Winter Holidays Celebration

The winter holidays are here! Join us in celebrating all winter long!

Here are our storytime videos, crafts, activities, and resources to celebrate winter holidays from across the world. Everyone is welcome!


Activities at the Library

Light Up at Central Park

Join in the magical transformation of Central Park into a splendor of light! 
After being unable to hold a public light up ceremony last year, we are delighted to return to Central Park on November 27 with a renewed focus to celebrate culture, community connections, light, and the magic of winter at this free event. 
Visit Light Up at Central Park for more information on all family-friendly activities.

As part of the Light Up at Central Park celebrations SGPL presents Crafternoon at the Library!

Come by the library to make a holiday craft. We’ll be offering 3 craft options to make:

  • Glowing Jingle Bell Bracelets
  • Popsicle Stick Hot Chocolate Mug
  • Snowy Owl
When: Saturday November 27, 2021 
Time: 2:00-5:00pm 
All ages 
*Spaces are limited 
**COVID RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE 
***While supplies last


Seasonal Community Craft

Pick up one of our limited Take & Make winter holiday kits* at the library front desk

*starting December 1st while supplies last, 1 kit per household

You don't need snow to know that the holidays are here. And you don't need to snow to make a cute snowman! You'll love this holiday mason jar craft which doubles as a cute ornament, holiday decoration or glowing luminary.


Solstice Giving Tree

TAWOW! Welcome to the Giving Tree, set up to celebrate Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year. After December 21st, the light comes back and Indigenous people know the days are getting longer.

Under this tree, you will find a Giving Bowl. If anything speaks to you in this bowl, please take it. In the Indigenous way, giving is the same as receiving because if you are one who cares about other people, everything you give comes back to you – a beautiful Circle in life.

Years ago, a poplar tree on a riverbank may have had all of its branches removed except for a few at the top. This was called a “lobstick” and signified a place where you could stop in your journey and rest. Maybe there was a fire pit built there, and an old kettle for you to boil water in and have tea. That’s the traditional Indigenous inspiration for naming this the “Giving Tree”.

The bowl under it is a new idea and to signify the importance of giving in Indigenous culture. Please allow the bowl to stay in place to hold gifts from Dec. 1 to Dec. 21. After Dec. 21, you are invited to take the bowl, as well.

First Peoples gave up much when settlers came to Canada, most significantly land, waterways, and their children – who were taken away from parents and placed in residential schools. Many never returned.

There is a bison on this bowl to signify this animal also gave everything to the people, sacrificing its life so the First Nations of this country could use its meat, hide, bones and hooves for food, shelter, clothing and implements. If you want to know more about this animal-people relationship, scan this QR code.

In the spirit of Giving, this Giving Tree and Bowl here at the library is meant to help heal the past, and move into the future in the best way possible – honouring the gifts and culture of All.

If you like, you can email us at asgprogramming@yrl.ab.ca your reaction to what you received today, and also your impression of The Giving Tree and Bowl. If not, that’s cool, too.


Holiday Bingo!

Drop by the library and play Christmas bingo throughout December. Return your completed bingo sheet before Wednesday December 22 to be entered in a prize draw!


Special Holiday Cyber Tales Storytime

Join us live online for a seasonal holiday read with Sarah on December 3 at 4pm.

Cyber Tales Lives on Facebook: Storytime for Big Kids (and Kids of All Ages)


Toy Mountain

Bring an unwrapped, new toy to the library and add it to our toy mountain. We will also have a donation box available for monetary and gift cards as well. 

Please bring donations intended for ages 17 and under. Last day to donate will be December 9. In partnership with Spruce Grove Kinettes.

Storytime

Relax and enjoy with these holiday storytime videos!

New storytimes for 2021 coming soon!!!



Seasonal Events In and Around Spruce Grove

(activities/events may require a fee)

  • Participate in the Snowman Decorating Challenge and cast your votes (November 23-December 7 2021) hosted by the Spruce Grove City Centre Business Association.

  • Visit the library and bring a special item to add to the Giving Tree. In the spirit of Giving, our Giving Tree speaks to the importance of giving in the Indigenous culture. If anything speaks to you under the tree, please take it. In the Indigenous way, giving is the same as receiving because if you are one who cares about other people, everything you give comes back to you. For 12 days this month you can find a Giving Tree at the Spruce Grove Public Library. Everyone is welcome to give and receive items that serve you well during this holiday season.

  • Old Fashioned Christmas at the Multicultural Heritage Centre in Stony Plain. Join us on December 11, 11am-4pm for ornament making, caroling in the Art Gallery, Christmas stories in the Oppertshauser House with hot apple cider and photos with Santa's elves as they visit from the North Pole.

