Reflections on the Santa Parade

Yesterday was the Santa Parade in Toronto. I love this parade and remember the first time I went to see it in 2003. It was our first Christmas here in Toronto and, having never seen a Christmas Parade before, we set off early to feast our eyes. Every year we made the effort to take our girls and wait in the cold until Santa arrived – until they decided they did not want to go. This year, after many years of not attending, we made the journey again to brave the cold to watch the floats and the marching bands go by. I watched the young children, bundled up in their snowsuits, eagerly waiting for Santa to arrive. I saw the adults spending time together chatting while making sure their children were fed, warm and safely seated in their spots. People huddled together, making the hours spent in the cold one…