Canada's Christmas Traditions: A Cultural Celebration

Christmas is celebrated in Canada on December 25, with many Canadians also taking the afternoon of December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 26 (Boxing Day) off work. While Christmas in Canada is celebrated in much the same way as in other Western countries, the country's multicultural identity means that many non-Christian traditions are also observed in December and throughout the year.

Christmas in Canada is celebrated in a similar way to other Western countries

Many Canadians exchange gifts and enjoy a special festive meal on Christmas Day. The traditions centred on Christmas gifts vary between families. In some families, gifts are delivered by Santa Claus, who travels on a sleigh pulled by reindeer and enters homes via the chimney, leaving presents and candy in Christmas stockings or under the Christmas tree. In other families, individual members exchange carefully selected gifts. Popular gifts for children include toys, games, and candy, while adults may receive clothes, music, alcohol, or practical or luxury items. Canadians may open their presents on Christmas Eve after a church service, or during the morning or afternoon of Christmas Day.

The Christmas feast is a big deal in Canada. The traditional main dish is roast turkey, served with potatoes, a selection of vegetables, and cranberry sauce. Other popular dishes include beef, goose, and Tourtière (a meat pie served in Quebec and other provinces). For dessert, Canadians might enjoy plum pudding, pumpkin pie, fruit cake, or butter tarts.

Canadians also enjoy many Christmas traditions that are common in other Western countries, such as decorating Christmas trees, sending Christmas cards, and hanging stockings. Many communities have some sort of tradition involving Christmas light displays, and some people even venture into the wilderness to cut down their own Christmas tree.

Canadians celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday

The most common greeting during the Christmas season in Canada is "Merry Christmas", even among those who view it as a secular holiday. "Happy Holidays" is less commonly used, and "Season's Greetings" is rarely heard. The celebration of Christmas in Canada shares many similarities with other Western countries, including the presence of Christmas trees, decorations, and the exchange of gifts.

In the lead-up to Christmas, Canadians often decorate their homes with lights and purchase or cut down their own Christmas trees to adorn with ornaments, tinsel, and lights. Christmas stockings are hung in anticipation of being filled with treats and small gifts. Children eagerly await the arrival of Santa Claus, leaving out milk and cookies for him on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day, Canadians come together with their loved ones to exchange gifts and enjoy a special feast. The traditional Christmas meal typically includes a roast turkey with all the trimmings, followed by desserts such as plum pudding, fruit cake, or butter tarts.

Canadians also have a variety of unique traditions that vary across the provinces. For example, in Toronto, the Santa Claus Parade is an annual highlight, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators. Many communities across Canada enjoy Christmas light displays, with parks and streets decked out in festive illuminations.

Christmas trees and decorations are a popular tradition

Today, many Canadians decorate their homes with Christmas trees and other festive decorations. Some choose to buy real trees, while others opt for artificial ones. There are safety rules to follow when purchasing a real tree, and permits may be required depending on the province. Families often decorate their trees together, hanging a variety of ornaments, tinsel, lights, and a star or angel on top.

In addition to Christmas trees, Canadians also decorate their homes with lights, wreaths, and stockings. Cities and towns join in the festivities by lighting up their streets with displays of snowflakes, candy canes, and other winter-themed shapes. One unique Canadian Christmas tradition is the sending of a large Fir or Spruce tree from Nova Scotia to Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as a thank you for their assistance after the 1917 Halifax Explosion.

The Christmas season in Canada is a time for spreading joy and celebrating with loved ones. Decorating homes and communities is a big part of the holiday tradition, bringing cheer to the cold winter months.

Christmas is a time for feasting and exchanging gifts

The Christmas feast is a big deal in Canada, with traditional dishes such as roast turkey, seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy. The meal often starts with a cooked breakfast, such as ham and eggs or pancakes. Popular desserts include pumpkin pie, plum pudding, Christmas pudding, butter tarts, doughnuts, pastries, fruit cake, and cookies.

Canadians spend a lot of money on Christmas gifts, with the average spending reaching $792 in 2019, according to the Retail Council of Canada. The most common gifts fall under consumable categories like food, alcohol, and candy, followed by clothing and toys.

Gift-giving traditions vary between families. In some families, gifts are brought by a mythical figure called Santa Claus, who enters homes via the chimney and leaves presents and candy in stockings or under the Christmas tree. In other families, individuals exchange carefully selected gifts.

Christmas stockings are often hung in Canadian homes, with each family member having their own stocking filled with small toys, candy, or fruit. Wrapped presents are placed under the tree and opened on Christmas Day, although some families may open gifts on Christmas Eve.

Canadians also decorate their homes with lights and Christmas trees, creating a festive atmosphere. The Christmas tree tradition has been part of Canadian culture since 1781, and the country produces about 70,000 acres of Christmas trees annually. Advent wreaths and Christmas wreaths are also popular decorations.

Boxing Day is celebrated on 26 December

Christmas in Canada is celebrated in much the same way as in other Western countries. December 25 is a public holiday, with many Canadians also taking the afternoon of the 24th off work, as well as the 26th, which is Boxing Day.

Canada is a multicultural country, so many non-Christian holidays are also observed in December and throughout the year. Hanukkah celebrations are widespread, especially in Toronto and Montreal, which have large Jewish populations.

Christmas Day is a time for exchanging gifts and sharing meals with close relatives and friends. It often starts with a cooked breakfast, followed by a large meal in the evening. Traditional foods include a roast turkey, seasonal vegetables, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Christmas crackers—packaged tubes containing small gifts and paper hats—are popular favours.

On December 26, Canadians celebrate Boxing Day. This holiday has been celebrated since 1871 and has roots in Catholicism, which encourages donations to the poor, or "almsgiving", around Christmastime. While the etymology of Boxing Day is not definitively known, there are several theories about its origins:

• Anglican churches collected donations for charity in boxes throughout December. On December 26, the "poor boxes" were opened and their contents distributed.
• Traditionally, aristocrats gave gift boxes to their servants on December 26 to thank them for helping with Christmas festivities.
• In feudal times, lords "paid" people who worked on their land over the past year with boxes filled with practical gifts, such as farming tools or cloth.

Today, Boxing Day in Canada is a secular federal holiday and a day for shopping, eating leftovers, and spending time with family. It is the biggest shopping day of the year, with stores offering discounted prices on a wide range of items.

Frequently asked questions