Canadians share more than just a border with the United States. Many of the holiday traditions, including Christmas, are similar to those celebrated by people in the U.S.
For example, the Christmas tree is a popular decoration found in many Canadian and American homes. The Christmas tree, of course, is actually a German Christmas tradition. Advent wreaths and Christmas wreaths adorn many American and Canadian homes during the holidays. Nativity scenes are also popular décor for Canadian as well as American Christians.
Because Canada is a large and cosmopolitan country made up of many ethnic and cultural groups, Christmas traditions are quite diverse and cannot be generalized. Christmas in Canada has an interesting history. Canada was first claimed by England in the 1400's, later in the 1600's a French explorer by the name of Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City, and Canada became a country with two distinctive backgrounds living as one.
For the French Canadians, Christmas Eve is the highlight of the holidays; they will spend days preparing for the reveillon, the evening meal. (See my article about French Christmas traditions.) French Canadians decorate a Christmas tree and place the crèche, a Nativity scene, under the tree before going to midnight mass. After Midnight Mass, they come home from church to a feast of la tourtiere, a meat pie and various other dishes. Topping off the meal was the Yule log, a chocolate cake in the shape of a log to symbolize the birch log burned in the fireplace on reveillon before the French came to Canada. During reveillon, French Canadian children open small gifts from their stockings, they save the big gifts for New Year's Day. Christmas day for the French was a day for relaxation and for children to play and have fun.
For the English Canadians, Christmas focuses on Christmas Day. Gifts are exchanged in the morning. After the presents are exchanged, many English Canadians go off to church, when they return from church they sit down to a big dinner usually consisting of roast goose or beef and plum pudding. One fun tradition enjoyed by the English Canadians is the “kissing ball.” The kissing ball is a ring of evergreen boughs with candles, apples and nuts hung in doorway. The ball is supposed to celebrate the return of the light following the winter solstice; young men, however, used this opportunity to steal a kiss from any single lady standing under the ball, hence the name of kissing ball.
German Canadians have the Tannenbaum (Christmas tree) in the place of honor in their homes. The children await the Christkindl, a messenger from the Christ child while their mothers bake Christmas cookies and Stollen. The Stollen, is a traditional German fruitcake usually eaten during the Christmas season. The Stollen is shaped like a regular loaf of bread and it is powdered with icing sugar on the outside. It is usually made with yeast, butter, water, flour, zest, raisins, and almonds. The most famous Stollen is the Dresdner Stollen, sold at the local Christmas market.
Christmas trees, ancient carols, gingerbread houses, and advent calendars are part of the traditions of the German Canadians.
In Newfoundland, Christmas is celebrated with wide hospitality and generosity, food and drinks are consumed in a large quantities. Brews of beer are prepared in advance before the Christmas season starts. During the holidays women make lots of cookies and fruit cakes, open jars of preserved moose, jams and vegetables. In rural areas a cow or a pig is usually slaughtered in order to feed numerous visitors. Christmas Day families visit relatives, friends and neighbors.
Mumming is a unique Newfoundland cultural tradition. Dressing usually in torn dresses, bettered hats, hip boots and other obsolete or strange materials men try to appear as women and women dress up as men. Mummers also have to cover their faces so that others would not recognize them.
In late evening mummers move from one house to another in small groups. They enter houses without knocking or invitation; they behave quite loud, moving fast around the house half-dancing (the mummers walk). Frequently mummers bring musical instruments with them so they may start playing music and dance with the hosts or with each other. While making jokes about the family they speak in a manner that the hosts would not guess who are they.
When households identify who is the Mummer, he should “strip” - removing his/her mask. If the hosts cannot guess who is behind the mask they may try to remove it by “force.” If the person behind the mask was not identified he usually leaves without accepting food or drink. Once identified the Mummer removes the mask and return to his normal behavior.
The various Canadians of Indian heritage have a different set of the Christmas traditions, including gift-giving, feasts, singing, dancing, drumming and games (which were part of their ancient winter celebrations). The Cree children visit the homes of their relatives to collect their gifts. The Inuit hold feasts of caribou, seal, raw fish, and turkey.
One Canadian Christmas tradition that really illustrates the close familiar ties that exist between Canada and the US is the story of the Boston Christmas tree.
The Boston Christmas Tree tradition is a relatively “young” tradition; it started over ninety years ago with the Halifax Explosion. On December 6, 1917, two ships collided in the harbor and caused a large explosion that was heard over heard over 62 miles (100 km) away. The explosion and the tidal wave that followed, destroyed over 325 acres of the north end of the city, killing over 1900 people, and injuring over 9000 more. In response to this devastation, the people of Boston sent help in the form of doctors, nurses, food and supplies. As a token of appreciation, Canadians send a special Christmas tree to Boston every year. (In a similar fashion, the Queen of the Netherlands every year sends a pot of tulips to the Canadian people as a token of appreciation for the role that Canadian troops played in freeing Holland from Nazi occupation.)
Christmas is a time for tradition and goodwill toward others. The story of the people of Boston helping others in their time of need, even though it was not actually Christmas, still exhibits the true spirit of Christmas. Because of the kindness of strangers, a celebration between two cities in two separate, but spiritually close, countries has become a cherished holiday tradition.
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