From riddle quizzes to plum pudding, P.E.I. MLAs share Yuletide traditions

Whether it's a favourite food, song or gift unwrapping ritual, most people have a Christmas tradition that unites the family and becomes a treasured memory over the years — and Prince Edward Island's elected representatives are no different.

CBC's Island Morning asked some P.E.I. MLAs about their favourite Christmas traditions and memories. Here's what they had to say.

​Paula Biggar, the MLA for Tyne Valley-Linkletter, said she had goose on Christmas and celebrated Mother New Year's.

"We hung our mittens and Mother New Year's would come and put nuts and candy in our mittens on New Year's Eve," Biggar said.

James Aylward, the MLA for Stratford - Kinlock, said his family's Christmas traditions have stayed more or less the same as when he was a child.

"Going to midnight mass, coming home and having family and friends over, meat pie, lots of good conversation and telling the kids, 'No, they can't open presents until the next morning.'"

Aylward said growing up his Christmases were the same, except it was him begging to open presents on Christmas Eve.

Peter Bevan-Baker, the MLA for Kellys Cross-Cumberland, said having grown up in Scotland, celebrating Christmas in Canada away from his immediate family was tough. 

But he's tried to create a family Christmas this year with his own children, who will all be on P.E.I.

Growing up, music played a central role at Christmastime, with all of his family playing instruments.

"Even when we went away from home to university or to work in another place, we would always co-ordinate a concert for around Christmastime and we all got back together, so it was a really beautiful part of the community aspect of Christmas for us."

Heath MacDonald, the MLA for Cornwall-Meadowbank, said he always celebrates Christmas with his wife's rather large family of 15.

"I can still remember the first time I went, I felt a little overwhelmed but I've grown into it and been accustomed to it and really appreciate family," MacDonald said.

"Christmas is my favourite time of year," said Colin LaVie, the MLA for Souris-Elmire. It's all about Christmas and kids, he said.

"I always make sure my house is decorated inside and out," LaVie said. "What I love the most about Christmas is seeing everybody come home for Christmas, when you go to church, all the families sit together and it's one of my favourite Christmas things."

Jordan Brown, the MLA for Charlottetown - Brighton, said two traditions stood out to him.

"My grandparents used to hide bird ornaments in their Christmas tree and they had a little ball that had batteries in it that made bird sounds and so we'd spend a lot of time looking for the birds hidden in the Christmas tree," Brown said.

He also said his grandmother used to host a plum pudding for her whole family, which has since moved to his uncle's place where everyone can spend time together.

Alan McIsaac, the MLA for Vernon River-Stratford, has a unique Christmas tradition for his family. Every year, he creates a Christmas quiz where people have to hunt or solve riddles for a gift. 

"They will tell you, I think, that it's more important to do the quiz than it is to get the gift," McIsaac said. "But it brings everyone together and they have to work together on it as a team because sometimes one person's got one part of the code and another person's got another part of the code and they have to get it together."

Hannah Bell, the MLA for Charlottetown-Parkdale, said two Christmas memories stood out to her. One was spending the holiday volunteering in Africa, which was "not Christmas as everyone would expect it," and a day filled with music.

She also recalled one year when she was working in England and told her family she couldn't make it but decided to surprise them and flew home on Christmas Eve. 

Darlene Compton, the MLA for Belfast-Murray River, said she usually spends Christmas Eve with friends and Christmas Day with family.

"I guess it's a special time of year for us so we were married December 30," she said. "It will be 40 years this year."

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