Tag Archives: canadian traditions

Easter traditions I grew up with

Parenting, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Easter can sometimes be a controversial subject for many parents. Ever hear the saying “Easter is not a second Christmas”? This would be because many parents go way overboard with buying things at Easter foe their kids. I’m probably (for sure) guilty of over buying slightly. But I wouldn’t say we go overboard here. Maybe this is because my parents never went overboard for us. Easter wasn’t about presents per-say, It was about kind of welcoming spring time and anticipation for the warm weather and when you could play outside from dawn till dusk.

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The big theme was outdoor toys in my house growing up. We had skipping ropes, chalk, skip-its, bubbles, maybe some bug catching baskets or nets. We always had outdoor stuff that we could play with as the weather warmed up. Even different types of pool toys or what not to hang out. A sprinkler was not unusual too. Anyone have the crazy armed octopus sprinkler too? Or maybe the wacky fire hydrant that spun around and you would run through. Of course we did get candy and chocolate however we never had an abundance. Just enough to last a solid week or two and this was eating so much daily and then it was gone. Some of the best things we got were the outdoor toys, anyone remember the ankle killers, Skip-its?

In my home we would wake up, no earlier than 7am. Wait for our parents and then head to the living room. We never had things wrapped though, again, this is Easter not a second Christmas. We would however have one “wrapped” gift eventually from our grandparents which would be in an Easter bag and Ill go more into detail later about that. So we would normally be allowed one piece of chocolate before breakfast. This was something like a kinder egg. No we were not allowed to eat an entire chocolate bunny before breakfast!! But we did have a treat. Fun fact: I was actually allergic to chocolate more so as a kid to the point I would break out in rashes in my elbows and knees. So it wasn’t hard to tell when I would sneak a few extra pieces within a day or two. Especially when I was scratching up a storm. Then we ate a bigger breakfast. Normally bacon or pancakes the whole shebang so to speak. Even if my dad wasn’t home and was away driving the truck my mom still did a bigger breakfast for us though since it was Easter. When we were younger we did go to church the night before though, We always typically went to church on a Saturday night because it was far less people so you didn’t have to wait forever to get out of the parking lot or to get your communion because everyone wasn’t there.

After lunch we either waited for my grandparents to arrive for an early supper/super late lunch. Or if they were not coming over then we went there. Now my grandparents gave us similar things every year. One that they got every year was they got us our new bathing suits. This was huge because we knew summer was on the way and we could swim soon. We also did swimming lessons as a kid so it was exciting to know summer was coming too. They also gave us a chocolate bunny, maybe milk chocolate or maybe white or rice filled. And they always gave us a card sometimes with 20$. My grandparents had the 3 of us and 2 other grand kids but they lived in another province and then moved to England. So we were the only grand kids that were really close.

Easter was something that we loved to look forward to, not because it was about chocolate or hot big our baskets were but because it was another milestone through the year. It never had to be about a second Christmas. I know that looking at different people across Facebook giving their kids literally everything and anything under the sun is wild and amazing. They give their kids a huge bucket to load up with treats and goodies because the old fashioned basket was far too small. Call me crazy but all of my children have the same size basket and will have the same things together too. Sometimes we even got new pairs of sandals or shoes or even a new spring outfit to wear as the weather warmed up. I do live in Canada and it was not totally unusual to have an Easter with snow on the ground.

I will mention though, if you are in a family that takes a more religious view than this holiday may mean a lot more for yourselves growing up. Growing up mine was not super religious and as we got older we kind of stopped going to church and did our own things. As someone who is now raising her kids we choose to not raise them with any religion. If they choose to seek that as they get older they are more than welcome to do that. And they would be supported also. However us as a family just are not raising them to be religious or doing anything like that. So for us it is just a super fun holiday and a great way for us to just spend time as a family with a little bit of fun.

