesus, but to be able to celebrate it with family and friends. Every year around the beginning of November you start to hear hundreds of Christmas songs. So, I have decided to make a top ten list (in no particular order) which includes some classics, instrumentals, more-recents, and just down-right hilarious pieces. Hope you enjoy!
Just click on the link to the corresponding YouTube video for each song, or click here for a playlist of all ten songs!
Carol of the Bells- Trans-Siberian Orchestra: This is a great song that features both a classical orchestra and a rock band in one. This combination delivers a spine-chilling performance making you want to play it over and over again.
Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer- Elmo Shropshire: This is definitely one of the funniest Christmas songs out there. Although it may sound quite morbid, this is certainly a favourite for the clever lyrics. If you’re not singing out loud then you’ll be laughing outloud.
Santa Baby- Madonna: This Christmas hit by Madonna definitely makes you contemplate your christmas list. Is a yacht really a lot?
O Holy Night- Il Divo: There have been many renditions of this classic favourite, but Il Divo certainly adds the heartwarming touch. This cosmopolitan quartet of pop and opera beautifully combines traditional with modern to tell the birth of Jesus Christ and humanity’s salvation.
Mary’s Boy Child- Boney M: This song gives everyone a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and beautifully tells the story of the first Nativity.
The Holly and the Ivy- Jon Anderson: This song is a classic rendition of a British choir carol that makes you want to sing along to every word. In particular, this version has a beautiful instrumental background.
White Christmas- Bing Crosby: What would Christmas be without this holiday favourite? White Christmas by Bing Crosby certainly exclaims the expectations we all have and hope to fulfill at Christmas time. I know I’ll be dreaming of a white Christmas.
We Three Kings- Celtic Woman: This magical song brings the Celtic flare that this memorable story needs. This creatively tells the story of the three wise men, Jasper, Balthazar, and Melchior and the gifts they brought baby Jesus.
Silent Night- Josh Groban: Who can forget his classical lullaby with the combination of Josh Groban’s powerful voice and the children’s choir in the background? This is one of my all time favourites.
Baby It’s Cold Outside- Michael Buble and Idina Menzel: If you haven't heard this collaboration you're in for a treat. With both of their voices, this song will definitely go down in history as a great Christmas classic!
Happy listening!
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