  • Join the Town of Stony Plain: Dig out the decorations and get the eggnog ready – a month of winter festivities are on their way! This year’s Winter Light Up will feature a modified Town Tree lighting, an activity advent calendar filled with festive cheer, and a fireworks show to welcome in the New Year.

  • Winter Wonder Forest (November 25 2021-January 9 2022) - drive-through holiday experience at Longriders RV Park (in Gibbons).

  • Visit the Indigenous Peoples Experience at Fort Edmonton Park this winter until December 19, 2021.

  • Zoominescence, a Festival of Light (running weekends only 3-12 December and 17 Dec-Jan 2 open all week, from 4:30-9pm) at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.

  • This winter, the legendary sell-out event, Luminaria at University of Alberta Botanic Garden (the largest botanical garden in the province) from November 27, 2021 to January 9, 2022.

  • Canadian Tire Magic of Lights (November 19, 2021-January 8, 2022) - drive-through holiday experience at Castrol Raceway (aka RAD Torque Raceway).

  • Festive Festival PJ Party (Saturday December 4, 2021) Join the International Children's Festival for the Arts in St Albert for a fun evening of juggling, magic, music, comedy and circus antics.

  • The tradition continues at the TELUS World of Science in Edmonton with IMAX screenings of The Polar Express on Saturdays and Sunday November 27 – December 19 + December 24, 2021. Treat your family to a morning out to celebrate the holiday season with a family friendly movie on Alberta’s largest theatre screen.

  • The University Hospital Festival of Trees (November 2-December 23, 2021) This annual seasonal event has moved outdoors and online this year, take a look at what they have to offer.

  • One of Edmonton’s favourite kids’ theaters is back just in time for the holidays. Jubilations Junior kids shows include Beauty and the Grinch, a two act musical kids comedy (November 20, 2021 to January 8, 2022).

  • Glow under the twinkle of a million lights as you explore the gardens and illumination of Glow Edmonton from November 24, 2021 to January 2, 2022.


Winter Holiday Books

Find some great kids books for every holiday* at the library!

*holidays listed chronologically by date they are celebrated

Diwali (November 4, 2021)

Hanukkah (November 28 - December 6, 2021)


Winter Solstice (December 21, 2021)


Christmas (December 25, 2021)


Kwanzaa (December 26, 2021 - January 1, 2022)

Learn more about Kwanzaa here


New Year's Day (January 1, 2022)


Three Kings Day/El Dia de los Reyes (January 6, 2022)


Lunar New Year (February 1, 2022)




Read, Watch, Listen, Enjoy!

Find some great holiday content on Hoopla, available FREE with your library card!

Get your FREE library card here!


Craft Activities

Enjoy these great crafts to keep you and your family busy this holiday* season

and the Virtual Mini Makerspace

*holidays listed chronologically by date they are celebrated


Diwali (November 4, 2021)

Paper Lotus Tealight Holder: Artsy Craftsy Mom

More fun Diwali inspired crafts can be found at Artsy Craftsy Mom


Hanukkah (November 28 - December 6, 2021)

Marshmallow Dreidels: Hostess with the Mostess


Winter Solstice (December 21, 2021)

Homemade Rock Candy: In the Kitchen with Matt


Orange Pomanders: Nourishing My Scholar


Christmas (December 25, 2021)

Cardboard Reindeer: Fun Crafts Kids

Reindeer template here at Good to Know

Kwanzaa (December 26, 2021 - January 1, 2022) 

Learn more about Kwanzaa here

Kwanzaa Wreath: Scholastic


New Year's Day (January 1, 2022)

Time Capsule: Meaningful Mama


Three Kings Day/El Dia de los Reyes (January 6, 2022)

Chocolate Caliente Hecho Con Agua: Presleys Pantry


Lunar New Year (February 1, 2022)

Paper Blossoms: Pink Stripey Socks




Happy winter holidays from everyone here at SGPL!
https://sgpl.ca/programs/winter-holidays-celebration
sgpl.ca
crawl=CC-MAIN-2021-49
53677
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:AGPELDFGHCEHHSULXVLSBLQTQFMY2SQA
<urn:uuid:55304e97-fbcd-4759-9415-fc492b5af7c6>
2021-11-27T15:15:05Z
209.206.113.5
application/xhtml+xml
sha1:ITTFX4VNL6RQQWP6WI7KX4KZRN3NSFIR
<urn:uuid:0bc0d82f-09f0-4977-8c0d-b299cfee79d0>
https://sgpl.ca/programs/winter-holidays-celebration
response
<urn:uuid:77343638-70bd-449b-a443-80448060670d>
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2021-49
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for November/December 2021
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-67-67-99
software: Apache Nutch 1.18 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 1.3-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: https://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/