Christmas in Canada: Facts About Canadian Christmas Traditions
- The Santa Claus parade has been held every Christmas in Toronto since 1905. Almost 1,800 people take part in the parade, and about 500,000 people line the parade route.
- Every Christmas, homes in Labrador City in Newfoundland have a Christmas lights competition. Homeowners also try to outdo each other with huge ice sculptures and light displays in their gardens.
- Also popular is the festival of lights at Niagara Falls. The waterfalls are decorated with over 2 million lights, and visitors can also enjoy concerts and fireworks over the falls.
- Turkey or ham is the traditional Christmas meal for most English speaking Canadians. Other popular seasonal foods include mince pies, plum pudding and a rich Christmas fruit cake.
- Attending midnight mass is customary among French speaking Canadians, as well as attending feasts on Christmas Eve. ...
- Every year, the Canadian province of Nova Scotia gives a Christmas tree to the US city of Boston. ...
- Mummering is a popular tradition at Christmas in Canada, in parts of Newfoundland. Children go from door to door, sing and dance, and are given snacks and a drink.
- Cookie, or biscuit baking parties are very popular in Canada around Christmas. ...
- In Quebec, people celebrate Epiphany on January 6th. One tradition is baking a cake with a bean in it, and whoever finds the bean is named the king or queen ...
What are some Christmas traditions in Canada?
For kids of all Ages
- A Porcupine in a Pine Tree: A Canadian 12 Days of Christmas
- The Twelve Days of Christmas in Canada
- Moose in a Maple Tree
- Franklin’s Christmas Gift
- Disney’s Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty the Snowman
How do you Celebrate Christmas in Canada?
Attend these amazing holiday events in Vernon to celebrate this Christmas season
- Victorian Christmas at O’Keefe Ranch. The beautiful, historic O’Keefe Ranch is a hot spot in Vernon for locals, tourists and nearby visitors from the Okanagan.
- Joyride Winter Sleigh Show. This event is a widely loved and appreciated theatre show closely located in Armstrong. ...
- Andrew Allen: All Hearts Come Home. ...
- Artsolutely Artisan Sale. ...
What do you wear for Christmas in Canada?
What to Wear in Canada in Winter
- A Jacket (or three)
- Sweaters
- Jeans and trousers
- Long johns
- Snow pants
- Thermal tops
- A toque
- A scarf
- Mittens
- Socks
What are the best Christmas markets in Canada?
Canada Once heavy snow piles up on its cobbled street, Quebec – one of the oldest cities in North America – transforms into an enchanting Christmas village, teeming with festive markets, toboggan runs (the one at Château Frontenac is one of the best ...
What is Christmas in Canada called?
Many Christians in Canada mark the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25, which is known as Christmas Day. It is a day of celebration when many Canadians exchange gifts and enjoy festive meals....Quick Facts.This year:Sun, Dec 25, 2022Type:Statutory Holiday2 more rows
What are 5 facts about Christmas?
Top 10 Facts About Christmas!Christmas is celebrated on 25th December each year. ... Father Christmas didn't always wear red clothes! ... There are 9 reindeer in total. ... Prince Albert made Christmas trees popular! ... A man called Tom Smith invented Christmas crackers.More items...•
What is Santa Claus called in Canada?
In the US and Canada, some people call him Kris Kringle, which originates from the German word Christkind (Christ child).
Did you know fun facts about Christmas?
1 in 3 men wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping. Christmas came from the words Cristes Maesse meaning “mass of Christ.” Christmas trees usually grow for close to 15 years before they can be sold. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer got his start as an advertising gimmick for Montgomery Ward in 1839.
How old is Santa?
1,750 years oldAccording to the blog Email Santa, Santa Claus is 1,750 years old as of 2021. In fact, the origins of Santa Claus can be traced all the way back to a monk named Saint Nicholas, who was born between 260 and 280 A.D.
What is Santa's real name?
Saint NicholasSanta Claus—otherwise known as Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle—has a long history steeped in Christmas traditions.
What is Mrs. Claus first name?
MargaretClaus' first name is Margaret and is the wife of Malcolm (the current Santa) and mother of both the title character Arthur and his older brother Steve. She is depicted as much more efficient than her husband. She is voiced by Imelda Staunton.
What are 5 Christmas traditions in Canada?
Canadian traditions include decorating a Christmas tree and exchanging gifts. On Christmas Day a special meal is prepared often including roast turkey, seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Traditional favorite Christmas desserts reminiscent of England include Christmas plum puddings and mincemeat tarts.
Is Santa Claus real in 2021?
The short answer, in every way that matters, is YES, Santa Claus is real! Not only is Santa true, he is legendary!
Why does Santa wear red?
No. It's widely believed that today's Santa wears a red suit because that's the colour associated with Coca‑Cola, but this isn't the case. Before the Coca‑Cola Santa was even created, St Nick had appeared in numerous illustrations and written descriptions wearing a scarlet coat.
Why is Christmas spelled Xmas?
