O Canada! My Canada!
What to bring as a gift from the land of the maple leaf?
Traveling, business trips, student exchanges – it all makes us think of something special to bring to your family and friends. Something local, something that defines the spirit and the feeling of the place you came to visit. Bring something banal or try to find an original souvenir to surprise everyone?
Sometimes, when it comes to Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, there is nothing more obvious than a matryoshka and balalaika. Yes, it's too common really, because these are probably the main pop-cultural symbols associated with the USSR, and to the rest of the world, with all the countries that used to be its part. Needless to say vodka.
And yet, if we step away from the usual clichés for a while, there is still something reasonable in this idea. Folklore and culture express the soul most extravagantly. Maybe we would love symbols to be different, but it is not we who choose them, it's the rest of the world while looking at us.
Ask a Russian, Ukrainian, or Kazakh "what one imagines when he hears the word America," and the most common answer would be burgers and baseball. And that's not wrong! There are plenty of other worthy symbols. With France, they will call baguette and Montmartre, with Germany, the automobile industry and social order, and with Italy, the waving of hands and pasta, pasta, pasta.
What about Canada? Land of the Maple Leaf and home of hockey, it has long been associated in the minds of millions with a stick and a bright red leaf on a white flag. Yes, you can bring a mug with the national symbol or a puck as a gift to your friends, but maybe there is something else? So what do new Canadians bring as a gist to family and friends? What do those who can no longer see the bright red maple on postcards, key chains, badges, and T-shirts recommend?
In our article, we'll figure out what people bring from Canada, what they ask for as a gift, and what you definitely shouldn't buy.
Classic choice
Stepping onto the main touristic street of any city in the world, you will encounter everything that you imagine in your mind about this country, once you think of it. These stores are teeming with pop-cultural symbols that are firmly rooted in the collective consciousness of the masses. Even the image or bust of Stalin has become a pop-cultural symbol. Not him and his "deeds," but his very image. The same thing happened with the hat with earflaps, potatoes, lard, and, of course, the alcoholic tradition.
Maple leaf
In Canada, everything associated with the maple tree has become such a symbol: postcards, T-shirts, and mugs with its image, as well as sweaters and sweatshirts, are brought from there. Some people choose the Canadian flag as a gift – with the same maple leaf, but you have to admit – it really looks spectacular.
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However, mugs, t-shirts, breloques are the last things on the list as a souvenir. Since they are sold on every corner, this is the easiest way out: buy and go.
Maple syrup
Another, no less "Canadian" symbol is maple syrup. It is no longer just a delicacy from an overseas country, but a major movie symbol. Many people still wonder what this mysterious syrup tastes like, and once they try it, they are often disappointed: too extravagant. But we see it on the table of the big family in Hollywood movies, where children have it for breakfast.
Maple syrup producers, understanding the popularity, make separate batches for tourists: leaf-shaped packages, prudently molded of plastic, to make it easier to take on a plane. For those who prefer aesthetics, an elegant glass bottle is a better choice, except that you'll probably have to pay a little more for it.
Whiskey and bourbon
Canada followed the U.S. in creating its own kind of whiskey. Making alcohol mainly from corn, they called it bourbon, and since then its fame has been marching around the planet and sometimes overtaking the Irish and Scots. The peculiarity of Canadian whiskey is that its again, as in any bourbon, it is mostly corn, but with the addition of rye. That is why it is often called rye whiskey.
Among the most popular brands in Canada, there is Canada Club Whiskey. It is really a very popular whiskey, 100% made of rye. You definitely need to try 12 years bourbon is easy to find in stores, it has a black label.
Some whiskies contain maple syrup, such as Sortilège. It is made in Montreal, and there are many variations besides maple syrup: it can be blueberry taste, apple, vanilla flavored, or classic.
