Canadian Culture and Traditions

Canadian Culture and Traditions

Canada's culture, its heritage, is a collage of cultures made from various ethnicities that conquered this land, immigrated to it, and by those who were there before any of this happened. In what follows, we will understand how it is possible for the culture of a country to be so varied, that an effort to define it will always reach an impasse.

Every country can, in some way, identify with its culture, even though it's a tad diverse. However, in Canada, various cultures have developed simultaneously, together forming a joint culture of the country. To understand these concepts better, let's start where it all started.

 

For thousands of years, Canada was inhabited by indigenous people and ethnicities, until one day in 1534, when Jacques Cartier claimed this 'territory' for France. Later, a huge part of this newly-found territory was named New France. However, after the Seven Years' War, in 1763, the French gave away all claims of this territory to Britain. This happened in accordance with the Treaty of Paris. Mind you, the French had by now been here for a very long time, and had left behind a way of life that wasn't going to be easy to erase. Contradictory to what a lot of people then thought, the British government came up with the Quebec Act. According to this very generous act (no pun intended), French civil law was retained, free practice of the Catholic faith was guaranteed, and if that wasn't enough, it also returned territorial extensions that were previously enjoyed. It is this act that allowed the Francophone culture to continue thriving. From then on, cultures of two countries in addition to the culture of the indigenous people and of those who immigrated in large numbers, grew together.

It's a little difficult to understand the symbols this country uses to represent itself and its people. The maple leaf has been associated with Canada for the longest time, and is thus, also a part of its national flag. The beaver and the Canadian horse represent the national animals of this nation, while the maple tree stands as the national tree. Red and white are Canada's national colors. However, one thing that must be noted here, is that even though the maple tree has been associated with Canada for so long, it is not an official floral emblem, nor is any other flower/tree.

Apart from these national symbols, it is very important to talk about the royal symbols of this country. The Queen uses the Royal Standard when she represents and acts particularly as Queen of Canada on a global platform. Photographs of the Queen can be seen on government buildings, on stamps and also on the penny, and other Canadian currency in general. Another important royal symbol is the Flag of the Governor General of Canada, which represents him.

The country of Canada follows 'official bilingualism', in which both English and French have equal status. Federal government-oriented businesses have to provide services in both these languages, so do lower tiers of government and local businesses. It is very important that all goods and services have terms mentioned in both these languages. This conduct is to be followed mandatorily. However, Quebec is the only unilingual province which recognizes only French as its official language. Other exceptions to this rule are Nunavut, which also recognizes Inuktitut as an official language. Also, in the Northwest Territories, nine aboriginal languages have official status. Basic education is provided in both languages. However, rules and regulations concerning language in education keep changing from city to city, and also depend on the type of schooling opted for.

Freedom of religion in this country is a right protected by the constitution. Believers of any faith are given the freedom to assemble, worship and preach without any interference. The earliest religions in the country were largely animistic. French and British introduced Christianity. The introduction of Christianity saw a lot of conversion. Today, approximately 77% Canadians follow Christianity, while most others don't follow any religion at all. Other religions that exist in Canada are Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism, among others.

Food festivals, film festivals, children's festivals, music festivals, comedy festivals, literary festivals, cultural festivals - name any festival, and Canada will have a place for it. A lot of events are held year-round all over the country, with people attending from the entire world. Festivals credited for the largest attendance are Winterlude, Celebration of Light, Just for Laughs, Canadian National Exhibition, Calgary Stampede, and Pride Toronto; each of these has an attendance of more than a million. The country also plays host to a number of exhibitions. We can rightly conclude that in Canada, there is a festival for everyone.

 

Art: Finding an Identity

Though art and talent in this country have been criticized by many, the achievements of several Canadian artists on a global platform have established otherwise. The government has always supported upcoming talent, and provides many avenues where an artist can showcase his/her skills. Artists get a lot of exposure and their works are featured on various platforms such as publications funded by the government. Several art schools have been opened throughout the country; this remains a continuous process.

