20 typical Canadian things for which this country is famous

Canada is known in the world for being geographically north of the United States, for being a territorially large country with a very cold temperature and for being a nation rich in customs that also make it easily distinguishable on the map.

Let’s know in this article the 20 typical things of Canada.

1. National tree is the maple

The maple or maple is the national tree and one of the typical things of Canada. It symbolizes strength and resistance and thanks to the sap from its trunk they have one of the main ingredients of its gastronomy, maple syrup.

Watch this video of what the Maple looks like in Canada:

2. People are very nice and very apologetic

Canadians are very modest and simple, so it is normal for them to apologize even for the smallest details.

Queen’s University conducted a survey titled, “Sorry…I’m Canadian,” which found that over 90% of 18-25 year olds would apologize if they bumped into a stranger.

Apologizing frequently and to anyone is typical of Canada.

3. They love ice hockey.

One of the typical things about Canada is its flagship sport, ice hockey.

The National Hockey League (NHL) is one of the largest sports leagues in North America with two iconic teams (Montreal Canadiens or “Habs” and Toronto Maple Leafs). Their regional and minor leagues are also very popular.

It is a tradition to get together with friends to enjoy hockey games from the pavilion or in a pub, at “Hockey Night in Canada”.

4. Canadian Mounted Police

One of the typical things about Canada is its famous mounted police, known throughout the world for their red jacket and wide-brimmed brown hat.

“The Royal Canadian Mounted Police”, as it is called in English, is a modern police force with a high degree of functionality and responsibility, characterized by its efficiency. They work territorially in provinces, districts and areas where they are hired, therefore, they do not perform work throughout the country.

In the vicinity of the Ottawa Parliament you can see the patrolling of the mounted police with appropriate uniforms and more discreet than the famous red jacket.

5. Canada is a country of immigrants, there are people of all countries and races in Canada

Canada is a country that over the years has been enriched by the arrival of immigrants from all over the world.

The first settlers, the “first nations”, have lost prominence to the number of people from abroad who have made Canada their country.

Immigrants from Europe, Asia and South America have increased their number of inhabitants and thus formed a heterogeneous and cosmopolitan population.

Its capital, Toronto, is listed as the most “multicultural city in the world” by studies that estimate that more than half of its inhabitants are not natives of there.

The city is populated by neighborhoods of different ethnic communities, places where both European and American demonstrations are seen.

The mixture of races and cultures is one of the typical things of Canada.

6. In Canada they speak English and French

Officially, Canada is a bilingual country where two languages are spoken, English and French.

The provinces that make up the country do not manage bilingualism. Only New Brunswick is listed as bilingual; English is spoken in all other provinces and French is spoken in Quebec.

All signs, notices, instructions and labels are expressed in English and French.

7. They have beautiful lakes and “country houses”

Canada is the country with the largest number of lakes in the world with at least 3 million of these bodies of water. In the province of Ontario alone, there are 250,000 freshwater lakes, which makes it the recipient of 1/3 of all the freshwater in the world.

“Going to the lake” is a daily phrase of Canadians who, when going out for a walk, stay in cabins equipped with all the services.

Muskoka, Ontario’s premier lake district, was recognized by National Geographic Traveler magazine as the “World’s Top Summer Travel Destination.”

Look at the Canadian landscapes:

8. The Canucks

It is the colloquial way that Canadians call each other. Although it is not a term that indicates their demonym, they are proud to be “canucks”. This is also called there is an ice hockey team in Vancouver.

9. They have many locations to shoot movies

Another of the typical things of Canada is that many of its emblematic places such as Halifax or Vancouver are frequently used by Hollywood as recording sets, making the viewer believe that it is New York, Wyoming or ancient Persia.

The Hulk, in The Incredible Hulk, from 2018, was actually walking down Yonge Street in Toronto; Brokeback Mountain, from 2005, is not the western United States but the Rocky Mountains in southern Alberta.

Twilight, from 2008, was filmed in Vancouver, never in the United States and a good part of Titanic, from 1997, was filmed on the coast in front of Halifax and its port.

10. Canada’s air is among the cleanest in the world

Canada’s air ranks third among the cleanest air in the world, according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO). Its pollution-free air also enhances its education in environmental conservation.

11. They have a very good sense of humor

Canadians have a very good sense of humor, proof of this is the number of famous Canadian native comedians like Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Leslie Nielsen, Catherine O’Hara, Phil Hartman, among others.

It will be nice for you to interact with Canadians when you visit the country so that you can enjoy one of the typical things of Canada.

12. National brand

The national symbol of Canada, the red maple tree leaf, is another of its typical things known throughout the world.

Canadians carry their national brand wherever they go, whether it’s embroidered on their travel bags, jackets and anything else that can be displayed.

13. Food when they go on a trip

The country has many food outlets on its roads due to the length of its roads, so traveling in Canada also means eating.

You can have lunch or dinner from chicken McNuggets, smoked bacon burgers or half chicken with chalet sauce, to a box of timbits with double-double coffee.

14. Weird and adorable terms and phrases

Canadians have their own words and phrases to call some things, situations or attitudes, such as:

“Loonie.”: His way of calling the $2 coins.

«Two four»: it is used to denominate the beer cases of 24 beers, since it is a 2 and a 4, instead of saying twenty-four, they say «two four».

Serviettes: napkins, if there are special guests.

Ring rat: way of calling the wanderers in the ice arenas.