It is sometimes pronounced /ˈɛksməs/, but Xmas, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation /ˈkrɪsməs/. The "X" comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Christós (Greek: Χριστός), which became Christ in English.
How old is Mrs Claus?
Claus is much more tight-lipped about her age than Santa is. The last time she talked about it, she mentioned she stopped counting when she turned 170. Similar to Santa, the elves believe Mrs. Claus is roughly the same age, around 1,700 years old.
What is the Canadian Christmas?
James Christmas. Here are some facts about Canadian Christmas celebrations, customs and traditions. Christmas in Canada has many different customs and traditions because of the country’s diverse population. Most people celebrate on December 25th. The Santa Claus parade has been held every Christmas in Toronto since 1905.
What is the most popular Christmas meal in Canada?
The waterfalls are decorated with over 2 million lights, and visitors can also enjoy concerts and fireworks over the falls. Turkey or ham is the traditional Christmas meal for most English speaking Canadians.
What is the traditional Christmas meal in Quebec?
A stew made from pigs’ feet is a traditional Christmas meal in parts of Quebec. Every year, the Canadian province of Nova Scotia gives a Christmas tree to the US city of Boston. The tree is in appreciation for help given by Boston residents after a ship exploded in Halifax in 1917. Mummering is a popular tradition at Christmas in Canada, ...
How many people are in the Santa Claus parade?
The Santa Claus parade has been held every Christmas in Toronto since 1905. Almost 1,800 people take part in the parade, and about 500,000 people line the parade route. Every Christmas, homes in Labrador City in Newfoundland have a Christmas lights competition.
Where is mummering at Christmas?
Mummering is a popular tradition at Christmas in Canada, in parts of Newfoundland. Children go from door to door, sing and dance, and are given snacks and a drink.
When is the Epiphany in Quebec?
In Quebec, people celebrate Epiphany on January 6th. One tradition is baking a cake with a bean in it, and whoever finds the bean is named the king or queen of the feast.
Where is Christmas in Canada?
Christmas in Canada is notable in Ottawa, which is the capital of Canada. There is a considerable illumination ceremony across Ottawa at Christmas, as the whole city is filled with beautiful Christmas lights and trees, followed by a wonderful Christmas carol. There are also freebies like hot chocolate and Beaver Tails (a famous Canadian pastry).
Where is Christmas lighted up?
In Dawson City, Yukon; the Christmas season is lighted up by locals, across a small fleet of well-arranged boats. They also have enjoyable boat cruises with decorations, canoes, and police cruisers.
What is Quebec known for?
Is known for its striking Canadian architecture, fluffy white snow, German Christmas markets where lots of gifts and wines are sold. Quebec is also known to be the home to Santa Claus himself, at Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, one of the historic and recognized hotels in Canada.
What is Toronto known for?
Toronto is the largest city in Canada. It is known for its tourist attractions, like the famous CN tower, galleries, and museums. During Christmas in Canada, there is a famous Santa Claus Parade as part of the Christmas funfair in Toronto, that attracts over 400,000 people, and is recognized as one of the biggest Christmas celebrations.
What is the annual festival of lights?
The annual festival of lights, includes illuminating the gigantic and famous Niagara waterfalls. This is also a lovely tourist attraction that brings a lot of people to the Niagara fall to celebrate christmas in Canada.
What do people do on Christmas?
For the most part, the popular thing to do around Christmas is to gather with family. For some, that might mean sitting down to watch Christmas movies like Elf and Home Alone, whereas others sit down to play board games. Others might get more active and go skating, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing or tobogganing. I know some people who like to go skiing on Christmas Day because no one is there! In general, though, people spend time with family one way or another.
Why do they send fir trees down for Christmas?
Boston gave a lot of assistance during that disaster and because of that, they send the tree down each Christmas as a way of saying thanks.
What is the day after Christmas called?
The day after Christmas is called Boxing day . This is a huge shopping day in Canada because many things go on sale. It’s kind of like Black Friday. I find it strange that it’s a day after Christmas, considering everyone just received many gifts, but it is what it is. I believe the day came from the past when shops would be “boxing” all the Christmas stuff to put away in storage. So, to get rid of it, they’d mark it down. Now it’s just become a big sales day. If you decide to visit a mall on December 26th, it will be very, very, very busy.
Do people hang Christmas stockings?
Many people also hang Christmas stockings, which usually become home to smaller gifts and trinkets on Christmas morning. These are overly large socks that you’ll likely see hung above a fireplace in the movies. Not everyone has a fireplace though. It’s also popular to listen to Christmas music and lounge around in pajamas on Christmas morning, although most people dress up for Christmas dinner later that night.
Is Christmas celebrated the same?
However, even the “traditional Christmas” is not celebrated the same by everyone. Some open gifts on Christmas eve. Others open one gift on Christmas eve and open the rest on Christmas day. We’re such a diverse country that people celebrate the holidays in a variety of different ways. Many of the traditions and celebrations you may see will have come from French, English, Irish, Scottish, Norwegian, Ukrainian, and German influence.
Is Canada a multicultural country?
