Open your home to new Canadians this Christmas

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – No one should be alone at Christmas.  The holidays are usually a time spent with family but that may not be the case if you’ve just immigrated to Canada.

Bev Gutrie, Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association, says a lot of people who live in the Lower Mainland don’t have family in this country.

“[During] the holiday season we tend to think about it as a family event but sometimes for some people it is an alone event and let’s make these special efforts to include them.”

She says it’s a nice gesture and you can learn a lot by inviting someone from another culture into your home and teach others who may not understand certain holiday traditions.

Gutrie adds it’s a nice gesture to give a warm welcome to newcomers where Christmas may be different or non-existent.

“Just remember the culture; you know there is a lot of people who live in the Lower Mainland whose extended family is not here.  They may be in another country.  We need to think about that and we need understand that faith has many faces, ” says Gutrie.

It’s also a good way to share cross-cultural Christmas traditions as well.

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