The vast majority of the world knows that Canadians are recognized for being very polite and hailing hockey as their country’s main sport. Similarly, to the U.S., Canada is also pretty diverse with various cultures. About half of the Canadian population are from foreign-born countries and there are over 140 languages spoken in Canada (Love the World, 2019). Despite Canada being comprised of many different cultures, the Canadian culture is unique to two things: Thanksgiving, and ice hotels. Thanksgiving is a holiday typically celebrated in November in the U.S., but in Canada, it is celebrated in October due to their harvest season being a month earlier in contrast to the U.S. Ice hotels are open to the public every Winter. They are built with tons of ice/snow and they melt when Winter is over, then the cycle repeats annually (Love the World, 2019). Overall Canadian culture is similar to the U.S. in terms of diversity, but the differences lie in Thanksgiving and ice hotels.
Figure 18.
October Thanksgiving in Canada (Love the World, 2019)
Figure 19.
Hotel de Glace in Canada (Love the World, 2019)
The culture of Toronto is filled with entertainment as it is the center of television and film in Canada. Toronto features theaters, art galleries, museums, recreational facilities, professional sports teams, and a zoo. The city is the most lively in the Winter as many cultural activities such as concerts, opera, theater, films, festivals, balls, and social activities are occurring (McGillivray & Howarth, 2020). Toronto is arguably the most attractive city in Canada. It is the densest city in Canada as the population is the highest and there is a plethora of entertainment, restaurants, and sports teams. In 2019, Canada’s one and only NBA team, the Toronto Raptors, also just won their first NBA Championship in the team’s history. Raptors fans were euphoric and that feat most likely made the Canadian culture in Toronto more appealing to tourists.
Figure 20.
Toronto Raptors celebration parade (Frank Gunn / Associated Press, 2019)
