Ideas would be most appreciated!

[Epcotgal8]

I live in the U.S. (Louisiana to be exact) and I need advice from you friends from Canada. My 3rd grade son's class is doing a unit on "Christmas Around the World". They each have been assigned a country and the teacher wants them to do research on the holidays and how they are celebrated in various countries. She also wants them to try to find and bring in anything related to that assigned country. Her examples were imported treats, flowers, books, money, etc. Any suggestions? Perhaps I can order some treat online? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

 

[Scratch42]

That is such a wide topic considering Canada is a Multi-Cultural Country.

Basically we celebrate the same as the US but we have Boxing Day the day after Christmas which is also celebrated in the UK and I believe Austrailia. Can't remember why it is celebrated but has something to do with returning gifts. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I am sure that there are other traditions that others can help you with.

Sorry not much help.

Good Luck to your son for his project.

Happy Holidays!

Scratch


http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/exhibits/eatons/index.html

Ok, I'm gonna date myself with this link but this used to be a tradition in the Toronto Area!LOL

 

[DutchsMommy]

Maybe you could do something on the multiculturalism and talk about Kwaanza (sp?), Dihwhali (sp again), the Jewish holiday (totally embarassed - can't remember the name!!), Orthodox (Ukranian and Greece I can think of right now) etc etc. At DSs school, and at work for that matter, we have "holiday" parties because there really is so many people from different countries that celebrate differently. Our family personally celebrates the "traditional" Catholic christmas with Mass on Christmas eve, the tree, "Santa" etc etc. You might also want to check out our Canadian Aboriginal and Inuit holiday celebrations - I don't know too much about that other than we learned a song in school about the "Mighty Gitchee Manitou" which is some type of spiritual thing over Christmas.

**Apologizes to all readers who I may have messed up your celebrations names and details - it was just my own memory and not meant in a bad way at all**

 

[cslittle999]

I know of two sources for Boxing Day.

Some people say that in England servants were required to work on Christmas day but had the next day off. As the servants were leaving for their day off they would receive Christmas boxes from their employers.

Others say it comes from the custom of having an alms box at the back of churchs. Traditionally the day after Christmas is when the alms box was opened and distributed to the poor.

 

[Amberle3]

After reading these boards I was surprised to learn that butter tarts are apparently a uniquely Canadian thing. I'v even polled my US friends and none of them have heard of butter tarts.

So I found a recipe for them, and made a whole bunch yesterday. I made the mini ones, and they turned out great. For a kid I'd suggest getting the pre-made tart shells, the filling really didn't take all that much to make.

 

[ChisJo]

We always have nanaimo bars at christmas as well (best things ever!). Maybe you could make nanaimo bars and bring them in for you DSs class.
Jo

 

[Mysteria]

As the previous posters have stated Christmas in the US and in Canada is pretty much the same. Trees, decorations, shopping, giving and receiving gifts, spending time with friends and family, eating way too much!.. lol...and so on. I did find a few websites that may interest you though on Christmas in Canada. They talk a bit about traditions and how they started etc.

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

Myst

 

[Epcotgal8]

Thank you!!!!!

 

[striker3636]

A few other things that represent Canada: The maple leaf (on our penny), the Beaver (on our nickel), the Bluenose Schooner (a tall ship on our dime), the moose (on our quarter), the loon (on our $1 coin we call the loonie), and the polar bear (on our $2 coin we call the toonie). Maybe you could print out something from our Royal Canadian Mint at w3.mint.ca to have something to represent Canada.

In addition to butter tarts and nanaimo bars, maple syrup and maple sugar candies are other yummy Canadian treats.

At Christmas, my family eats pork pie. Tourtiere is a pork pie that is a French Canadian tradition. Since my husband's family came from England a few generations ago, we make it slightly differently and have a spin on this. Traditionally tourtiere is eaten Christmas Eve, but we eat it for breakfast Christmas Day. (took me a while to get used to it!) We also must have shortbread cookies that I make with my grandmothers recipe from England (not for breakfast though! lol). Other than that, much of my Christmas is similar to yours (my Christmas dinner would be like that of a typical American Thanksgiving dinner - turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie etc etc). As others have said, in Canada we celebrate many cultures and the traditions and foods of our friends become part of ours.

If you are stuck for ideas of what to bring in, peamail me and I can send you a flag pin and maple leaf pin.

Annette

 

[Mortlives]

You might also try http://www.sears.ca and Request a Wish Book. I don't know if they'd ship one to Lousiana, but it never hurts to ask The Sears Christmas Wish Book (it's a catalogue), has been a Canadian holiday tradition for decades. Children all over Canada use it to pick out their Christmas lists for their parents. (Or maybe it was just our area? Someone help me out?).

Your son could also show the movie "A Christmas Story". It's set in the States, but was equally true for Canada, and a large part of the movie was shot in Ontario.

Kungaloosh!
Morticia.

 

[Epcotgal8]

Hi Annette. Sending you a p.m.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Don't forget the yummy kinder eggs everyone!

 

[jersey shark]

Hello Mortlives.

Hmmmm, Canadian culture must be very comparable to US (more than you apparently know) since last time I checked, Sears was an AMERICAN company (Sears, Roebuck & Co, Sears Tower in Chicago etc...), and the Wish Book has been a classic for generations here!

Just a quick FYI

JS

 

[Mortlives]

Well, I guess we have North American traditions, then. Do you guys have Santa Claus?

Kungaloosh!
Morticia.

 

[flyingenie]

Well, I guess we have North American traditions, then. Do you guys have Santa Claus?

yup! In terms of traditions, we are pretty similar to the US. I agree with the maple syrup, butter tarts, etc. but that's more "canada in the winter" than "canada at christmas".

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

Don't forget the yummy kinder eggs everyone!

Yes, Kinder Eggs - they are not allowed/available here. Apparently (don't quote me on this) the FDA (?) does not allow anything that you cannot eat (toy) inside something you can! Hence, nothing like Kinders here.
We buy they at Costco in Canada and bring them down here (so there.....)

I think the biggest difference is Boxing Day. Most down here have never heard of it.

 

[CdnMom2]

We don't have "Black Friday" up here. I only heard of it recently when visiting American friends.
Our Christmas chaos season does not start immediately after our Thanksgiving as our Thanksgiving is much earlier. No Macey's Thanksgiving Parade with Santa at the end up here.
Our big kick-off dates vary by family though the Toronto Eaton's Santa Parade used to be a traditional starter for many. Or whatever Advent Programs at one's church.
The stores lately though are starting after Hallowe'en

The same American friends also like to get Clamato from us along with the before-mentioned yummy butter tarts. We also have tourtiere, shortbread, yule log, KinderSurprise, Canada Dry gingerale, eggnog, clementines, fruitcake, steamed Christmas pudding, beef roast with Yorkshire pudding, horseradish/turkey/lamb with mint jelly...

 

[diz karen]

In Quebec, (and maybe elsewhere, I do not know), many french families celebrate reveillon. Gifts are opened on Christmas eve. You go to mass and while you are gone Santa delivers gifts. You stay up half the night eating and partying and opening gifts. They eat tourtiere and ragout and have a buche de noel for dessert (Christmas log). That is a little different, I think.
As an english family in Quebec, my family did not celebrate like this but many of my friends did. Maybe a french Quebecer could tell you where this tradition comes from.