Halifax — Although the snow that blanketed the Atlantic provinces earlier in December has mostly melted away, many in the Maritimes were cheered, at least externally, at the idea of a white Christmas.
Shoppers at the Seaport Farmers’ Market in Halifax spoke fondly of having the weather turn messy and inconvenient in time for the holidays.
“There’s just something so cozy about it,” said Samantha Boudreau, trying to keep her mind off of shovelling her steps and digging her car out of the snow.
“And the kids get really excited,” added her husband Dan MacDonald, thinking of the new boots he’d hoped to put off buying them until the new year. “I love to see their faces light up.”
As many of the shoppers pointed out, years where the streets were full of slush by Dec. 25 were becoming a rarity. “But that’s climate change for you,” said Zach Marchand, whose commute to work is 25 minutes longer each time the buses go on snow plan.
Others thought of the traditions of years gone by. “It’s something that I remember as a girl, I guess that’s why I like it better than a green Christmas,” said Florence Thompson, faced with another winter of potential slips and falls on icy sidewalks.
James Zinck, who still doesn’t have snow tires on his car, summed it up by saying that it “just feels more like a real Christmas.”
All of them hastened to point out that they could still have a perfectly good Christmas if it were snow-free.