Hockey
What kind of trip is it to Canada if you don't at least bring back a puck? Or a hockey jersey, or a key chain with the emblem of the best Canadian team: Canadians are indeed divided on the question of which team is the best, except for one thing, the best hockey is in Canada. Tourists around the world are especially popular for choosing a Vancouver Canucks or Winnipeg Jets hockey jersey, not to mention the Washington Capitals, where Alexander Ovechkin, one of the best players in hockey history, plays. A hockey team scarf or jersey is a great New Year's gift or souvenir for a friend who has been taking you to the hockey box in the backyard even in the wildest cold since childhood.
Indigenous symbols
Canada has repeatedly acknowledged the "colonizers' mistake" in the way they dealt with the Native peoples of North America. Today, indigenous peoples and their territories are protected and their languages and traditions are not oppressed. If this happens, violators have to pay.
The national symbols of indigenous peoples, totems and amulets, have also become popular souvenirs for foreigners. According to beliefs, they attract good luck and ward off evil spirits. How can you avoid buying them?
Elements of their closet are also popular: they can be woven moccasins, leather outerwear, or peculiar hats, which will later decorate other people's living rooms.
Unusual gifts
For those who have decided to get really fancy, there is a way out. We found a few options that will be an original gift for those who are already "tired" of typical symbols like flags, key chains, mugs, and statuettes gathering dust on the shelf.
Ice wine
Yes, most often wine is associated with France, Italy, Argentina, New Zealand, or Chile. That's why Canada is an excellent choice for a special gift. The fact is that popular and acclaimed wine is often produced in countries with warm climates, and cold is always a problem. Nevertheless, Europe, especially Germany, and Austria, as well as North America produce the so-called ice wine. And Canada is no exception.
The harsh climate allows frost to hit the bunches of grapes, which changes its usual characteristics, the taste becomes uncommon, which is the reason for the popularity of this type of wine. Eiswein, or "ice wine", will be a great gift for connoisseurs.
Memorable coins
Coins and bills from different countries always attract foreigners' attention. The Canadian tradition of coinage goes back many decades, the Royal Canadian Mint dedicates coins to kings and queens, popular sports, national symbols, animals, and much more.
We often publish news related to the release of new coin sets. They may be dedicated to some historical event, or they may be cast in noble metal. Sometimes an ordinary two-dollar coin, known as "toonie" deserves the special honor of being a commemorative coin.
It is possible to meet coins at different times in specialized stores or on websites. Often they are placed in gift boxes or elegant cases. One waiting for a keychain will be definitely taken aback by this gift.
Pragmatic choice
Sometimes you don't have to bring a souvenir from a trip: you can take the opportunity and bring something you can hardly find in your own country.
It could be a book. If your nephew or sister likes to read original literature and does not trust translations, a book bought in Canada is already a special gift. In addition, Canadian authors have a special place in modern literature. Alice Munro was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2013 as a "master of the contemporary short story". Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" blew up the literature market in 1985. She's still writing, and her books are sold once they appear in bookstores. "The Handmaid's Tale" turned out to be a successful television series.
Medications
Melatonin or vitamin D could be a very useful purchase. Requirements for the dosage and other components of medications vary from country to country, and sometimes it is simply impossible to buy one in your home country. It is not uncommon to fly abroad for the purpose of "medical tourism". As for Canada, you can find practically any medicine there. Careful: make sure that you can bring it into your country and cross the border with this medication. Certainly, you can take vitamins and syrups at home. The same applies to cosmetics.
Clothing
Don't forget about shopping! American and European brands, no inflated prices, luxury and boutiques which may have left your country can easily be found in Canada. By the way, on your way back, you can arrange Tax-Free, just don't forget to keep the receipts.
Conclusion
A souvenir is not necessarily a trinket or an article of art that is placed on the windowsill. It can be a mug with a national symbol or a sweater, or it can be something more valuable, such as collectible coins. The gift can be pragmatic: an item of clothing, perfume, or medicine. The important thing is that a gift from abroad still is a special reminder of your trip to Canada.
P.S.
And yet there are two options that we came across on social media and just couldn't pass. When asked "what to bring as a souvenir," one answer was, "Get our prime minister as a gift." What would Trudeau say?
And the second is the most original and pleasant gift for everyone: "Bring them money as a gift. I'm sure they won't tell you that they already have exactly the same money."
