Christmas
Lifestyle

Canadian Christmas

Christmas

There truly is no place like home for the holidays and Christmas is my most favourite!  Yes, I love the baking and even more the eating, but the decorations make it sparkle, the gift giving make it magical for the children and most importantly family focuses on family.

In early December we begin preparing for the big day as we decorate each room, and trim the tree with lights.  The baking I mentioned before also takes place during this lead up time.  Shortbread cookies, French vanilla fudge, butter tarts and other tasty bars.  I’m salivating just thinking about it.  dab dab… Ok the drool has been mopped up.

When Christmas Eve finally arrives a smorgasbord of all sorts of food is spread out across the kitchen, hot spinach dip, honey garlic meat balls, cheese tray with crackers, nuts and fruit.  It is an endless assortment of goodies.  I know.  You’re starting to think that all Christmas is to Canadians is a marathon of eating.  And truth be told it really is.  But on this glorious night we celebrate with friends and family dropping in and out as the evening progresses.

Christmas

Christmas

Christmas

After our munch down we grab a glass of Christmas punch, or two, or three and we may go for a horse-drawn sleigh ride, play some board games, sing songs and if children are present we listen to NORAD’s reporting of where Santa is being tracked across the Canadian countryside.  Once all the kids are tucked into bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in their head, then us adults may have a wee bit more punch.  Before we retire for the night we lay the gifts out for the next morning’s reveal.

Christmas morning has always been very early for us.  Not because of me either I might add.  Anything before 8:00 am and I need some serious coffee and a possible butter tart to get me arse into gear (yes I said it that way on purpose).  Once awake, I play the elf in my house, handing out a gift to one person at a time, allowing us all to see what the ol’ boy Santa brought them.

Christmas

After the gift giving marathon we sit down to brunch of oven baked french toast, pea meal bacon (Canadian bacon), sausage and omelette.  Mmmmm.  And once we’re done eating, well then its time to begin prepping the turkey for the oven and preparing the table and vegetables for dinner.  Now that I write this, holy crap all we do is eat!  Ok that may be a family thing more than a Canadian thing.

The afternoon is quiet while we spend time looking over our new stuff, playing additional games or watching a Christmas movie.  Weather permitting (so basically not a blizzard) we may even go for a walk.

Christmas

Christmas

Christmas

Christmas

Christmas

Christmas dinner is a formal event.  A sit down dinner in the dining room, we use the good China, decorate the table beautifully. I basically go all Martha Stewart for this meal.  Once grace has been said everyone attacks the food!  Mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, roasted root veggies, turkey – I can’t say there is much talking during the first half of the meal.  But once we’re stuffed we sit and linger, chatting and enjoying the moment and maybe some wine (or tea if we’re hungover from the punch).

Christmas

Once we’re sleepy from all the turkey we retire for the evening in front of the fire.  And as the night draws to a close, Merry Christmas to all… and to all a good night.

~True North Nomad

Have a very different way of celebrating Christmas?  Tell us in the comments below.

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43 thoughts on “Canadian Christmas”

  9. This post makes me wish I was Canadian too. I think the silver crowns are adorable. I doubt I could convince my family to wear those though, haha. The feast sounds a lot like our Thanksgiving dinner, but better because there’s hot spinach dip and waaay better desserts. Definitely a goal for when I have my own house!

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  15. Wow! Your celebration sounds and looks magical! My mom was Canadian, so many of our traditions match yours. Ours has become very small but just as heartfelt since only my brother and husband and I are together to celebrate. The Holly patterned Lenox china, crystal, Christmas holly or snowflake glasses and all kinds of other fancy dishes are the vessels for the buffet feast. We go all out with the cheese board and fancy salads, seafood, dips and many baked treats on Christmas Eve, but in the Scandinavian tradition we open most of the gifts that night too. (Her parents were both from Norway.) Then we open stockings Christmas morning which are filled with small useful gadgets, fun or funny toys and more yummy sweet treats. We don’t make a formal dinner anymore since it’s just 3 of us, but we have filled the house with delicious traditional favorite things and more or less eat our way through the whole celebration as well. Sometimes we do a puzzle, we always play games and perhaps watch a Christmas movie or two. And weather permitting, we take a walk by the river. It’s lovely, just to be together.

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    1. The largest turkey I have roasted was 30lbs. My ovens are not huge and its breast literally touched the top of the oven. Luckily its convect so there was no element but the turkey filled the oven cavity! Thanks for dropping by and Merry Christmas!!!

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