“Tradition is the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation.” (Oxford Dictionary, 2012)
“Custom, traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place, or time.” (Oxford Dictionary, 2012)
We begin our essay with a question because sometimes is very difficult to establish a difference between them and because our essay going to center in special topics that we found interesting when searched information about the Traditions and Customs of Canada, also we believed that people who could read this essay understand these points are part of Canadian culture.
Our essay begins with the following topic;
Religion and National holidays
Each religion in the world has rituals, a higher power and prayers for instance, the Christianity, which is the main religion in Canada with a 90% of population. But it should say that in Christianity we found as either Roman Catholic or Protestant religion. But, who is the dominance? All throughout history is can see the strong influence from French settlers that inculcated this prominent religion in all Europe to the aboriginal people from generation to generation.
Besides this important religion which has most faithful in the world, a very important reason to be established in Canada, we found other religions as Judaism Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Islam, being the same as the Christianity an influence inculcated by immigrants. It should be pointed out that all of these religions can be freely expressed in the country, although there is one more important than another. For this reason many of the traditions established in Canada follows the lifestyle manifested in religions.
Some of these demonstrations of devotion are specifically in each religion mentioned before. It would be good highlighting some specific traditions of each one, as is the case of Hinduism that celebrating the festival of their New Year, according to luni-solar calendar system. It is related with calculate the cycles of the sun and the moon. Another case is the Islam where their festival is to celebrating the Feast of sacrifice ending in Mecca and consists in several rites of animal sacrifices to praise to Abraham and his son Ishmael. However, is we have to talk about festivals that move the whole world we must mention to Christianity, and in Canada also are celebrated, like in all countries where this religion is practiced, Christmas on December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar and Easter in April, considering that these celebrations are celebrated both Catholicism and Protestantism.
Another important theme is National Holidays that are respected in the country, not only days that are related with religion as we saw, but also New Year’s Day on January 1 and patriotic days which are celebrated with the same emotion than religious days. One of the most important patriotic days, if we can say the only, is the VICTORIA DAY (also known as May 24th, the Queen’s Birthday, Empire Day or Commonwealth Day) being a national holiday since 1901. Moreover, Canada Days is celebrated on July 1, and commemorates the existence of Canadian confederation in 1867. Now, exist also the labour day as in the whole world, but the difference with other countries is that is celebrated on the first Monday in September and the special is that people organize parades and picnics that day, having also a long weekend. Finally, an another important celebration of this country is REMEMBRANCE DAY, celebrated on November 11, and represent the end of Great War in 1918, starting the day by a moment of silence at 11 am and having gatherings and parades of people that was to the world wars in that time.
As we have seen, the traditions in Canada are strongly influenced by immigrants that have inculcated their traditions to the Canadian culture, and holding it from generations. And both religion and national holidays go hand in hand to allow a moment of enjoyment for people promoting a lifestyle.
Celebrations
We are going to talk about celebrations or festivals in Canada that are part of traditions and customs of this country. In special, we will talk about Winter Festivals, because they are a special type of celebrations, due to in their majority these celebrations were created for entertainment or distraction for people, who could not get entertainment in outdoors and suffered of boring during the winter by the snow and very cold temperatures that can low until 25° Celsius.
During the last century, the festivals became very famous and appreciated as a recreation.
Like the Québec winter carnival is the oldest festival in Canada, was celebrated by first time in February of 1894, since this year and every year at the same date, only years that the festival was not celebrated during the first and second war. In details, this celebration during seventeen days and you can appreciate more than three hundred shows and activities, also with two parades and an ice palace.
The following year, the festival will be since 1st to 17th of February.
Another festival is the “Festival on the Canal” that is located in the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, when the river is freeze by the low temperatures –that can low until 25°Celcious— and is converted in a skate way.
Also, the activities that involve the “Festival on the Canal” are the music, snow sculpture competitions, ice carving, igloo buildings workshops and sport of winter.
“Winter Light Festivals”, this festival is celebrated in all country and all of the festivals are accompanied by lights of different colours; a famous use of this is the festival of lights in the Niagara Falls in Ontario, where more than 120 lights are used in the show.
Not forget the “Aboriginal Celebration”, since time immemorial the aboriginal tribes had practiced the festivals like a form to entertainment their people. But since 1970, is celebrated the Arctic Winter Games that met all tribes of Canada.
