Customs and traditions in Canada

     Santa Claus visits most Canadian homes, though some children do not open all of their presents until New Year's Day. As in many other countries, Christmastime in Canada is a time for cheer and family. 

     Happy Family Day 

     Happy Family Day to all my peeps in Ontario (Canada)!  First celebrated in 2008, Family Day takes place on the third Monday of every February and is intended to give working parents a day dedicated to spending quality time with their families. Today marks the third annual Family Day in Ontario (Alberta and Saskatchewan also recognize the holiday) and I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy the day. 

     My family doesn’t have a whole lot planned for Family Day this year. We’re in the midst of a major home reno (work began a few weeks ago and walls on the main floor start coming down on Friday), so we’re a little limited in what we can do at the moment. Moving is always a pain, but I’ve discovered that this is possibly worse -much of the house still has to be packed up so it’s not really accessible, but there’s a generous smattering of drywall dust everywhere. My poor hard drives… It’s snowing right now, so I think we’ll grab the sleds and walk to the local toboggan hill for an hour or two. I also have a LEGO Millenium Falcon set sitting in the van (no, not that one) that we might tackle. Maybe some assemble-your-own nachos, a roaring fire, hot chocolate and a movie will round the day out. If I have enough energy and I can find the cookie sheets, I’ll bake enough cookies to be able to throw a few containers in the freezer and keep me going through the coming “no oven or stove access” weeks. Then it’s back to packing up what’s left of the kitchen and looking forward to a few weeks of nightly BBQing… 
 

     Family Day at the ROM. Image from the Royal Ontario Museum. 

     If you live in Ontario and you’re looking for some last minute ideas for family activities today, here are a few possibilities:

     Ottawa: The Museum of Civilization and the War Museum are offering free admission for kids under 18 (one child per adult) today. Winterlude is also underway.

     The Toronto Zoo is offering free admission on Monday for kids under 12 who bring a valentine for their favorite bug (one child per adult). The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto is including Mesozoic Monsters with museum admission

     Victoria Park in London is offering a free Family Day Skate, all day on Monday and Circle R Ranch is holding an open house with free hay rides and hot chocolate.

     Waterloo Public Square in Waterloo has a free family skate along with a food fair, magician, music, face painting and additional activities.

     Geeky dads and moms in Hamilton might want to check out the Family Day Toy and Collectible Show/Sale that promises Star Wars toys, action figures and plenty of other interesting ways to spend a little money (admission $2, kids under 10 are free). 

     Canada Traditions

      The local customs and traditions in Canada were brought to the country by the millions of immigrants and were part of the native culture when these people arrived. One of the traditions that Canada shares with the US is the celebration of Thanksgiving. This is a holiday in the country that is held on the first Monday in October. The early settlers were so pleased with their first harvests in the new land that they had a celebration to give thanks. This tradition continues today. 

     When you visit someone’s home, you always remove your footwear inside the entrance. This is so you won’t track any mud or gravel onto the clean floors of the house. On Halloween, children dress up in all kinds of costumes and go from house to house in their neighborhood receiving treats of candy. During the Christmas season, mummering is a tradition in Newfoundland. Both children and adults dress up in old mismatched clothing and cover their faces. They visit homes and put off a sort of mini-concert by singing and dancing.  

     Each area of the country and each ethnic group have their own tradition and custom. This makes it very difficult to determine one or several customs that are practiced in the same way all across the country. November 11 and July 1 are two days in which the Armed Forces are honored. The first long weekend of the year takes place in May – on or near May 24 in honor of Queen Victoria’s Birthday. Bonfire night on November 5 is still held in some parts of the country to celebrate Guy Fawke’s Night.  

     Hockey is the national sport and the one thing that truly unites the country. This sport was actually borrowed from the native peoples and the early settlers learned to play it.