John and Matilda Welch’s family had one of the first and largest families in the Crystal Springs, Sask. The descendants of the family have scattered across Western Canada, but for the past 14 years, the Welch women have gathered on the first Saturday of December for an annual Christmas party.
This festive occasion brings together many Welch relatives. They meet to keep the spirit of our family strong. The highlight of the party is to share good food and kick off the Christmas season.
The hostess varies from throughout central Saskatchewan. Each year, the hostess chooses a charity. Instead of gifts, we donate to a favorite cause. Our donations have honoured Welch women we have lost and other charities that our now dear to our hearts from food banks and Parkinson’s disease to cancer and brain injury organizations.
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Christmas is about family and this party reminds us of the value of the season. Those of us who have lost our mothers and sisters come to feel a connection and want to honour to our loved ones.
We have had traditions emerge over the years. The hostess receives a huge bag of cabbage rolls, a much sought after family favourite. This encourages some women to want to host to receive Carole’s cabbage rolls or Aunt Ruth’s cake donuts or Aunt Pat’s tarts, which were really Aunt Lily’s recipe.
This year, the party was held in Prince Albert at my cousin Lorie’s.
