How Canadians celebrate the winter holidays
Amidst the pandemic, this Christmas didn't go quite as well as usual.
On December 25, Canada celebrated Christmas, and soon another holiday is coming, but on a smaller scale for Canadians — New Year's Eve. Statistics Canada decided to find out how Canadians are celebrating the winter holidays this year.
There are still some restrictions in the country due to the spread of the new COVID-19 variant, but they are fewer than last year.
According to the survey, 88% of Canadians will spend Christmas and New Year's Eve dining with family. Slightly less, 81% of respondents will visit family and friends. 51% plan to visit those who live in another province. And exactly half will attend a Christmas party at work. 26% of respondents reported that they also went to church.
Other Christmas traditions in Canada include decorating the Christmas tree and homes, not only inside but also outside. Large gifts are usually placed under the tree and small gifts are placed in stockings, which are hung by the fireplace. Red green is considered the Christmas colours, but white, gold and silver are also often used.
On Christmas Day, there is usually a dinner party. The traditional dish is mashed potatoes with turkey and cranberry sauce, and the sweets include ginger biscuits, candy and chocolate. In Quebec, a meat pie is usually served instead of turkey.
