For Elana Post, Christmas has always been about family, laughter, and a little bit of magic, the kind that comes from both the stage and the heart. She describes her favourite memories as being surrounded by loved ones, good food, and plenty of games. “It’s such a special time, isn’t it?” she says. But her most cherished memory might surprise you: the quiet, cozy Christmas during COVID. “It was the only Christmas my little family didn’t drive anywhere. It was just the three of us, and it was quiet and magical in its own way.”
Elana has been performing professionally for 32 years, and her storytelling instincts clearly run deep. She recalls one particular childhood Christmas that felt straight out of a play, or perhaps a Muppet movie. In Grade 3, after secretly writing to Santa for a Miss Piggy puppet, she found that very puppet under her grandparents’ tree. “It was exactly what I had written about in my letter. Magical. I loved that puppet.”
That early spark of imagination grew into a lifelong career on stage and screen. Over the years, Elana has worked alongside some of Canada’s most respected performers, including Ted Follows, Araby Lockhart, Wally Michaels and Louise Reynolds in Over the River and Through the Woods. “They were so gracious and supportive,” she recalls. “They each set a real example of being a big name in the industry but carrying no ego.” It’s a lesson she carries with her to this day.
When she’s not acting, Elana enjoys a good mystery, she’s currently reading Redemption Point by Australian author Candice Fox. She also admits she’s a “sucker for a Christmas carol,” with Silent Night and The First Noel holding a special place in her heart. As a kid, she even turned her family’s deep freeze into a stage (until her dad warned her she’d “ruin the seal”).
Elana’s favourite Christmas dish? Pie, in all its glorious forms. And her top holiday movie? Elf, of course, though National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and A Muppet Christmas Carol make strong showings.
If she could share Christmas morning with anyone, she says it would be her grandparents and her Auntie Mae. And if she could give her younger self one piece of advice, it would be: “Don’t let what other people think hold you back.”
After three decades of performing, teaching, and creating, Elana Post shines brighter than ever, reminding us all that the truest magic, on stage or off, comes from being unapologetically yourself.