Introduction
Cultural diversity plays important roles in people’s identity. This is because cultures influence how people relate as well as how a society interprets its values. It is also through culture that nations are defined, for their identity is mostly founded in their cultures (Ruhl, 26). One country whose identity has had great influence from cultural basis is Canada. This paper looks into different aspects and features which are associated with Canadian culture. This is in consideration of Canada’s multicultural aspects with different traditions and customs derived from different people who form Canadian community. The paper attempts to highlight certain aspects of Canadian culture such as music, languages, communication styles, traditions and etiquette, sports, clothing and cuisine, among others. These and more aspects make Canada have a rich and exciting culture which is composed of diversity.
Canadian Identity
Canadian identity had originally been marked by three major themes. The first theme was on close connection between the British Empire and English Canadians. According to Taucar (47), this has greatly contributed to a steady political development in attaining full independence from the imperial rule. The second one was frequent conflicts which were common with both the French Canadians and English Canadians following authoritative views of French Canadians regarding linguistic and cultural survival. The third and last theme was the relationship between the United States of America and English-speaking Canadians. These three themes have greatly influenced the way Canada identifies itself in terms of political and socio-economic aspects.
African, Asian and Caribbean immigrants have also contributed in shaping Canadian identity especially in the 20th century (Macklem, 136; Ruhl, 28). Their influence in Canadian identity has been a continuous process to date and has been greatly boosted by arrival of non-French and non-British immigrants. These have resulted into multiculturalism in the contemporary identity and definition of Canadian culture. These peoples have had influence on how Canadian government policies are formulated besides reflecting on the values which are founded in Canadian cultural diversity.
The Canadian flag also have a unique and particular mark of identity, maple leaf. The maple leaf has been symbolic of the country’s national identity (White and Richard, 102). Geographical setting of Canada has significantly presented different indigenous cultures and peoples. This has also had in place immigration policy which promotes diversity in the Canadian society.
Language and Communication in Canada
Canada has a number of multiple languages with English and French making the most preferred languages. These two languages also form the Canadian home languages since they are spoken the most (White and Richard, 102). English is spoken by 67.1% of Canadian population while French is spoken by 21.5% of the population. The Canadian culture through its national constitution recognizes English and French as the country’s official languages. Therefore, legislations of the federal governments are formulated in both the languages. English and French are also used in service delivery by the federal government. Amongst the non official languages in Canada are other languages which are not widely used or spoken though they are common in Canada. Chinese forms home language of 2.6% of Canadians, Punjabi forms 0.8% while Spanish stands at 0.7%. There are also Italian and Arabic languages which are spoken by 0.6% and 0.5% respectively.
In terms of communication styles, there is no specific national trait as far as communication in Canada is concerned. Taucar (48) points out that this follows the fact that cultural diversity and regionalism are rife in the country. Nonetheless, there are certain communication forms which are standardized in the whole country. One of the examples is that of businesspeople who are deemed to be kind of easy going, informal and polite. Generally, communication in Canada has a reflection of combination of British and North American inclinations. A number of Canadians prefer to engage in disagreements diplomatically and tactfully despite the fact that they can do so openly. The way they communicate is pragmatic and is normally dependent on sensible reasoning. One has to have a soft demeanor and tonal variation.
There are however, differences between Anglophone and Francophone people in Canada. Anglophones tend to be more direct than the Francophones (Macklem, 136). Francophones are seemingly much exuberant as compared to Anglophones who normally do not like interrupting other people as they speak. This is because they consider interrupting someone as being rude. This is unlike the Francophones who like interrupting other speakers. It is also important to note that Canadian people use spoken word as a form of communication instead of using non-verbal expressions when they are engaged in communication. However, they tend to embrace non-verbal communication when they intend to emphasize on a point or view. This can also be so with people a few whose communication style is more inclined to non-verbal expressions.