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I do believe though, regardless if you go overboard and or you don’t. Keep it chilled when it comes to the Easter Bunny bringing things. At the end of the day the Easter Bunny is not bringing new bikes, or scooters, or game systems or an abundance of clothes to all kids. The Easter Bunny may even be bringing nothing to some kids. But to keep it to candy and chocolate like the classic days of Easter Celebrations, that way no child feels left out when it comes to comparing gifts with their friends.

Maple Syrup and Canadians

Food, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

It may come as no surprise but one of the big things that Canadians are known for is in fact Maple Syrup. For some strange reason that is. Maybe it has to do with the fact that there are a lot of trees around here or even the fact that we have a big honking maple leaf on our flag. The reason for this could be something we may never find the answer to. Not that knowing an answer would really make a difference here anyway. Let’s talk about Canada and Maple Syrup! According to a 100% Canadian eh!

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Most may understand the concept of how maple syrup is in fact made. Some may also have no idea. I will be only briefly talking about the process since I am not a professional in this department. Basically in the spring as sap warms up and starts to flow, maple syrup harvesters will collect the sap into buckets or through tubing. This is collected in a cabin where it is removed of debris (sticks or bark) and then boiled to remove the water. Leaving maple syrup! You need a whole lot of sap also to make a very small amount of maple syrup which may be one of the reasons why it is so expensive. But more on that later! If you have a child or you yourself have grown up in the Canadian school system in most if not all the provinces, there is a good chance that you have heard this story at least once but more often than not, more times during school as one of the lessons.

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One stereotype I can think of is people assuming everyone likes maple syrup. Though a large amount of people do enjoy it I personally enjoy regular store bought table syrup. Nothing really fancy about it. Or maybe a lot of people know how to make syrup. Though that my be true, it certainly is not the case. Maple syrup is mainly made in certain provinces like Quebec. However in order to make it you need to have a maple tree, that is where the sap comes from! It may take a very long time though if you are only using one tree. And one important thing also, if you do decide to tap your own sap, make sure to plug the hole again with a piece of wood so the tree doesn’t keep running!

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If you are a fan of maple syrup it comes to no surprise how expensive it really is. Especially if you are buying Canadian maple syrup from a different country. Even here as a Canadian it is quite pricey. Whether or not you get it in  a fancy maple leaf glass bottle or you get it on a tin can. There is no denying the cost. Why is it so expensive? I honestly have no idea. Everything now a days is rising in costs however syrup has been quite expensive for some time. I assume it may be due to the way it is made and how you need a whole boat load of sap in order to make a tiny bottle of syrup. It also could be because or how long in general it takes to make. Sap does not flow quickly like water does that is for sure. None the less, most of the households I knew growing up would buy it for special occasions only. Though I am sure that there are some families who will only buy maple syrup for their homes.

A treat that originated in Quebec is maple taffy. This is when you take the syrup and boil it a little bit more so it becomes thicker. You then pour this liquid over the snow and when it starts to get cold you roll it onto a stick and eat it. Pretty simple and if you go to any sugar cabin where they make maple syrup you bet this is a tasty treat that is probably made there! Of course though you can make it at home after a fresh snow fall or as the snow melts in the spring! This is something that I know for sure I will be doing with my children during the colder months once they are a little bit older though!

Another reason why Maple Syrup is even now becoming more loved is the fact that is such a versatile type of condiment. From the thousands of desserts that you can make with it to the benefits in tea’s. This sweet golden liquid can even be added with soy sauce to make a great glaze for fish also. The syrup has the ability to sweeten a wide range of dishes and treats. Even if it does have a hefty price tag 99.9% of the time. Don’t forget the pancake and crepe uses that you would make on Sunday morning’s during the long weekends.

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Overall, I cant say for sure how many Canadians may regularly buy maple syrup. I know my family and even extended maybe buy it once a year if that at all. For the amount of times per month that a family tends to eat pancakes or crepes or whatever in order to use maple syrup is more than likely extremely low. Does it taste great? Yes. But is it worth the price tag? Debatable. The bottle line I guess I am trying to say is this is totally as serious of a topic as the rest of the planet thinks that it is for Canadians.