Christmas 2025: Former Princess Jillian Simpson embraces holiday parade season

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

While Jillian Simpson may have given way to Lillian Beyersbergen-Oakes as the next Huron County Plowing Match Princess earlier this year, Simpson’s Christmas season wearing the crown proved to be one of her most memorable.

 

Before we get there, however, Simpson has a number of traditions that have made the holidays fun for her for years. They make the holidays memorable for children of all ages, which is a good thing because her siblings span the spectrum in terms of their ages. Simpson is in her mid-teens, on the cusp of being old enough to qualify for her driver’s licence. She has a number of siblings - she is the oldest - all the way down the age range, finishing at a one-month-old. Simpson says that the holidays will be fun with such a young one in the house, but also a bit of a challenge, if she’s being honest.

 

So, she’s adopted the responsibility necessary for the oldest sibling in a group whose ages range 15 years, but she also gets to bask in all of the inherent fun that brings with it as well.

 

As for a typical Christmas, Simpson says that she and all of her siblings get up at reasonable times - not terribly early - and sit down together and enjoy a big breakfast together. They also reflect on the year that (almost) was and thank God for all that He offered them over the course of it; as a very spiritual family, this is a major part of the holiday for the Simpsons.

 

She says that the family acknowledges not just the gift from God of a good season, but also the rest of the good fortunes that have come their way over the course of the year. 

 

They then move onto opening some Christmas gifts before they travel to spend the rest of the day with her grandparents and other members of her extended family, as weather permits.

 

Simpson says that spending time with family members and friends around the holidays is paramount for her and the rest of her family. That’s really what it’s all about, she says, and making time for that is important.

 

Part of that is attending the Zurich Santa Claus parade every year as a family - a staple of the holiday calendar for the Simpson family.

 

This leads into the Christmas season of 2024, which was a memorable one for Simpson. As the Huron County Plowing Match Princess, representing not just the match but the Huron Plowmen’s Association, Simpson said, was a great way to connect with the community and to spread holiday cheer. 

 

Furthermore, she said it was great for family bonding, as family members and her siblings would often accompany her to the parades she attended in her official capacity. Going around to the different communities, meeting the people and being part of those parades, she said, was a great experience and one she’ll never forget.