Canadians also like to have their space apart from always wanting to stay lengths away from the persons they speak with (Taucar, 47). They are quite discreet when involved in discussion about their personal lives especially with business people. Besides, they prefer that people use straightforward communication as well as give examples which back their claims. They do not entertain claims based on exaggerations and they are most likely to be suspicious of things which tend to be so appealing or good rather than the truth.
Clothing and Cuisine
In the past, Canadian clothing styles were influenced by styles from Europe especially by the British and French (Ruhl, 26). In the contemporary times, a number of these early clothing are preserved as heritage at the McCord Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum. Presently, Canadians dress the way western cultures dress. The most common outfits in Canada are jeans and t-shirts. They prefer lightweight fabrics and cotton the most especially during summer seasons. Lightweight jackets and sweaters are commonly used by Canadians during fall and spring seasons. Canada is colder most of the time as compared to other countries; therefore, Canadians put in more effort in winter seasons to dress warmly so as to cope up with extremely low winter temperatures. To survive in such a cold climate, Canadians revert to heavy layering sweaters, parkas and jackets. Macklem (139) notes that one of the most common pieces of accessories during such climate is the toque. This is a knitted hat which is worn on the head to keep the head warmer.
Canadian cuisine comprises diversity and multicultural faces. This follows the fact that the country is multicultural which many inhabitants of different origins. The country is at times referred to as a smorgasbord consisting of diverse international cuisine (Macklem, 138). This is attributed to the country’s different regions which also present different food categories. Even though there is no specific Canadian food or stable meal, butter tart and poutine form the most and widely eaten foodstuff in Canada. Poutine is a combination French fries topped up with cheese curds and brown gravy. It is mostly found in fast food joints and in pubs. Butter tarts on the other hand form Canadian quintessential dessert which comprises butter custard and crust. Other delicacies which are common with Canadians are ketchup chips, French tourtiere, indigenous fried bread bannock, cocktail bloody Caesar, date squares and Kraft Dinner.
Religion in Canada
Canada has a wide range of religious groups, as well as beliefs. This is particularly due to its diversity in terms of people. Christians make the majority in terms of religion with a population of 67.3% of the total Canadian population (White and Richard, 105). Amongst Christians, catholic comprise the highest number of adherents. This is followed by non-religious people who are 23.9% of the total population. Irreligious groups consist of humanists, atheists and agnostics. Pantheists, spiritual and deists also fall amongst this group. Some of these irreligious groups have also established associations like Centre for Inquiry Canada, Humanist Association of Canada and Toronto Secular Alliance, among others most of which are found in higher learning institutions.
Islam also forms a greater proportion of Canadian population after Christianity. It stands makes 3.2% of the total population. Rates of adherence in terms of religion in Canada have been declining over time (Taucar, 49). Canada supports freedom of worship and pluralism in religion. These two aspects are vital in the political culture of Canada. However, the government recognizes religious celebrations such as Christmas holidays, Easter, as well as Muslim celebrations. These are marked nationwide and are acceptable in Canadian society. However, she does not have any official religion as a nation. Before colonization by the Europeans, Aboriginal religion was majorly inclined to animistic religious system. This also incorporated reverence to nature and spirits.
Roman Catholic was introduced by the French colonialists. British colonialists established Anglicanism alongside other protestant systems (Ruhl, 30). Nonetheless, Canadian culture has greatly promoted post-Christian systems and secular life thereby leading to decline in Christianity which was widely embraced previously. Most of the Canadian people believe in god but they really do not treat religion as important in their lives. This has made religion to be practiced privately in Canada in most places.
Music in Canada
Canadian music has a wide reflection of the country’s multicultural influences over time. The British, the French and the Aboriginals have great contribution to the country’s musical heritage. Since mid 1600s, Canada has had musicians, ensembles and song composers (Ruhl, 29). Over time, there has been musical developments and infrastructure such as chamber halls, academies, conservatories, church halls, recording companies, televised music videos and centers for live performing arts among others. Following Canada’s proximity with the United States of America, Canadian music has been greatly influenced by American music culture and style. This has also been contributed to following migration between the two neighboring countries.