However, as you probably know, Canada is a very multicultural country, which means Christmas food will likely differ amongst the various ethnicities, provinces, and territories. For example, Canada has the third-largest Ukrainian community in the world and they typically have 12 traditional Ukrainian dishes for Christmas, one of which is perogies.
Is Canada a good place to visit for Christmas?
Canada is a special place to experience Christmas. In fact, we wrote about the many places you can experience Christmas in Canada, but now we’d like to talk about what Christmas is like for most Canadians.
How many turkeys are consumed in Canada for Christmas?
Christmas lunch or dinner on December 25th will usually always feature a roast turkey. According to the Turkey Farmers of Canada, Canadians consumed 144.3-million kg of turkey in 2019. During Christmas that year, they purchase 2.7-million whole turkeys. This delicious bird comes dished up with trimmings like mashed potatoes, roasted parsnips and vegetables.
When was the first Santa parade in Toronto?
The Toronto Santa Claus Parade, also known as The Original Santa Claus Parade, started in 1913 , making it one of the oldest Santa parades in the world. At first, it was just a single Santa being dragged through the streets of the city by a reindeer, with children along the route following and marching alongside him. Today, over a century later it’s grown into a mammoth event with over 25 animated floats and over 2000 participants. In 1976 the route was lengthened to 7.5 miles to allow for the bigger crowds – at that point, more than 30 million people from across North America were tuning in to see the parade.
What is the symbolism of Christmas in Canada?
The Christmas tree, along with the Nativity scene is the chief physical symbol of Christmas across Canada in homes, businesses and public spaces ( see Fir ). The tree is a symbol of evergreen, of life, of magical powers in deepest winter. Varieties of evergreen boughs adorned homes and temples during solstice festivals across the Roman Empire. Pagan German tribes as well set up fir trees in their homes to welcome the domestic goddess of home and hearth. Coniferous Trees as a strong symbol of eternal life and longevity acquired a parallel symbolism with the feast of Christmas, despite the futile attempts of the Christian Church to ban their use.
Why is Christmas on the 25th of December?
Whatever the origins of the festival that is held on the 25th of December, it cannot be the celebration of the actual birth date of Jesus. That date is unknown. So while Christmas is the day on which the birth of Jesus is celebrated, the day chosen seems more related to the many festivals that mark the winter solstice, most of which in Roman or Celtic times predate the birth of Jesus. While it cannot be said that these festivals are the origin of Christmas, they have left their legacy not only in the time of year, but also in many of its symbols and traditions.
What is the origin of the name Christmas?
The origin of the name Christmas is the Old English Crïstes mæsse, "Christ's mass.".
Why did Santa climb up chimneys?
Santa's physically challenging task of delivering his gifts personally while climbing up and down chimneys may have been suggested by a Scandinavian or German tradition of preparing altars and fires of fir boughs to entice the Norse goddess of home, to descend through fire and bring good fortune.
What is the National Capital Commission's annual Christmas program?
Christmas, Parliament Hill. The National Capital Commission (NCC) presents an annual Christmas Lights Across Canada program, sponsored by Manulife Financial.
Who was the first person to celebrate Christmas?
The earliest mention of the celebration of Christmas by First Nations dates back to 1641. Jean de Brébeuf , a Jesuit missionary who lived among the Huron of Georgian Bay from 1626, composed a Christmas carol, " Jesous Ahatonhia " or the "Huron Carol," in their language telling the story of the birth of Jesus. Father Brébeuf adapted his story, written in verse, to the distinctive characteristics of the Aboriginal culture. Thus the Infant Jesus was wrapped in rabbit skin rather than linen and slept in a lodge of broken bark rather than a manger. Hunters replaced the shepherds and, in a final touch, three First Nations chiefs stood in for the Wise Men and, in place of gold, frankincense and myrrh, offered fur pelts to the holy Child.
When was the first Christmas tree made?
The first Christmas tree in North America appeared on Christmas Eve 1781 , in Sorel, Québec, when the baroness Riedesel hosted a party of British and German officers. She served an English pudding, but the sensation of the evening was a balsam fir cut for the occasion and placed in the corner of the dining room, its branches decorated with fruits and lit with white candles. The baroness was determined to mark her family's return to Canada after a trying ordeal with a traditional German celebration ( see German Canadians ).
What are some interesting facts about Canada?
20 Interesting Facts About Canada. Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. With an area of 9,984,670 square km, it is the world’s second-largest country by total area. Ottawa is its capital and Toronto is its largest city. English and French are its official languages.
What is a loony in Canada?
16. You’ve probably heard the word loony before but did you know that in Canada Loonies (and Toonies too) are actually a form of currency? It doesn’t mean Crazy Aunt Jane, but it does mean a $1 or $2 coin that’s actually part of their currency.
Do Canadians eat macaroni and cheese?
1. Did you know Canadians eat more macaroni and cheese than any other country? It’s a strange fact and there’s no real reason for it, but it’s actually been proven with Kraft being their favorite. And the country has been in love with this food since before 1845!
