A. Heritage and Identity · Changing Family and Community Traditions

Celebrations Across Canada: Same and Different

A1 A3About 35 minutes

Learning goals

I can describe some celebrations of different groups in Canada.
I can compare two celebrations and tell how they are the same and different.
I can talk about other people's celebrations in a respectful way.

Words to know

compare
To look at two or more things and tell how they are the same and how they are different.

similar
Almost the same, or alike in some ways.

diverse
Made up of many different kinds. Canada has diverse families and groups.

Venn diagram
Two circles that overlap. Things that are different go in the outside parts, and things that are the same go in the middle.

festival
A big celebration, often for a whole community, with food, music and fun.

A country of many celebrations

Canada is home to people from all over the world, and to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, who have lived here for thousands of years. Because Canada is so diverse, there are celebrations all through the year, in every season, even when there's snow on the ground!

Let's look at some of them.

Small clay oil lamps called diyas glowing on a windowsill beside a design made of flower petals, with snow outside the window. — Diyas are lit for Diwali, the festival of lights, which comes in the fall. Celebrations in Canada happen in every season, even when it is cold outside! AI-generated image

Celebration	Who celebrates	When	Some traditions
Lunar New Year	many Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and other families	January or February	red envelopes with money, dumplings, lion dances, cleaning the home for a fresh start
Nowruz (Persian New Year)	many Iranian, Afghan, Kurdish and other families	the first day of spring, in March	a table with seven special items, spring cleaning, visiting family
Vaisakhi	Sikh families (and many Punjabi families)	April	visiting the gurdwara, parades called nagar kirtan, sharing free food
Eid al-Fitr	Muslim families	at the end of Ramadan (the date moves each year)	prayers, new clothes, visiting, gifts, sweets
National Indigenous Peoples Day	First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and everyone in Canada	June 21	music, dancing, food, sharing culture
Canada Day	people across Canada	July 1	fireworks, flags, red and white clothes, picnics
Thanksgiving	many families in Canada	the second Monday in October	a big meal, giving thanks for the harvest and for each other
Diwali	many Hindu, Sikh and Jain families	October or November	lights, small clay lamps called diyas, sweets, rangoli patterns
Hanukkah	Jewish families	December (sometimes late November)	lighting the menorah for eight nights, latkes, the dreidel game
Christmas	Christian families and many other families	December 25 (January 7 for some Orthodox Christian families)	decorated trees, gifts, carols, church services, a family meal
Kwanzaa	many African Canadian and African American families	December 26 to January 1	lighting seven candles, celebrating African heritage, a feast

Some celebrations in Canada through the year. Each family celebrates in its own way.

Some celebrations from the chart on a calendar. There is something to celebrate in every season. (Eid al-Fitr is not shown because its date moves each year.)

Each family is different

Not everyone in a group celebrates the same way. Two families who both celebrate Eid, Christmas or Lunar New Year may have different foods and traditions. The best way to learn about someone's celebration is to ask them kindly and listen.

Same and different

When we compare celebrations, we look for what is the same (similar) and what is different.

Many celebrations have things in common: family, food, music, lights, giving thanks or wishing for a good year. They are different in when they happen, why they happen and how people celebrate.

A Venn diagram helps us compare. Things that are only true for one celebration go in its own circle. Things that are true for both go in the middle, where the circles overlap.

A Venn diagram comparing Diwali and Hanukkah. Both are celebrations with lights, family and special foods.

Worked example

Example: Let's compare New Year celebrations

Many groups in Canada celebrate a new year, but not on the same day! Compare these four:

January 1: counting down at midnight, fireworks, making resolutions.
Lunar New Year: red envelopes, dumplings, lion dances.
Nowruz: on the first day of spring, a table with seven special items, visiting family.
Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year): in the fall, eating apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year.

Look for what is the same: all four celebrate a new start. Most include family and special food. People wish each other a good year.
Look for what is different: they happen at different times of year (winter, spring, fall). They have different foods (dumplings, apples and honey) and different traditions (fireworks, red envelopes, a special table).
Say it in a sentence: "All four celebrate a new year with family, but they happen at different times and have different foods and traditions."

