New Westminster's Century House is gearing up for its annual Christmas dinners, where members gather to celebrate the holidays over a traditional meal with all the trimmings.
"I think (it's) a chance for people to socialize together in a place that many consider their second home, quite frankly. ... There are many isolated seniors in our city," said Kevin McKay, a recreation leader at Century House.
"It's pretty meaningful to a lot of them, and for many of them, it is the main Christmas dinner they'll have."
There are two dinners scheduled for the holidays. The first is on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. The Richmond Singers will be providing choral entertainment, and the mayor and council have also been invited. The second event is on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and the Langley Ukulele Ensemble will be performing. There will also be a traditional yule log ceremony, where people touch the log with a spring of holly to clear any bad thoughts or experiences, McKay explained.
"Everything you've gathered up for the year you didn't want to keep, you get rid of symbolically," he said.
Both nights feature a full, catered Christmas dinner, with turkey, mashed potatoes, all the trimmings and dessert. There's also a 5 p.m. happy hour on both nights, with drink specials. Both events will run till about 9 p.m.
Century House regularly holds themed-dinners for members, and the Christmas ones can be popular.
"Christmas is just a season where people like to have those traditional dinners," McKay said, adding that Century House's first one was held in the 1950s.
Tickets are $19 for members, or $23 for non-members.
McKay expects the Dec. 16 event to sell out, although there were still roughly 20 tickets left out of 150.
Century House has more than 2,100 members. Anyone 50 or older is welcome. For more information, go to www.centuryhouseassociation.com.
