I saw something on the internet the other day that referred to a sensory function I had not yet heard of. It was called Christmas sense.
Have you heard of that? As a mother of a newly minted teenager with previous superhero tendencies, my mind immediately thought of “Spider-Man”. However, instead of my spidey senses tingling, it was my Christmas senses that were jingling.
Have you ever thought of Christmas as a sense? If you did — what did it smell or taste like? What did it sound like, look like, or feel like?
The answers to these questions can be found at the Millbrook’s annual Christmas in the Village from December 1st to 4th.
Millbrook is a funky little town. It has a number of charming shops and restaurants that will allow you to either find that perfect gift for that special person on your list or spend some quality time with that same special person in your life.
Millbrook also draws an eclectic group of visitors. Most recently, King Street was transported back in time to the 1890s for the filming of a scene for the highly anticipated new dramatic television series Anne, based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s timeless classic novel Anne of Green Gables.
Before that, King Street provided an edgy small-town backdrop for the filming of Canadian country music duo High Valley’s music video “Every Week Has a Friday”.
Getting back to Christmas sense … Christmas in the Village provides lots of entertainment that will overload the senses.
So what does Christmas smell and taste like?
It smells and tastes like hot chocolate, gingerbread, and roast beef.
Every year, Calhoun’s Foodland donates gingerbread houses to industrious families wanting to showcase their decorating skills in the Gingerbread House Competition. On the Thursday night, the Legion offers up its annual roast beef dinner.
Alternatively, you can dig into some Butter Chicken Nachos at the Pastry Peddler, carve into a nice juicy steak at Madison’s Grill, devour a fresh hot piece of pizza from Bewdley Pizza, savour some delicious fish and chips from Jules’ Kitchen, or pick up a quick and tasty sub at Subway.
What does Christmas sound like?
Generally that is an easy answer as I start to hum a few bars of Little Drummer Boy, but there are other sounds you will hear at Christmas in the Village.
There will be the sounds of laughter and amazement as children watch Jonathan the Juggler’s performance. There will be sounds of sleigh bells from the horse-drawn wagon rides, there will be squeals of delight as Santa comes to Millbrook at the annual parade, and of course there will be lots of Christmas caroling.
What does Christmas look like?
In Millbrook, it looks like a dedicated group of volunteers known as “The Decorating Committee” who spend days adorning the downtown with beautiful Christmas garland, colourful lights, and lots of greenery.
It looks like homemade reindeer hats, photos with Santa, and bright red fire trucks. It looks like beautiful figure skaters gliding effortlessly on ice.
Finally, and most importantly, what does Christmas feel like?
It isn’t really something tangible that you can touch rather it is more like something that touches you. The friendliness, sense of community, and unhurried pace that is this picturesque community of Millbrook. Quite simply, it feels like family … it feels like home.
Millbrook’s Christmas in the Village kicks off Thursday, December 1st, at 5 p.m. and runs through to Sunday, December 4th. For a complete list of events, see the poster below or visit the Millbrook BIA website at www.millbrookbia.com.
Photos generously supplied by Marjorie McDonald. Visit her website and follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Google+.
