The practice of decorating Christmas trees, however, was generally limited to bourgeois families. Another tradition no longer seen today was the customary New Year’s Day morning blessing by the father of the household. Learn how it's made the authentic way. March 17. French Canadians. In 1645, French colonists got together in a Québec church to celebrate midnight mass, sing “Venez, mon Dieu” and “Chantons Noé”, an ancient Christmas song, and unveil a nativity manger. They are known for their “joie de vivre,” colourful French accents, culinary traditions , and the warm welcome they extend to visitors. Especially in Quebec, they have a charming blend of the Old and New World. With the sale proceeds, they could buy exotic imported goods from the ships. Starting in 1850, goods also arrived by train from the United States. “Distribution by Father Santa Claus”, 1893 drawing appearing in Le Monde Illustré (BAnQ numérique), “Father Time welcomes Santa Claus and the New Year”, 1893 drawing appearing in Le Monde Illustré (BAnQ numérique). This French-Canadian Thanksgiving menu celebrates the autumn harvest with seasonal recipes. For others, a more generous dinner included tourtières (meat pies), roast pork, potatoes and pastries. Another réveillon took place on New Year’s Eve (or Day, depending on the mealtime). … The traditional Canadian Christmas, however, draws from French, British and American traditions. There are many informal customs and games followed and played at the wedding reception. These were the “twelve days of Christmas”. French Canadians share many common cultural practices: most are … In this era, each family had their own dedicated pew in the church, which was well-light by all the candles and decorated for the occasion. Canadian Literature Canada is home to a number of literary authors who produce work in either French or English. Slowly, Santa replaced Baby Jesus as the distributor of toys for children, and Christmas dethroned New Year’s Day as the favourite holiday, as more and more children received gifts on Christmas instead. In addition, their rules for non-working days are different from the rest of Canada and reflect their long standing tradition of Roman Catholicism. Enduring harsh winters and having many mouths to feed but little to eat, people required dishes with real substance to build their new nation! Dumas, Ève, "Aux racines de la fête de Noël", LaPresse.ca (https://www.lapresse.ca/noel/deguster/201212/07/01-4601853-aux-racines-de-la-fete-de-noel.php), 2012. Rudy, Jarrett, "WARREN, Jean-Philippe, Hourra pour Santa Claus ! Traditions are celebrations and rituals passed down from generation to generation. You can set your address, phone number, email and site description in the settings tab.Link to read me page with more information. In terms of folklore, Quebec's French-speaking populace has the second largest body of folktales in Canada (the first being Native people); most prominent within Quebec folklore are old parables and tales. Three masses were then conducted, each followed by a well-known Christmas carol: Les anges dans nos campagnes (Angels We Have Heard on High), Ça bergers and Dans cette étable. French-Canadian traditions include the holidays Dollard Day and St. Jean Baptiste Day, as well as traditional clothing with historical roots in the province of Quebec. Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal, owners of the design/construction firm Les Ensembles, serve a refined version of a traditional French-Canadian Christmas Eve dinner to welcome the holiday and the arrival of a certain bearded gentleman in a red suit. Since the 1960s, interest in preserving French Canadian culture and traditions has grown. These were the “twelve days of Christmas”. High mass would be performed, then low mass. What Are Some French-Canadian Traditions. Preserved vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, parsnips and radishes could also be served during the holidays, having been grated and salted in the fall. “The Morning of New Year’s Day”, 1887 drawing appearing in Le Monde Illustré (BAnQ numérique). Chickens, geese, turkeys, pigs and sheep were slaughtered in order to make the meat dishes. Tourquettes are candies made by pouring hot maple syrup onto snow. During the 19 th and 20 th Centuries, the French culture and charm rapidly spread all over the world, bringing with it the latest trends of French culture and lifestyle.. Baby Jesus was the one who brought children their gifts. These “traditions” are all fairly recent. Births Canadian couples will generally announce their pregnancy with great pride to friends and family as soon as they’re aware, and it’s common for girlfriends of the expecting mother to organize a baby shower – a small, lighthearted house party – to honour the new mom sometime before she gives birth. Canadian traditions - If you’re planning on studying in Canada, here are the 7 Canadian culture and traditions you should know before you study in Canada. Due to European roots and its close proximity to the United States, Canada’s traditions are a unique amalgamation of several cultures. 3-4 (2009): 613–616 (https://doi.org/10.7202/038542ar). Being of French-Canadian descent, I was curious as to how the French-Canadians of yore married. Marsh, James H., "Christmas in Canada", The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2017, Historica Canada (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/christmas-in-canada). 