Same: a new start, family, special food, good wishes. Different: the date or season, the foods and the traditions.

Worked example

Example: Let's compare two families' Thanksgiving

Chloe's family eats turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Her family goes around the table and each person says one thing they are thankful for.

Amir's family eats turkey with rice and spicy chutney. After dinner, they go for a walk to see the fall leaves.

Same: both families celebrate Thanksgiving, both eat turkey, both have a family meal.
Different: Chloe's family eats pumpkin pie and shares what they are thankful for. Amir's family adds rice and chutney and goes for a walk.
Even the same celebration can look different in different families!

Both families share a turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, but each family adds its own traditions.

Riddle time

Why did the two circles in the Venn diagram become best friends?

They had so much in common!

Talking about celebrations respectfully

Say "different", not "weird" or "strange".
Ask questions kindly: "How does your family celebrate?"
Don't guess that everyone celebrates the same holidays as you.
If you are invited to someone's celebration, try their food politely and follow their customs.

Hands-on activity

Hula hoop (or string) Venn diagram

You need: two hula hoops, two loops of string, or two circles drawn with sidewalk chalk; small paper cards.

Choose two celebrations: one your family celebrates and one another family celebrates. (You can ask a friend, a neighbour or a relative, or use the chart above.)
Lay the two hoops so they overlap in the middle.
Write or draw facts on cards: foods, when it happens, what people do.
Put each card in the right place: one circle, the other circle, or the middle if it is true for both.
Tell a grown-up one thing that is the same and one thing that is different.

Your turn

What does compare mean?

Name two celebrations that use lights.

What day is Canada Day?

When is Canadian Thanksgiving?

In a Venn diagram, where do you put things that are the same for both?

Name one thing that is the same about Lunar New Year and January 1 New Year.

Your friend celebrates a holiday you don't know. What is a respectful thing to do?

More practice: warm-up

Which celebration lights a menorah?

Which celebration has small clay lamps called diyas?

What is one food some families eat at Lunar New Year?

True or false: All families in Canada celebrate the same holidays.

What date is National Indigenous Peoples Day?

More practice: on your own

Compare Diwali and Hanukkah. Give one thing that is the same and one that is different.

Why is Canada home to so many different celebrations?

What do Eid al-Fitr and Christmas have in common? Name two things.

Why do people eat apples dipped in honey at Rosh Hashanah?

Two friends both celebrate Christmas. Will they celebrate in exactly the same way? Explain.

Challenge

Many celebrations happen in winter in Canada (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year). Why do you think so many winter celebrations use lights?

Make your own Venn diagram in words for your birthday and Canada Day. What goes in the middle?

Vaisakhi parades and Canada Day fireworks are celebrations for a whole community, not just one family. How is a community celebration different from a family one?

Check your understanding

Quiz

When we compare, we tell...

In a Venn diagram, things that are true for both go...

Which celebration happens on July 1?

What do Diwali and Hanukkah have in common?

Lunar New Year, Nowruz and January 1 all celebrate...

Which is the most respectful thing to say?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Canada is diverse, so families and groups celebrate many different days. Comparing celebrations shows they often share big ideas (family, food, light, thanks, new beginnings) while differing in timing, reasons and customs. This supports the curriculum's goal of comparing traditions among diverse groups.

How to help at home:

Use a calendar to mark celebrations of your family and of friends or neighbours.
Read picture books about a celebration your family doesn't observe, ideally written by someone who celebrates it.
Do the hoop Venn diagram; it makes "same and different" very concrete.

Common difficulties:

Thinking a whole group celebrates identically. Emphasize that every family adds its own touches.
Using words like "weird". Model "That's different from what we do. Let's find out more."
The chart gives a few traditions only. Dates of some celebrations (Eid, Lunar New Year, Diwali, Hanukkah) follow lunar or lunisolar calendars and move from year to year.