A tradition can mean different things to different people.
For example, we remember seeing a TV commercial several years ago in which an annual Christmas sale at a store was being proclaimed as a tradition, even though it had begun just two years earlier.
We clearly remember thinking, how can that really be called a tradition?
Of course, you can't blame a business for pumping up their sales and their products, but it seems somewhat funny to call anything a tradition after just two years.
Even though there are differing definitions of what constitutes a tradition, there seems to be a general agreement that a tradition should be something that has been passed down in a society, most often between generations, and something that has lasted for a significant number of years, certainly more than two.
By any definition we can think of, Secret Santa – the annual Christmas collection of gifts and financial donations to help less-fortunate families in Hay River and on the Hay River Reserve – is a real tradition.
It was founded by Edna Dow in the 1990s – about 25 years ago. So Secret Santa definitely meets the time criteria for a tradition. It is not as old as the tradition of putting up decorated trees to celebrate the Christmas season, but a quarter of a century is still pretty impressive.
Plus, Secret Santa has been handed down from person to person, which is another aspect that can define a tradition.
And that handing down of a tradition is happening now in Hay River.
For the past five years, Secret Santa has been organized by Michelle Schaub, who is ready to pass the organizing role onto someone else because of her life commitments and work responsibilities.
Organizing the annual collection involves a number of duties and a time commitment of about a month and a half each year.
Schaub deserves to be thanked for organizing Secret Santa for five years.
And we hope that someone else, or some organization, also shows that same community and Christmas spirit to take over organizing the tradition.
We checked with Schaub on the weekend and she said there are a couple of parties interested in taking over organizing Secret Santa, and she is confident that it will happen.
That is good news, and we hope that the handover will be smooth.
In many ways, a community is defined by its traditions, and Secret Santa has developed as a tradition in Hay River. Of course, the name Secret Santa is used in many places – in offices and communities – but Hay River's Secret Santa has a history all its own.
Another aspect of being a real tradition is it involves many people. Secret Santa does that in Hay River. Organizations such as the RCMP and the Hay River Fire Department help out, as do businesses and as do individuals who make donations to the cause.
Most importantly, it helps to ensure an enjoyable Christmas for about 100 families it assists each year.
That more than anything makes Secret Santa a tradition worth preserving.