 

 

Sculpture

Sculpture in Canada was and still is dominated by the Inuit artists; so much that it is gifted by the government to foreign dignitaries. It is mostly styled with carvings of muskox horns, soapstone, caribou antler and walrus ivory. It has, since the beginning, concentrated on happenings in day-to-day life and by legends of the Inuit.

 

 

Theater: Dramas, Plays and Festivals

Compared to other art platforms, the theater scene in Canada has been flourishing since the 1800s. The Shaw Festival and Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario are particularly very famous, and attract many tourists in summers. Almost all major cities in Canada have theater groups and excellent platforms to showcase their plays. The Toronto Theatre District is the 3rd-largest English-speaking district globally. Many other theater groups tour in Canada due to the active scenario here. Edmonton International Fringe Festival , one of the largest fringe festivals, is also hosted by Canada.

 

Hollywood North: Film in Canada

Movies made in any country in the world have a connection, in some way, to that particular country. In Canada, the biggest problem filmmakers face, is in trying to find this identification. Cinema in Canada has always been overshadowed by that of their mighty neighbor. Movies are brilliantly made, but poor reception doesn't bring in money as it does elsewhere in the world. Also, a lot of artists, filmmakers included, prefer working for Hollywood. The country's biggest studios are essentially located in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. The industry is basically divided in French and English-Canadian productions. Notable filmmakers include David Cronenberg and Guy Maddin from English Canada; Claude Jutra and Gilles Carle from French Canada. On the other hand, Canadian directors who made it big in Hollywood are Norman Jewison, Jason Reitmon and of course the much-talented James Cameron. The first Canadian movie to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film was The Barbarian Invasions.

 

 

 

Sport: Winter and Summer

Sport is highly appreciated in Canada, and it has many teams take part in various tournaments, representing several sports. Ice hockey is Canada's national winter sport, whereas Lacrosse is the official summer sport. The most common games citizens participate in are (in no particular order): ice hockey, volleyball, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, swimming, skiing, tennis and cycling. Ice hockey is the most popular spectator sport and also the most successful globally. Lacrosse, on the other hand, is the country's oldest sport and has Native American origins. It however, isn't as popular as Canadian football, which happens to be the second most popular sport but hasn't received national recognition. Canada has won 278 Olympic medals in Summer games and 145 in winter games; Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes have won the most number of medals.

Architecture

 

Architecture in Canada has always been very diverse; changing climatic conditions have demanded adaptation differently. The semi-nomadic people built wigwams, long houses symbolized permanent agricultural settlements, the tipi was developed by people who followed bison herds, the Interior landscape is known for the semi-permanent pit house, the remains of which we can see today in the form on quiggly holes. The most impressive architecture however, is that of the Haida people. Since wood was scarce in the North, architectural styles turned out innovative, the best example of which is the igloo. With the arrival of the French, style of housing suddenly was influenced by their actual roots; at that time, it was the Baroque architecture. Though they retained the single-storey concepts, houses saw taller roofs, which helped in getting rid of the accumulated snow.

 

 

With the arrival of the British, houses were now constructed in the Cape Cod style. Also, Georgian was a popular style in pre-revolutionary America, something the loyalists retained with their move to Canada. From the mid-19th century until the First World War, Victorian styles dominated architecture. Eventually, Canada thought it needed a identity of its own, and this gave rise to the Château Style, also known as the Railway Gothic. Canada's railway hotels portray this style the best. Toronto and a few other metropolitan cities continued to be influenced by the architectural styles of New York and Chicago. Today, the housing styles and other constructions are on par with other global contemporary styles, making edits only where weather conditions demand it.

 

 

 

 

Retained – сохраняется

Landscape -  пейзаж

Showcase – витрина

Overshadowed – тени

Basically – в основном

Identity – идентичность

Filmmakers – кинорежиссеры

Recognizes – признает

Assemble – собирать

Demanded – потребовал

Mandatorily – в обязательном порядке

Essentially – по существу

Contradictory –  противоречивый

Claims – претензии

Particularly – особенно

Avenues – проспекты

Heritage – наследие

approximately 77% - около 77%

upcoming – предстоящие