Christmas in Canada: Heartwarming Legends, Tales, and Traditions

Beryl Hamilton is a freelance writer in Thunder Bay who specializes in
home gardening.

The stories in this collection include tales of charity, inspiration,
separation, reunion, and celebration around the Christmas season. Each
tale conveys details of how people—from the Maritimes to British
Columbia—have celebrated Christmas at various times. The book is
divided into seven chapters: “Traditions from Atlantic Canada to
British Columbia,” “Celebrating the Season,” “Christmas Trees
and Christmas Treats,” “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “Gifts and
Giving,” “Holiday Adventures,” and “Inspirational Tales.” The
editors include a select bibliography.

The stories related here are of shared traditions and make a Canadian
Christmas difficult to define. While many of our traditions originated
in Victorian England, the authors identify the contributions made from
many other parts of the globe. Particularly intriguing is the story of
how the Christmas tree originated in Germany and was part of Queen
Victoria and Prince Albert’s holiday tradition. With Old World
traditions adapted to New World ones, the Canadian Christmas has become
a unique blend of cultures, united by a common feeling across the
country of the range of emotions the season evokes.

This is a genuinely heartwarming book for those who enjoy the Christmas
season and who might like to learn more about how this holiday has been
shaped by various traditions.