Christmas in Canada blends British, French, Indigenous and immigrant traditions with a few uniquely Canadian touches.
Writing to Santa at H0H 0H0
Canada Post’s Santa Letter Program lets kids send letters to Santa at the North Pole, H0H 0H0, and Santa writes back. Letter to Santa in Canada
Boxing Day
December 26 is a holiday in Ontario and a huge shopping day. Boxing Day in Toronto
Réveillon and tourtière
In Quebec and French Canadian families, the réveillon is a late feast after Christmas Eve Mass, often featuring tourtière, a spiced meat pie. Christmas in Montreal
Canadian sweets
Butter tarts, Nanaimo bars and shortbread are holiday cookie-tray staples. Christmas bakeries in Toronto
Mummering
In Newfoundland and Labrador, mummers disguise themselves and visit neighbours’ homes during the Christmas season.
The Holiday Train
The CPKC Holiday Train tours Canada and the U.S. raising food for local food banks. CPKC Holiday Train
Santa Claus parades
Many Canadian towns hold Santa Claus parades in November, and Toronto’s dates back to 1905. History of Christmas in Toronto
Regional traditions across Canada
- Quebec: réveillon feasts after midnight Mass, tourtière, bûche de Noël and the Christmas markets of Montreal and Quebec City. Christmas in Montreal
- Atlantic Canada: mummering in Newfoundland and Labrador, lobster and seafood dishes, and Acadian traditions in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
- Ontario: Santa Claus parades in almost every town, skating on outdoor rinks and Christmas markets like Kitchener’s Christkindl. Ontario Christmas markets
- The Prairies: Ukrainian Christmas Eve suppers, especially in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and outdoor winter festivals.
- British Columbia: Christmas light displays, ski holidays and coastal celebrations.
- The North: community feasts, games and gatherings in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon, with Inuit and First Nations traditions.
Canada’s Christmas gift to Boston
Every year since 1971, Nova Scotia has sent a large Christmas tree to Boston to thank the city for its help after the 1917 Halifax Explosion. The tree is lit on Boston Common each December, and the tradition is a moving example of Canadian holiday generosity.
Canadian Christmas songs
Canada has given the world many Christmas songs and recordings, from the Huron Carol, Canada’s oldest Christmas song, to popular holiday albums by Canadian artists. Listen out for the Huron Carol at Toronto concerts and services. See Christmas carols in Toronto.
Christmas in a multicultural country
Canada’s holidays reflect its diversity. In Toronto, you’ll find Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes dinners, Filipino Simbang Gabi, Ukrainian and Serbian Orthodox Christmas, Caribbean black cake, Hanukkah menorah lightings and Kwanzaa celebrations, all in the same city. See holiday traditions in Toronto.
Canadian Christmas traditions: FAQ
What’s a traditional Canadian Christmas dinner? Usually roast turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and vegetables, followed by pies, butter tarts and shortbread. In Quebec, tourtière is a classic.
What is Boxing Day? December 26, a statutory holiday in Ontario and a big shopping day across Canada.
Outdoor winter fun
Skating on outdoor rinks and ponds, tobogganing and pond hockey are classic Canadian holiday activities. Outdoor skating
