Thank you Canadian DISers

[tvguy]

I learned a lot about diversity in Canada in earlier posts when I called fruit cake "Traditional Canadian Wedding Cake", which was clearly not every Canadians experience.
Soooooooooooo, in the mail today is a package from my cousin in Ottawa, 2 fruit cakes. One a dark fruit cake using my late Aunts receipe, and one a light fruit cake. Also a note from my cousin, who I had emailed during the whole great fruit cake debate.
"Decided to honor mum's memory by making fruit cakes using her recipes. My girls wondered why I made the light fruit cake since they get that at every wedding they go to. I laughed and told them about your emails, then Janet pointed out the recipe name is "Traditional Canadian Wedding Cake" in mum's handwriting. I knew then I had to share a couple with you."

LOL. Thanks. I learned a lot, and scored 2 homemade fruit cakes for Christmas.

 

[Southernmiss]

Love it when the disboards can feature in every day life!

 

[Fennella Brewer]

At the time that my mother was married the wedding cake was indeed a fruit cake, lovingly made and decorated by my grandmother. That tradition seem to wane as time went by and the white cake took over; however, the groom's cake was established as individually wrapped pieces of fruit cake for the guests. My friend was married in Quebec the year before my wedding and her wedding cake was a tiered fruit cake made by her mother. I suspect it depends on how family traditions are embraced as to the type of cake served at the wedding.

 

[SkaGoat]

not to stir up the great fruit cake debate of 2015. But I do think in many places in Canada, fruit cake was the traditional wedding cake (I know my parents had one). But, as with many parts of Canadian culture, I feel that weddings have become very Americanized (not that there is anything wrong with that).

The last wedding I was last fall in Southern Ontario, the couple are in their early to mid 20s, and they had fruit cake as a wedding favour.

 

[MomofKatie]

So, I'm curious- what are some other uniquely Canadian wedding traditions?

 

[SkaGoat]

So, I'm curious- what are some other uniquely Canadian wedding traditions?

I'm not sure there are many others, Canadian Weddings (like American ones) are based on English weddings, so a lot of those traditions are the same because their English.

 

[kimblebee]

So, I'm curious- what are some other uniquely Canadian wedding traditions?

I can do you one better..for a uniquely Manitoba tradition Google wedding social. Be warned..99% of the DIS would clutch their pearls and declare it to be hideously tacky but if you grow up with it, it's tradition.

 

[SkaGoat]

I can do you one better..for a uniquely Manitoba tradition Google wedding social. Be warned..99% of the DIS would clutch their pearls and declare it to be hideously tacky but if you grow up with it, it's tradition.

We have something similar in Ontario called a Buck n' Doe or Stag n' Doe, so only the name is uniquely Manitoban. They are actually usually some pretty fun parties. Just make sure you pay for the gold fish insurance.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I remember the fruit cake debate. It was for sure a tradition here at weddings but has dwindled out over the last 20 years.

 

[tvguy]

We have something similar in Ontario called a Buck n' Doe or Stag n' Doe, so only the name is uniquely Manitoban. They are actually usually some pretty fun parties. Just make sure you pay for the gold fish insurance.

That sounds kind of cool.
Traditions are fun at Weddings.
I went to a Greek Orthodox and there was some tradition with crowns being exchanged 3 times between the bride and groom during the ceremony.....made humorous by a best man who kept referring to the crowns as halters and yelling "giddy up" at the Groom.
And an African American friend married a Jewish woman, she made him smash a glass, he made her jump the broom.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

So um, you're actually happy to be receiving fruitcake?

 

[lizabu]

White fruitcake is delicious. My grandma used to make it every Christmas and she made it for a lot of brides. I haven't been to a recent wedding with fruitcake but there was definitely a time when every wedding had a fruit cake. Canada is so diverse every wedding I've been to recently has customs from another country or countries woven in. It's hard to identify a custom which is unique to Canada.

 

[tvguy]

So um, you're actually happy to be receiving fruitcake?

Home made yes. Bakery made, so so. Store bought, nope.
I grew up with it being a special Christmas treat every year, and if my mom and I could not make it back to Canada for a family wedding, one of my Aunts would always send us a slice of the wedding fruit cake.
I love it. My son loves it. My daughter doesn't. My wife is no fan, but she doesn't like fruit period. But in the past 10 years as my Aunts got older and stopped doing holiday baking, and all have passed away now, DW has made several attempts to buy, or make from scratch a fruit cake for DS and I. Spent $50 on a fruit cake from one of the fancy local bakeries 2 years ago. This year she made fruit cake cookies instead.
Funny thing is, my mom, one of 4 girls, was the only one who did not make fruit cake, or do extensive baking. But she loved it.

 

[bcla]

I can do you one better..for a uniquely Manitoba tradition Google wedding social. Be warned..99% of the DIS would clutch their pearls and declare it to be hideously tacky but if you grow up with it, it's tradition.

That's sounds like one way to do it. In Asian cultures, the traditional wedding gift is money. I remember talking to a Vietnamese coworker about what to give him for his wedding. His sister-in-law was also a coworker and present while we were talking. He said he'd appreciate cash. His SIL flat out said that the money she got from her wedding was more than enough to pay off the expenses.

Although he and his bride were Vietnamese, they made do with a lot of Chinese traditions. Their wedding banquet was at a Chinese restaurant and a lot of the gifts of cash (and sometimes checks) came in traditional Chinese red envelopes. I kind of slacked off and placed my gift in a Hallmark wedding card/money holder.

 

[xlxo]

Yep... with so much economic diversity (and fusion). There are lots of opportunity to explore traditions and foods from around the world.

Here's a little upcoming Canadian tradition hopping across the border...
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy-seattle.org/

 

[kuhltiffany]

If I remember correctly, the wedding/fruitcake cake was received as a favour, wrapped in a doily. You took it home and if you were young, female and single, you placed it under your pillow and were supposed to dream of your future husband that night..

 

[pfalcioni]

Fruitcake at weddings is more of a generational thing than a location thing, but if it makes TVGuy feel better to come out on top in the Great Fruitcake Debate, then bless his heart. For those looking for the true answer to this fruity question, a trip to Wikipedia will garner the actual history of fruitcake at weddings.

 

[tvguy]

Fruitcake at weddings is more of a generational thing than a location thing, but if it makes TVGuy feel better to come out on top in the Great Fruitcake Debate, then bless his heart. For those looking for the true answer to this fruity question, a trip to Wikipedia will garner the actual history of fruitcake at weddings.

Thinking of this thread as I watch the pre-Royal Wedding stories where they mention the Wedding cake will be a fruitcake..."the traditional wedding cake of the U.K. AND Canada". LOL. And no, I did NOT write those network storie.s

 

[soccerdad72]

Thinking of this thread as I watch the pre-Royal Wedding stories where they mention the Wedding cake will be a fruitcake..."the traditional wedding cake of the U.K. AND Canada". LOL. And no, I did NOT write those network storie.s

Except Harry and Meghan are breaking from tradition (probably because, well, fruitcake ) and going with buttercream:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/news/2018/3/meghan-markle-prince-harry-royal-wedding-cake

 

[tvguy]

Except Harry and Meghan are breaking from tradition (probably because, well, fruitcake ) and going with buttercream:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/news/2018/3/meghan-markle-prince-harry-royal-wedding-cake

Nope. That is the display cake. The actual wedding cake will be a fruit cake.
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/946312/royal-wedding-cake-meghan-markle-prince-harry-news