Canada: Explore Canadian Culture

Exploring Canadian Culture

Canada, the world’s second largest country, stretches way into the Arctic and includes just about every terrain: Rocky Mountains, prairies, rugged coasts, sandy beaches, fertile valleys, and cosmopolitan cities. Canada is a paradise for outdoor lovers and campers, with its lakes and forests, mountains, and oceans. Because of the extent of its territory and the multicultural population, Canadian culture is rich and varied. Canada’s multifaceted heritage is united by a national passion for ice hockey. Canadians adapt to the climate whatever the season, and there is no good reason not to go out and enjoy the outdoors, cultural activities, great restaurants, festivals and family reunions. Canada is a beautiful country to discover one province at a time.

Study abroad in Canada Host a Canadian student in the U.S.

Family Dynamic in Canada

The average urban Canadian family has one or two children. Parents in Canadian culture usually share household responsibilities, and children help with everyday chores and preparing meals. Many Canadian families also have varied cultural backgrounds. Interaction between men and women in Canada is based on a firm belief in equality of the sexes. Social relations between them are quite informal.

Children often live with their parents until they go to university, marry, or get a full-time job. However, Canada’s fluctuating economy has made it harder for some university graduates to find jobs, and a high number of young adults end up moving back home after finishing their education.

Teenage Life in Canadian culture

Canadian teenagers love clubs and activities involving sports, orchestra, the newspaper, and drama. Student government is also important and becoming more influential in school policies. Many teenagers in Canada have after school jobs, such as babysitting or working at local coffee shops. Canadian teenagers do much of the same activities as American teenagers by participating in after school activities, watching TV, playing video games, and hanging out with their friends. Popular sports include hockey and curling. Most young people enjoy dancing, going to movies, dining out, going to the beach, and attending sporting events.

Official Language

English and French are the official languages of Canada.

Canadian Communication Styles

Canadians favor a direct communication style. While their language isn’t typically evasive or vague, they place a large value on tact and diplomacy. In Canadian culture, they try to strike a balance between saying what they mean without being confrontational. Disagreement in public is expressed through careful word choice, as politeness is a large part of Canadian culture. Generally, coded language is perceived as distrustful. Canadian people like their personal space and do not stand close together while speaking. Eye contact is maintained to demonstrate earnestness in conversation. Hand gestures and body language are not a large part of Canadian communication styles.

The Canadian Diet

The food in Canada differs by the region, so for example, in Québec there is a strong French influence with lots of meat, potatoes, pea soup, French pastries, bread, crêpes, and cheeses. A favorite snack is poutine, French fries covered with gravy and cheese. Maple syrup is produced in many parts of the country, including Québec and Ontario, and is a favorite in desserts and breakfast dishes like pancakes, waffles, and crêpes. In western cities, one can find wild rice, smoked fish, beef, ethnic (especially Asian) dishes, and a variety of other foods.

Canada

Rocky Mountains, rugged coasts, and cosmopolitan cities