If you do something stupid you’ll hear: “fuck the gears”.

They may ask you “Need to run to the biffy”. (Do you want to go to the bathroom)

“You can see the gitch”, when your belt is too loose.

15. Tim Hortons

It is the chain of typical Canadian coffee shops, a concept similar to the American Starbucks, but with local Canadian airs and customs.

Local Tim Hortons can be found on any stretch of the country’s long highways or in some off-the-beaten-path town.

It is said that if you haven’t had a coffee at Tim Hortons it’s because you haven’t really been to Canada.

16. Underground cities

Underground cities emerged in Canada as an alternative to low winter temperatures when it is difficult to get out.

In Montreal and Toronto there are these metropolises where office buildings, subway and railway stations, shopping centers, gyms and sports fields are linked.

In Toronto, the underground city is called PATH, while Montreal’s is called RESO and has more than 30 kilometers of tunnels underground.

Both RESO and PATH are huge galleries and corridors filled with shops and restaurants, serving office employees and customer service centers. It takes practice not to get lost in the vastness of these places.

17. Beavers and Raccoons

The beaver is the animal that represents the Canadian fauna. A species with a habitat in the thousands of lakes and forests of Canada that guarantees its survival.

The country’s 5-cent coin features a beaver as its image, and the 1976 Montreal Olympics had the Amik beaver as its mascot.

Raccoons roam the streets in residential neighborhoods and can be found anywhere, as are squirrels, which number in the millions in Toronto alone.

To Canadians, raccoons are unpleasant and annoying because they rummage through garbage and because they can invade houses to build burrows.

18. The Queen of England

The Queen of England is on all Canadian banknotes because although independent, the country has her as Head of State.

Canada does not have a president, but rather a prime minister elected by popular vote.

19. The expression hey!

Conversations in English in Canada have a lot of hey, an expression that means nothing. It is a filler used by all Canadians at the end of any sentence such as: “nice day, eh!”.

Watch this video of the explanation of why they say so much “eh”:

20. Putin

One of the typical things of Canada is to enjoy one of its most representative dishes of French origin.

The poutine is made with a base of French fries topped with mozzarella or cheddar cheese and a meat sauce. It is a very popular food that is prepared in any restaurant.

The dish can be with vegetables, sausages or meat, all to the diner’s taste.

What are the customs and traditions of Canada?

Canada celebrates many traditional festivities such as the Winter Carnival in February or the Montreal International Jazz Festival between the end of June and the beginning of July. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October.

What is the traditional food of Canada?

There are several typical Canadian foods, but we can mention Fiddleheads, made with fern leaves and candy; Poutine, prepared with French fries topped with mozzarella or cheddar cheese and gravy; Maple syrup, also called maple syrup.

What are the main holidays in Canada?

The so-called official holidays of Canada are:

1 of January New Year.
March/April: Good Friday and Easter Monday.
May 24: Victory Day.

July 1: Canada Day
September 6: Labor Day.
Second Monday in October: Thanksgiving Day.

November 11: Remembrance Day.
25th December, Christmas.

Typical Canadian things to give away

In the Calgary area you can buy leather clothing, wood crafts and stones carved by indigenous people.

In Vancouver you can buy handicrafts, clothing, paintings and sculptures. In the Otra region you can buy exotic jewelry made by hand with gold extracted from the Yukon; It is also possible to buy elk skin items and handicrafts made by the indigenous people.

In Newfoundland they sell garments made from sealskin and the well-known and famous Grenfell coats.

canada handicrafts

The best-known and most representative crafts in Canada are the totem poles, figures carved in wood by Aborigines that represent the clan’s protective animals.

There are also utensils decorated with decorative paintings, ceremonial masks and woolen fabrics adorned with totemic figures.

Jewelry made with gold such as rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces are also a sample of Canadian craftsmanship.

Canadian typical food

Among the typical foods of Canada we have: toutiére, macaroni and cheese, fiddleheads, peameal bacon or canadian bacon, poutine and smoke meat sandwich.

Also read our guide on the 35 typical Canadian foods that you must try

Interesting things about Canada

The baseball glove was first invented and manufactured in Canada in 1883.
The total population of Canada is less than that of the state of California, United States.

It ranks third among the countries with the cleanest air on the planet.
It has 1/3 of the fresh water of the entire earth.
It has the largest coastline in the world with 202,080 kilometers.

Typical Canadian drink

Canada’s traditional drink is the “double-doublé” coffee sold at any Tim Hortons store.

Beers, whiskey and Sortilege, a liquor made from maple syrup, are also very popular.

Also read our guide on 12 typical Canadian drinks that you must try

Typical Canadian desserts

Berry cream pie, beavertails, butter tarts, cupcakes, maple syrup, among others are known.

typical costume of canada

Canada does not have a typical costume, however, we can find representative clothing of the country such as the mounted police uniforms with their characteristic red jacket and wide-brimmed brown hat.

Another of the representative costumes is constituted by the attire worn by the first settlers and the indigenous people who inhabited the region in its beginnings.

Buy souvenirs from Canada

Among the souvenirs that you can buy in Canada are maple syrup, butter, chocolates and many other products made with maple as a raw material.

The lingonberry is traditional in Canada and you can always buy a cake or a meat sauce made with this fruit.

In Canada, very good beers and whiskey are made, also ideal to take as a gift.

In any store in the country you will find typical t-shirts, mugs, caps, key chains or calendars.

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