The holiday season frenzy is in full swing! School breaks, family gatherings, Grandma’s comfort food—it’s all happening now! In this time of plenty and of celebration, it is also important to be extra vigilant and cautious about many things. We put together a list of some important points that can help you reduce or even eliminate misfortune during the holiday season.
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
- When you put up your lights, whether indoors or outdoors, make sure that you don’t leave any wires on the floor, in order to prevent injuries. If you don’t have a choice, make sure to properly tape down the wires in question.
- If you have decorations that must be plugged in, make sure that they are not defective, since if they are, they could cause a fire.
- For the sake of the environment and electricity savings, you can also replace your regular lights with LED lights, which function at low temperatures and are therefore safer.
- Natural Christmas trees are also fire hazards if they are not watered regularly. According to the Service de la sécurité incendie de Montréal, a natural tree absorbs more litres of water in the first week or two, so it is important to regularly water it and to keep it far from flammable heat sources.
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
- The holiday season means many family gatherings and people visiting. Snow and freezing rain accumulations can sometimes be treacherous and could interfere with your celebrations. That is why it is important to clear your entryway and use salt to melt the ice so that no one falls.
GIFT SHOPPING
- When shopping during the holiday season, make sure your bags aren’t visible when you leave them in your car. It is best to place them in the trunk or to put them in reusable bags so that passersby do not see where you made your purchases.
- Even at home, it is important to adhere to certain practices to prevent theft. For example, we often see our Facebook friends posting beautiful photos of their decorated trees. However, we strongly recommend not posting photos on social media that show the pile of presents under the tree. Such images may provide certain “Grinches” with incentive to come steal your purchases.
GOING ON VACATION
- While it may be tempting to announce your upcoming vacation to your friends over social media, we once again recommend that you only post about it once you return. During the holidays, many home robberies occur, and it’s more enticing for a thief to commit a robbery when you aren’t home. Don’t worry, your Internet friends will be able to wait until you get home to see your vacation photos!
- We also recommend that you put a timer on your outdoor lighting system so that your home seems inhabited during your absence. In addition, you can ask a neighbour or someone you trust to visit your home daily to ensure that all is well.
PLANNING AHEAD
- Like many of us, you may be travelling a lot during the holiday season. No matter your destination, always check the weather before you leave to make sure you avoid bad weather. If there is a storm, try to leave earlier or later. If you are already with family, we’re sure they would be happy to let you stay the night!
- If you plan to consume alcohol on festive evenings, we suggest you plan ahead by using services such as Operation Red Nose or Tolérance zéro. These organizations are very active during the holiday season and would be pleased to bring you home safe and sound!
We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and successful 2019! We hope that you will take advantage of this time to relax with your family and create lasting memories together.
