Discover Customs and Celebrations from Around the World

A custom is a special way that a group of people does something, passed down over many years. A celebration is a joyful event that marks something important, like a holiday or cultural tradition. You can explore Family Customs to see how these traditions start at home.

Across Canada, people from many different backgrounds share their customs and celebrations. These traditions help you understand who people are and where they come from.

Canada Day is celebrated on July 1st every year. It marks when Canada became a country in 1867 through Confederation. You will see fireworks, parades, and red-and-white decorations on this day.

Remembrance Day is observed on November 11th. Canadians wear red poppies and observe a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. to honour soldiers who gave their lives in wars.

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October. Families gather to share a meal with roasted turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, giving thanks for the harvest.

Victoria Day falls on the last Monday before May 25th. It honours Queen Victoria and is seen as the unofficial start of summer in Canada.

You can also explore Local Celebrations to discover how your own community marks special occasions.

Diwali is the Festival of Lights celebrated by Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities. Families light small clay oil lamps called diyas to represent the victory of light over darkness.

Lunar New Year is welcomed with lanterns, drums, and family feasts. During Chinese New Year, elders give children red envelopes called hóngbāo with money as a symbol of good luck. Dragon and lion dances are performed in cities like Vancouver.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslim Canadians at the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. Families share special prayers, feasts, and give gifts to those in need.

Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday where families light one candle on a menorah each night for eight nights. Families also play dreidel games and eat special foods like latkes.

Vaisakhi is celebrated in April by Sikh Canadians, marking the spring harvest and the founding of the Khalsa in 1699. Large parades called Nagar Kirtans take place in cities like Surrey and Toronto.

You can learn more about how food, art, and clothing connect to these traditions by visiting Food Art and Clothing.

A powwow is an important cultural gathering for many Indigenous peoples in Canada. You will see traditional drumming, singing, and dancing in regalia at a powwow. It brings First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples together to celebrate their heritage.

National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated on June 21st, the summer solstice. It is a day to recognize the unique heritage, languages, and contributions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

Kivgiq, also called the Messenger Feast or Drumming Festival, is a traditional Inuit celebration. It features drum dancing, singing, and the sharing of food and gifts with invited guests.

A potlatch is a traditional ceremony practised by many First Nations peoples on the Pacific Coast. The host gives gifts to guests to mark important events like births or marriages.

You can explore more about First Peoples Traditions to deepen your understanding of Indigenous customs.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, or Fête nationale, is celebrated on June 24th in Quebec. It honours French Canadian culture and heritage with bonfires, concerts, and parades.

The Carnaval de Québec is held every February in Québec City. You can enjoy ice sculptures, snow slides, and maple taffy poured onto fresh snow, called tire sur la neige.

Caribana, now called the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, is one of the largest street festivals in North America. It features a grand parade with elaborate costumes, steel pan music, and Caribbean food.

Folklorama is held every August in Winnipeg, Manitoba. You can visit pavilions representing dozens of different cultures and countries from around the world.

Winterlude is held in Ottawa every February. It features ice sculptures and skating on the Rideau Canal, the world's largest naturally frozen skating rink.

Custom: A special way of doing something that a group of people has followed for a long time. For example, wearing a poppy on Remembrance Day is a Canadian custom.

Celebration: A joyful event that marks something important, like a holiday or cultural tradition. Canada Day is a celebration of Canada's birthday.

Canada Day: A Canadian celebration on July 1st that marks when Canada became a country in 1867 through Confederation. You will see fireworks and parades on this day.

Lunar New Year: A celebration welcomed with lanterns, drums, and family feasts based on the lunar calendar. It is celebrated by many Asian communities around the world.

Thanksgiving: A Canadian harvest festival held on the second Monday of October. Families give thanks and share a meal together.

Powwow: A special Indigenous gathering that honours culture through traditional music, dance, and regalia. It brings First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples together.

Remembrance Day: Observed on November 11th, Canadians wear red poppies to honour veterans and those who gave their lives in war. A moment of silence is held at 11:00 a.m.

Victoria Day: A Canadian holiday in May celebrated with fireworks as an unofficial start to summer. It honours Queen Victoria.

Fête nationale (Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day): Celebrated on June 24th in Quebec to honour French Canadian culture and heritage.

Eid al-Fitr: Celebrated by Muslim Canadians at the end of Ramadan with prayers, feasts, and the giving of gifts.

Diwali: The Festival of Lights celebrated by Hindu, Sikh, and Jain communities. Families light small clay oil lamps called diyas.

Diyas: Small clay oil lamps lit during Diwali to represent the victory of light over darkness.

Hanukkah: A Jewish holiday where families light one candle on a menorah each night for eight nights over eight days.

Menorah: A special candelabra used during Hanukkah. One candle is lit each night for eight nights.

Regalia: The special traditional clothing and accessories worn by Indigenous peoples during ceremonies like powwows.

Kivgiq: A traditional Inuit celebration, also called the Messenger Feast, featuring drum dancing, singing, and sharing of food and gifts.

Potlatch: A traditional ceremony practised by First Nations peoples on the Pacific Coast where the host gives gifts to guests to mark important events.

Hóngbāo: Red envelopes given to children by elders during Chinese New Year, containing money as a symbol of good luck.

Tire sur la neige: Maple taffy poured onto fresh snow and rolled onto a stick, a favourite treat at the Carnaval de Québec.

Vaisakhi: A spring festival celebrated by Sikh Canadians in April, marking the harvest and the founding of the Khalsa in 1699.

Pysanky: Beautifully decorated Easter eggs made using a wax-resist dyeing technique, an important Ukrainian Canadian tradition.

Mithai: Colourful traditional South Asian sweets shared as gifts during Diwali, made from milk, nuts, and sugar.

National Indigenous Peoples Day: Celebrated on June 21st, the summer solstice, to recognize the unique heritage and cultures of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

Confederation: The joining together of provinces to form Canada on July 1, 1867.

You can draw a picture of your favourite celebration and write two sentences about what makes it special. Think about the foods, music, and decorations you see.

You can also make a chart that lists three Canadian celebrations and one fact about each one. This will help you remember important dates and customs. Visit Maintaining Traditions to learn how communities keep their customs alive over time.

You have already learned about Community Celebrations and Events, which showed you how communities come together for special occasions. You also explored Ways People Express Culture, which taught you how people share who they are through art, food, and traditions.

You learned about Sharing Between Cultures, which showed how communities borrow and share ideas with each other. You also studied First Peoples Ways of Life, which introduced you to the rich traditions of Indigenous peoples in Canada. All of these topics help you understand customs and celebrations more deeply.

As you explore customs and celebrations, you will find many connected topics that help you understand the bigger picture of global traditions.

Family Customs shows you how traditions begin at home and are passed down through generations. Local Celebrations helps you discover how your own community marks special occasions throughout the year.

Food Art and Clothing connects to celebrations by showing how what people eat, create, and wear reflects their cultural identity. Maintaining Traditions explains how communities work to keep their customs alive for future generations.

World Religions and Values helps you understand why many celebrations, like Diwali, Hanukkah, and Eid, are connected to faith and beliefs. First Peoples Traditions deepens your understanding of Indigenous customs like powwows and Kivgiq.

World Contributions shows you how different cultures have shared their traditions and ideas with the rest of the world. Understanding Other Places helps you connect what you learn about celebrations to the wider world beyond Canada.