Winter City Traditions

Activities in a (Climate Changed) Winter City

I spend a lot of time talking about summer activities in Edmonton on this blog. I am a heliophile, so I come ALIVE in the summer. But I am also a weather optimist, so I love and appreciate every season of the year. In Edmonton, where I’ve lived my whole life, our winter season is technically the same number of months as every once else’s, but it can feel much lonnnnnnger to some folks because of the cold temperature and days filled with darkness.

But this isn’t going to be your average “Top 10 Winter Festivals in Edmonton” post or whatever. There are other folks who make that content their bread and butter. And anyway, I’m looking inward to find something more meaningful and intimate. Let’s see.

This blog will cover some regular, average activities that get us through every day of winter. As well as the traditions and rituals of the changing season.

Winter Starts in December

First up, let’s set some parameters.

1. The season of winter starts in December. Regardless of when we get the first snow, or the first cold week, the proper season of winter starts on the solstice. That’s the foundation we’re starting with here.
2. In Edmonton, winter is characterized in people’s minds by cold and darkness. I want to both embrace and counter that narrative.
3. We absolutely cannot change the weather, so why do we complain about it? Let it lead our activities and choices, and see if we can find joy in those cold, snowy moments that are here to stay (for awhile at least).

With these parameters in mind, what are some traditions or activities that we already partake in? What might a more equity-focused event look like? How can we build a tradition that allows us to thrive in this difficult season?

Those first few weeks in December are really hard, but depending on what the weather has been like in November, not impossible. We have already gotten re-acclimatized to the cold, and hopefully there is snow on the ground. Our family enjoys skating, going for snowy walks, and taking advantage of blue sky days even just by running errands by foot in our neighbourhood.

The darkness is a favourite complaint in Edmonton, and yes, the sun does set very early in the evening. I like to emphasize cozy options that take advantage of this reality. Lighting candles, listening to music or podcasts together, night walks in our community to look at the holiday lights, pausing to watch the colours of the sunset.

Another cozy option includes dinner out at a local restaurant. While this isn’t universally available, and we try to limit the times we go out, it feels extra cozy to leave home in the dark evening and head into a public place filled with the laughter and energy of other humans. The cold darkness outside makes the light inside even more warm and inviting. We tend to bustle in and out, but I would love to find a way to linger and make the moment last a bit longer.

I wonder how much longer our winters will look this way. We are already noticing a lot more warm days, and the colder days are much harsher. How will this impact our current traditions? Can we adjust them to continue enjoying the season, but in a new way?

Surprising no one, I made a zine

Did you see this one coming?

Actually, I made a few zines! I really love winter.

This first zine covers your standard, everyday winter activities. These are the things I grew up doing, can be easily accomplished with supplies I already have on hand, and give me all the feels about this beautiful season.

My top six winter activities are baking, skating, listening to my Christmas records, having a Yule fire, and two secret ones 😉

The second zine is a bit more philosophical, with a side of aspirational. I know that the changing climate will have a huge impact on a lot of our winter traditions. In this zine I ask a lot of questions. I’m excited to figure out the answers, hopefully in community.

I love winter so much and I got really excited about the potential to share ideas and build something really cool here. To purchase one of these zines, please click here.

Winter is a great time to build community

With the cold temps, wind, snow build up, it can be hard to get up the nerve and energy to leave our houses. I get it. But this is also a great time to get cozy, invite people over, take advantage of the blue sky days, make new traditions or rediscover old ones.

I have been trying to transition my family to a different winter holiday tradition – Yule. But I am not good at follow through, so it has been slow work. I think if I could get more folks on board, and stay true to my plans when external forces try to steer me back toward traditional Christmas rituals, the changes would stick.

As I navigate this desire to host gatherings while getting people out of their comfort zone, while still being respectful of barriers, I am asking myself these questions:

• who can I invite to participate in my new or old winter traditions?
• where can I anticipate different needs and identities of attendees, and accommodate those needs?
• how can I ensure that the purpose of the gathering is communicated and that everyone who is attending understands and works together to achieve the goal?
• how can I respect other people’s traditions and encourage them to share as a way to bridge polarization?

2025 is going to be an important year for Not Ladylike Community, and crafting seasonal traditions will feature prominently. We have entered a wild time in our world, with rituals based on a changing climate becoming difficult or impossible to accomplish. We can come together to celebrate the season, build new traditions, and build community to help achieve some of our bigger goals.

FURTHER READING

10 Low Ways Ways to Celebrate Yule. This one has a sweet video that you just have to see!