The North Stars celebrate with an added holiday twist. (submitted photo/Curtis Kotchorek)

By Martin Martinson

Joys of the season

North Stars share favourite holiday traditions

Dec 24, 2022 | 12:00 PM

From turkey dinners with the family, to snowball fights, Christmas movies, and vacation plans, there’s plenty of excitement that comes with the holiday season.

That’s why battlefordsNOW reporter and voice of the North Stars, Marty Martinson caught up with members of the Stars to talk favorite traditions and seasonal pastimes, as the SJHL season breaks for the holidays.

For Owen Underhill, the holidays serve as a chance to head back home to central New Brunswick to catch up with family spread out across the country through much of the year.

“It’s just good to get home and have all the family around,” Underhill said. “A lot of people in my family are older now so we’re kind of out on our own, so it’s nice to have everyone be able to get back and be around each other.”

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On the opposite end of the country, Tynan Ewart who is now back home in Duncan B.C., said he too is looking forward to catching up with family, and swapping out the frozen snow and ice for the flowing ocean waves with a trip to the west coast.

“It’s going to be great to go home and see all the family, and we’ll have a Christmas dinner like usual, and then this year we’re going up to Tofino to take a little surfing trip,” Ewart said. “So I’m pretty excited about that.”

For Jake Southgate, a Battlefords’ hometown product, this year the holidays serve as a chance to escape the cold a bit as well, via family vacation.

“We used to go skiing for Christmas every year, but this year we’re going to Mexico, so I’m pretty excited for that,” he said with a smile.

Others, such as forward, Riley Girod, will be taking advantage of the winter elements to enjoy a favourite pastime of the season with family out on the frozen lake.

“Usually, my whole family comes out to the farm and we go out, do some ice fishing, have some supper, and then open gifts at the end, so it’s really fun getting to see all the family,” Girod said.

And from outside activities on the ice, to those within a lively family home, for Jackson Allan, the holiday break serves as a chance to keep the competitive juices flowing through the annual Christmas game nights among extended family.

“We’re a big games family during Christmas,” Allan said with a laugh. “We have massive crokinole tournaments and ping pong tournaments, stuff like that, so that’s always a highlight.

“We’re pretty spread out so having about 40 people in on both sides of the family and running crokinole tournaments gets pretty heated and it’s fun. I’m looking forward to that.”

No matter how the holidays are spent, in warm or cold, near or far, the season remains one of tradition joy and communion with friends, family and loved ones.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1