A Victorian Nova Scotia Christmas

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This delicate little essay captures the quintessential Canadian
Christmas of 60 to 100 years ago. Most readers will wonder if there was
ever a time when life was this perfect, when family life was this pure,
the community this wholesome. The essay is a simple narrative
description of the author’s own childhood memories of Christmas in
Amherst, N.S. Apart from a passing reference to the nearby marshes, the
setting could be any English-speaking small town in Canada.

From the picture-book-perfect gingerbread house, complete with real
stockings hung by the real fireplace, to the classic turkey dinner, from
the fresh, clean snow to the shimmering tree surrounded by gifts,
Simmons evokes all the details of a time when Christmas was simpler and
slower, its pleasures both more innocent and more magical.

The brief essay is supported by 17 watercolors by the author and
supplemented by a few of her family’s recipes for a traditional
Christmas dinner. The illustrations’ soft, muted tones capture the
essence of a lifestyle gently glowing with quiet perfection.

A Victorian Nova Scotia Christmas will provide a few minutes of
enjoyment to nostalgia lovers from age 8 to 88.