5 of them are civil holidays: New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An), May Day (1er Mai or Fête du Travail), Victory in Europe Day (8 mai 1945), Bastille Day (Fête Nationale), and Bundled up for the cold, the whole family would go to the village church in a horse-drawn sleigh, with the exception of the mother, the grandmother or the eldest daughter. Finally, among many unique cultural traditions, the French Canadian cuisine deserves a few minutes of our time. “Christmas réveillon in the country”, 1881 drawing appearing in L’Opinion Publique (BAnQ numérique). Until the late 19th century, New Year’s Day was more popular with French Canadians than Christmas. We can thank Quebec for poutine and smoked meat but there’s so much more to the cuisine from la belle province. They are deeply proud of their heritage and traditions. https://www.chatelaine.com/recipes/menus/french-canadian-holiday-menu French Canadian Culture: Holidays Québéc has a few unique holidays set apart from the rest of Canada. Fact Check: Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe? In some Québec families, children would attach stockings to the foot of their bed. French-Canadians generally have a traditional and courtly arrangement at their weddings. “Habitants going to Christmas Market”, 1842 watercolour by Millicent Mary Chaplin (Library and Archives Canada). Citrus, an incredible seasoning ingredient, begins arriving in markets during … Many—especially those in rural areas—still observe the traditional Christmas celebration. Here's a look at some of the uniquely Canadian holidays celebrated across most of Canada. It traditionally has been held at midnight following Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The most important religious holidays for French Canadians are Christmas and Easter. Most of these traditions were common across French-Canadian groups: Québécois, Franco-Ontarians and … Canada is a bilingual country where French and English are both official languagesat the federal level. Originally a German custom, it made its way to the United States. The culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting predominantly from the shared history of the French-speaking North American majority in Quebec. While Christmas wasn’t exactly a joyous affair, New Year’s Day certainly was. The French seem to love a good tradition. The French seem to love a good tradition. For some, it's not Christmas without this French-Canadian pork pie, or tourtière. Quebeçois is a dialect heard nowhere other than Quebec. The midnight meal was welcomed after the fasting of Advent. If you can’t make to the province anytime soon, you can make your favourites at home with these delicious recipes. French Canadians put up and decorate Christmas trees and most include a nativity scene next to the tree or underneath it. French Christmas traditions share some similarities with other European cultures and yet has it’s own unique ones as well. What Are the Different Departments of a Bank? Réveillon is a traditional feast that starts after church service on Christmas Eve and lasts until the wee hours of Christmas morning. For English Canadians, the meat of choice was normally roasted and stuffed goose, served alongside mince pie, which was filled with poultry, pheasant, partridge and rabbit. Drawing its roots from French cuisine, Québec’s cuisine was largely shaped by the difficult early years after it was settled. French Canadian Culture: Holidays. Séguin, Robert-Lionel, "Les divertissements au Québec aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles", published in Outre-Mers, 1974, 5-17. circa 1875 postcard (Library and Archives Canada), 1870 drawing of Marché Bonsecours on Christmas Eve (BAnQ), 1871 drawing of the "Old Man's Christmas Lunch" (BAnQ), 1880 drawing of the "Return from Midnight Mass in Manitoba" (BAnQ), 1894 drawing of "Christmas in Different Countries" (BAnQ), 1894 drawings of "Christmas in Canada" (BAnQ), 1897 drawing of "Santa Claus' Distribution" (BAnQ), 1904 image of a "Family réveillon" (BAnQ), 1906 Postcard from England (Library and Archives Canada), 1907 Postcard (Library and Archives Canada), Circa 1910 Christmas Card (Library and Archives Canada), Circa 1911 Postcard (Library and Archives Canada), 1913 drawing of a Christmas Réveillon (BAnQ), 1917 Postcard (Library and Archives Canada), Circa 1926 Postcard (Library and Archives Canada), 1938 photo of the Santa Claus Parade in Montreal (BAnQ), Circa 1875 Christmas Card (Library and Archives Canada), Circa 1875 Christmas Postcard (Library and Archives Canada), Circa 1886 Christmas Card (Library and Archives Canada), Circa 1882 Christmas Card (Library and Archives Canada), Circa 1883 Christmas Card (Library and Archives Canada), 1884 Christmas Card (Library and Archives Canada), 1917 Christmas Card (Library and Archives Canada), Central Station, Montréal Christmas Scene, War Savings Christmas Cards (Library and Archives Canada), Return to the "Holidays & Special Occasions" page, http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/fr/article-302/Traditions_de_No%C3%ABl_en_Acadie, https://www.lapresse.ca/noel/deguster/201212/07/01-4601853-aux-racines-de-la-fete-de-noel.php, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/christmas-in-canada, https://vigile.quebec/articles/noels-en-nouvelle-france, http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/numtxt/125502.pdf, https://savoirs.usherbrooke.ca/bitstream/handle/11143/15279/Prevost_Emilie_MA_2019.pdf?sequence=4.