Excalibur Editorial Board
Featured image courtesy of Unsplash
12 BARZ
Matt Dionne | Editor-in-Chief
As a native of Ottawa, I’m not a fan of winter; the weather sucks, the drivers on the road suck, the incessant blaring of Christmas music sucks. With that being said, there is one winter activity I look forward to every year—12 Barz. An annual pub crawl, 12 Barz is celebrating its 15th year this year, and is taking place in more than 30 cities in Canada alone. The event provides participants with the opportunity to party their stresses away during the first weekend of December. Participants are split into teams and given a list of bars to attend during the night. They also receive a shirt which includes a list of tasks that must be completed, ranging from the suggestive to the absurd. So if you’re looking for a way to blow off steam as exams approach, look no further than the 12 Barz of Christmas.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Mahdis Habibinia | Executive Editor, Online
Part of the reason why everybody becomes so entranced with the holiday season is because of the cascade of lights dancing across the city. A variety of reds, yellows, whites, and greens can be seen illuminating people’s rooftops, draped over trees, or dancing across downtown buildings. The Cavalcade of Lights at Nathan Phillips Square, for example, dawns 700 ornaments and 3,810 LED lights on a 60-foot Christmas tree. Neighbours decorate their rooftops and lawns with a string of illumination, including light-up Santas, and other decorations. There’s something about Christmas lights that lifts your spirits and catches the eye; maybe it’s the contrast of a plethora of colours on a white canvas, like a real-life painting; maybe it’s the natural way warm lights brighten up our spirits during such a dark, cold season; whatever the reason, I will never get tired of gazing upon those lights with a hot cocoa in my hand, and a 60-foot luminescent tree in front of me.
NEW YEAR’S EVE BALL DROP
Anna Voskuil | News Editor
I’ll admit—I’m not one for the champagne, and the tipsy, slurred speech that tends to escape from many mouths in the early hours of January 1. However, New Year’s Eve is one of the most enchanting and sentimental times for me (minus the alcohol, in my case)—not only just to reflect on the past year and prepare for the new one, but most especially, for the Times Square Ball Drop—a world-wide, annual television event airing in the heart of New York City. From counting down from 10 with the crowd, to watching all the couples in Times Square kiss one another at the stroke of midnight, the height of ecstasy and anticipation, to me, will always be the best way to start a new year.
THE PICKLE
Victoria Silman | Assistant News Editor
My family has a Christmas Eve tradition every year where we hang an unorthodox ornament—a Christmas pickle. The tradition comes from Germany, where the pickle is the last ornament to be hung, and the child who finds it receives an extra present. My family, though, has put a twist on it—probably because we aren’t German. For our tradition, the first person to find the pickle gets to open a special gift. In the case of my family, this gift is always a game, and the winner gets to keep it. The twist, however, is that we all get together and play the game that evening. Last year the winner received MadLibs, which had us laughing for hours.
CHRISTMAS MOVIES
Golnaz Taherian | Arts Editor
The Holidays are just around the corner, and with it, a collection of novel holiday movies. Winter is the best season to indulge in Christmas movies because it takes us away from our mundane reality, and into a dreamy world of candy canes, and christmas cheer. Even though holiday movies are highly idealized and overly romanticized, they let you forget about your problems, and invite you into a picture-perfect dreamscape. Christmas movies get me into the holiday spirit, inspire me to decorate my room and to bake crispy cookies. Even though these movies are cliché and predictable right off the bat, I’m drawn to them, due to the positive vibe and hopeful feelings they evoke in me.
ICE SKATING
Sajila Nudrat | Health Editor
Without a doubt, the best part of the holidays is that they fall within the winter season. It’s because of this overlap, that my favourite part of the holidays are taking part in winter activities, such as ice skating. Whether it be 8 a.m. outdoor shinny games with my brothers, or Saturday-night skating sessions with my extended family, it’s the little things that matter, and the time spent with family that is the essence of the holiday season. There’s something wonderful about holding my little cousin’s hand as she takes her first steps onto the ice, and helping her glide about. It doesn’t matter if she falls and brings me down with her, because I’ll always be there to help her back up; and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
VISITING FAMILY
Uzodinma Ukagwu | Sports Editor
What I love most about the holidays is that I get to go back to my Canadian hometown of Brockville to visit my parents. Brockville is a small, old, beautiful city, one hour from Ottawa, that sits on the St. Lawrence river. My brothers also come home for the holidays, so it is one big family reunion, and usually the only time of the year where we all get together. We celebrate the holidays with family, friends and members of our local church community.
HOLIDAY HIBERNATION
Dylan Stoll | Copy Editor
Personally, I’m not a fan of winter. The only part of winter that I’ve ever enjoyed was building snow forts, and now that I’m not a 10-year-old child, I have no interest in the cold whatsoever. So during the holidays, I do my best to keep all activities inside. I watch a lot of TV, I play a range of video games, I go to the closest bars (so I don’t have to walk in the cold for too long). And the best part: I get the most writing done. Essentially, my favourite holiday activity is hibernating.
TORONTO CHRISTMAS MARKET
Jasmine Wiradharma | Comics Editor
One of my favourite events to attend when it starts getting chilly is the Toronto Christmas Market. It takes place in the Distillery Historic District, drawing attendees with various holiday-themed attractions like a massive Christmas tree, seasonal decor and lighting, and a large variety of pop-up stores. My favourite aspect of it is the overall atmosphere—walking around feels like walking through a movie set; lights dancing around you, music playing in the distance, and the smell of apple cider and roasted turkey legs filling the air. Admission is free on weekdays before 5 p.m., and it’s an experience well worth the $6.00 admission fee, if you aren’t free during the week.
BAKING
Fatema Ali | Multimedia Editor
The tastes of this season are what I look forward to every year. Ginger, peppermint, vanilla, sugar plum, and hazelnut are just a few. Hot chocolate becomes my drink of choice, as the temperature begins to drop around the holidays. Having a hot cup of cocoa with a candy cane, and watching the snowfall is absolutely picturesque. Holiday desserts fill store shelves, and the sweet scent of baked goods wafts through the air. Also, I love baking with these holiday flavours during this season. I can’t wait to try new recipes, and make my favourite ginger molasses cookies.