The activities of this meeting are several sports of the current time and others that practiced in the past time the Inuit and other tribes from Yukon, Alaska and Yellowknife.
Part of the aboriginal celebrations is the Powwow, because is a par of traditions among tribes in North America (United State and Canada). It is a competition between them and the winner tribe carry the pride for its people.
The Powwow is separated in two parts the dancers and the singers, but the most interesting is the dance. Because the dance of Powwow is something estrange for someone that not known the traditions since my point of view is very colourful because of the use of feathers in their suit and the movements that imitating a turkey in curve movements.
The movements are according to the sound of drums that represents the heartbeat of the Mother Earth.
In conclusion, the mixture of the activities in Canada is great because the zone where is located and the cultural mixture give an especial result. The low temperatures make possible the presence of carnivals for entertainment and the presence of different cultures the holydays and other festivities.
We are going to talk about celebrations or festivals in Canada that are part of traditions and customs of this country. In special, we will talk about Winter Festivals, because they are a special type of celebrations, due to in their majority these celebrations were created for entertainment or distraction for people, who could not get entertainment in outdoors and suffered of boring during the winter by the snow and very cold temperatures that can low until 25° Celsius.
During the last century, the festivals became very famous and appreciated as a recreation.
Like the Québec winter carnival is the oldest festival in Canada, was celebrated by first time in February of 1894, since this year and every year at the same date, only years that the festival was not celebrated during the first and second war. In details, this celebration during seventeen days and you can appreciate more than three hundred shows and activities, also with two parades and an ice palace.
The following year, the festival will be since 1st to 17th of February.
Another festival is the “Festival on the Canal” that is located in the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, when the river is freeze by the low temperatures –that can low until 25°Celcious— and is converted in a skate way.
Also, the activities that involve the “Festival on the Canal” are the music, snow sculpture competitions, ice carving, igloo buildings workshops and sport of winter.
“Winter Light Festivals”, this festival is celebrated in all country and all of the festivals are accompanied by lights of different colours; a famous use of this is the festival of lights in the Niagara Falls in Ontario, where more than 120 lights are used in the show.
Not forget the “Aboriginal Celebration”, since time immemorial the aboriginal tribes had practiced the festivals like a form to entertainment their people. But since 1970, is celebrated the Arctic Winter Games that met all tribes of Canada.
The activities of this meeting are several sports of the current time and others that practiced in the past time the Inuit and other tribes from Yukon, Alaska and Yellowknife.
Part of the aboriginal celebrations is the Powwow, because is a par of traditions among tribes in North America (United State and Canada). It is a competition between them and the winner tribe carry the pride for its people.
The Powwow is separated in two parts the dancers and the singers, but the most interesting is the dance. Because the dance of Powwow is something estrange for someone that not known the traditions since my point of view is very colourful because of the use of feathers in their suit and the movements that imitating a turkey in curve movements.
The movements are according to the sound of drums that represents the heartbeat of the Mother Earth.
In conclusion, the mixture of the activities in Canada is great because the zone where is located and the cultural mixture give an especial result. The low temperatures make possible the presence of carnivals for entertainment and the presence of different cultures the holydays and other festivities.
As a little comment, religion is part of the traditions because is passed of generation to generation, the same with traditional dances in tribes of North America. The practice of Festivals is part of the customs because is accepted by people although is recent.
Bibliography
Coward H. and Chagnon R, Slater P, Religion. The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/religion
David J. Goa, Religious Festivals. The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/religious-festivals
Granatstein J.L, National Holidays. The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/national-holidays
Bingham R. Winter Festivals, the Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion.. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/winter-festivals
Arctic Winter Games, the Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion.. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/arctic-winter-games
Hoefnagels A. Powwow, the Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion.. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/powwow
Bibliography
Coward H. and Chagnon R, Slater P, Religion. The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/religion
David J. Goa, Religious Festivals. The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/religious-festivals
Granatstein J.L, National Holidays. The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/national-holidays
Bingham R. Winter Festivals, the Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion.. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/winter-festivals
Arctic Winter Games, the Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion.. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/arctic-winter-games
Hoefnagels A. Powwow, the Canadian Encyclopedia © 2012 Historica-Dominion.. Retrieved from; http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/powwow
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