It's official. With the introduction of "Family Day" on the third Monday of February, Ontario joins Alberta and Saskatchewan (and possible Manitoba) in celebration. But this is an entire new concept for us Ontario folk. What are we do to on this special day?

Here are some suggestions of things to do on the inaugural and all subsequent Family Day long weekends in the upcoming years.

If you happen to like your family (and they like you):

- Make hot chocolate and play board games. Clue and Monopoly come to mind. And Charades.

- Watch Family Ties, Swiss Family Robinson, and other retro sitcoms on DVD.

- Tell the same stories that come up at every family-oriented holiday.

- Make up an elaborate meal, but not turkey. I nominate pizza. Each family member decorates and eats a section of the pie.

- Go through old photo albums and reminisce about the good times you've had in the past.

- Build a snowman together, or better yet a snowfamily that mirrors your own family.

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If you don't like your family, don't have one, or have an odd one:

- Head down to Buffalo to take advantage of the most excellent President's Day sales.

- Locate and hang out with a much better family.

- Walk around the neighbourhood looking like a sad puppy and see how many families invite you in. Sniffling and whimpering helps.

- Convince the family to do a polar bear dip in Lake Ontario. Count down from ten, run as a group, and bail just before you hit the water. Laugh at them as they shiver with hypothermia.

- Do what they've been doing out in the prairies provinces since Family Day began there in 1990 - make out.

- In the cover of darkness, hunt down and destroy snowfamilies.

Whatever you choose to do on Family Day, we hope you enjoy the new February long weekend (one of 9 we get each year)!

Feel free to share more ideas by commenting below.

UPDATE (January 7th, 2008):
Results of our reader poll show that a large majority welcome this new holiday, despite the inherent problems some employees will experience.

(Photo: Duane_Brown)