Two years in Toronto

Our first Canadian Christmas was, ironically, a White Christmas only in the British sense. It turns out that there is an official definition of a White Christmas, and it varies between countries. So the few gentle flurries we enjoyed on Christmas Day in Toronto would have been enough to qualify for a White Christmas in the UK, but we needed at least 2cm on the ground before Canadians would approve. In any case, we had a wonderful day, with time for singing, eating, and Skyping with our families. Queen’s Speech Word Bingo is now an international competition! It ended with a delicious turkey dinner in the home of kind Canadian friends, topped off with carols around the piano. The season started in mid-November, when decorations began to appear in shopping malls and condo lobbies, and Toronto hosted The Original Santa Claus Parade. Continuing an annual tradition that stretches back to 1905, floats, marching bands and gymnastics troupes paraded through the crowded streets of Toronto