How to Celebrate a Canadian Christmas

In Canada, festivities abound during the Christmas season. Because of the wide ethnic mix within Canada's provinces, these celebrations are rich with French, German and English traditions - as well as those of First Nations, or Native American tribes.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Christmas Gifts
• Christmas Tree Lights
• Christmas Trees
• Christmas Wreaths
• Taper Candles
• Tree Stands
• Beans
• Cakes
• Taffy
• Beans

1. Plan a taffy pull, which in the past was held on November 25 in honor of Saint Catherine, the patron saint of single women. This gathering provides an excuse for single women to meet eligible men.

2. Display a "crèche," or Nativity scene, with "santons," or plaster figures, depicting Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.

3. Sing traditional Christmas carols with English, French or German influence.

4. Make Christmas treats such as chocolate madeleines, iced cookies made with unsweetened cocoa and grated orange rind and prepared in shell-shaped molds.

5. Plan a midnight feast, or "réveillon" (which means "awakening" in French), for Christmas Eve after the mass or other religious services have ended. Invite family and friends to attend.

6. Cut down or buy a Christmas tree and decorate it with ornaments. Expect Santa Claus ("Pere Noel" in French) to leave gifts for the children under the tree. Plan to give gifts to friends and relatives.

7. Make an advent wreath and light candles to signify the coming of the Christ child.

8. Eat turkey, goose or beef for Christmas dinner, or opt for "tourtière," which is a traditional meat pie containing potatoes and onion. Serve desserts such as rice pudding with almonds, plum pudding, or the delicious chocolate Yule log, buche de Noel.

9. Mark the end of Christmas with "La fête du Roi," a holiday celebrated in Quebec on January 6. Prepare a cake with a bean hidden inside. Whoever gets the bean will be the king or queen, according to tradition.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider attending "Sinck tuck," a winter festival started by the Inuit that's celebrated in some provinces. The celebration consists of exchanging gifts and dancing.
• Barley Toys and Chicken Bones are traditional candies that can be bought and put into Christmas stockings.
• In the 1600s, the Christmas celebration in Quebec took place on the first Sunday of Advent, which fell at the end of November.
• In some places in Canada, gifts are not opened until New Year's Day.
• Canada is a large and cosmopolitan country made up of many ethnic and cultural groups, so Christmas traditions are quite diverse and cannot be generalized. The above are simply a few examples of local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your personal celebration of Christmas.

Resources

• Letters From Santa
• Christmas Recipes

on 11/22/2005 I am a Canadian, and I haven't noticed any differences between how Americans and Canadians celebrate the holidays (except Thanksgiving).

on 11/22/2005 We Canadians celebrate Christmas much the same way Americans do. Follow your own family traditions and incorporate any others that you find appropriate and fun and you can't go wrong.