This week has been quite and not particularly different to the one before with studying for my last two exams dominating my time along preparing to go home and getting excited about Christmas. Since this last one is by far the most interesting of the three I decided to blog about Christmas and more specifically Christmas traditions this week.
While investigating if or how Christmas traditions in Canada are different to those in the UK I disappointingly didn’t find allot of big differences. People decorate there houses in lights, tinsel and Christmas trees. They place with of holly and mistletoe over every doorway and play cheesy Christmas music until their ears bleed. Stockings are hung by the fire waiting for Santa to visit with his reindeer, pulling a sleigh full of presents. Many people attend midnight mass and everyone sings carols and Christmas songs. Children take part in nativity plays and go sledging on snow days. On Christmas day food plays a big part of the celebrations with turkey usually being served accompanied by roast potatoes, stuffing and green beans.
However there are a few interesting differences. Masked Mummers are the most intriguing of these traditions which is mostly celebrated on the Eastern coast of Canada. It celebrated throughout the twelve days of Christmas and involves groups of masked people parading the streets and making as much noise as possible, stopping at each house along the way. If the people in the house that they call at can guess who the Masked Mummers are then they have to stop making the noise but if they cannot then the Mummer will be given treats and candy. Another interesting tradition held by many people in Canada is the opening of presents on Christmas Eve, this is probably a tradition brought by Dutch setters to the American continent but there are also many who open their presents on Christmas day inline with the British and French traditions. I do like the idea of getting presents a day early! A good Quebec tradition is the celebration of ‘La Fete du Roi’ on the 6th of January it seams to consist solely on baking a cake and hiding a bean in the middle. If you find the bean you become king or queen of the festival. Of course the biggest difference in Canadian Christmas traditions is that Canada is guaranteed a white Christmas which is more of a miracle in the UK.
There are also many native traditions which are partly influenced by European settlement but also revolve around many winter festivals. There are feasts after the winter solstice and to celebrate that the shortest day is over. These celebrations will now often incorporate gift giving and sometimes event tree decorating because of the strong European influences.
Canadian traditions don’t vary very much from those which I’m used to which on the one hand is a little disappointing but on the other is quite nice because as we get nearer to Christmas I’m enjoying all the little things which make it feel like Christmas at home.