Canadian rock music has considerably influenced present day development in Canada as far as popular music is concerned (Macklem, 137). This has had influence in terms of music genres which are popular with Canadians. For over 200 years, patriotic songs have indicated distinction in terms of patriotism which is drawn from British culture from which the country got its independence. The Canadian National Anthem, O Canada, had its initial commissioning by Honorable Theodore Robitalle, the then Lieutenant Governor of Quebec. However, the music was first composed in French before its translation into English. The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulates music broadcasts in Canada.
Common Etiquettes in Canadian Tradition
The Canadian culture has most influence from her British and French colonizers and conquerors (White and Richard, 136). Together with the country’s homegrown cultures these form a very distinct identity of the country. Following inhabitation of immigrants, Canada also has diverse adaptations from various nationalities that identify with Canada as their home. This has contributed to a multicultural and diverse country with warm and welcoming reception. The country embraces any form of nationality and religion therefore, making her a favorite destination by people from other countries across the globe.
As a receptive country, Canada identifies herself with certain forms of etiquette. One of these is use of appropriate titles when one wants to address another person. Ruhl (26) points out that this can also take the form of last names as a show of respect. Canadians tend to avoid using first names since such names are mostly used by family members and apparently, by friends in extension. Another aspect of Canadian etiquette is handshaking which is used as means of greeting. This is usually done with a firm grip along with a direct eye contact. Canadians also prefer removing their footwear at the entrance when they go to a home belonging to someone else. They actually leave the footwear outside rather than walk into the house in them.
Canadians are renowned in giving gifts. They present flowers, chocolates, the best of quality wine and other gifts when they visit other people. This is especially common when they make visitations of during dinner parties (White and Richard, 138). Canadian etiquette and tradition do not forget to accord people space when they are engaged in conversations. They believe in avoiding involving in physical contact with people when they are in any form of conversation.
Canadian Sports
Canadian sports have a range of sporting activities and games. The most common games in Canada are Canadian football, Lacrosse, Ice hockey, soccer, ringette, baseball and basketball (Taucar, 48). All of these games are acknowledged as domestic games since they were apparently invented by Canadians except for soccer and curling. Ice hockey is common during winter and is it is appreciated as official winter sport in Canada. The second most loved sport in Canada is Canadian football with major sports events of the same being Grey Cup and Canadian Football League both of which are held annually. Lacrosse is Canada’s official summer game. It is also the oldest and has its origins in Canada.
Soccer scores highly in terms of registered players who play it. It is also referred to as association football (Taucar, 48). Its also forms the most played game in terms of ethnicity, demographics, genders, ages and institutions. Many soccer competitions are in Canada with a number of professional soccer teams found in all Canadian cities. Internationally, Canada is known to take part in soccer competitions too such as UEFA Euro, FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League all of which have great following from Canadian audiences.
Other popular sports in Canada are street hockey, rugby, softball, cricket, ultimate Frisbee and curling (Ruhl, 27). There are also boxing, auto racing, kickboxing, karate, skiing, swimming, disc golf, triathlon, snowboarding, ice skating, horse racing, cycling, hunting, fishing, wrestling and a number of water sports.
Conclusion
Works Cited
Macklem, Patrick. Indigenous difference and the Constitution of Canada, University of Toronto
Press; 2001, p. 136.
Ruhl, Jeffrey. "Inukshuk Rising". Canadian Journal of Globalization; Vol. 1 (1): 2008, p. 25–30.
Taucar, C. Edward. Canadian Federalism and Quebec Sovereignty 47. American university
studies: Journal of Political Science; 2002, pp. 47–48.
White, A. Linda; Richard, Simeon. The Comparative Turn in Canadian Political Science. UBC
Press; 2009, p. 102.
