Canada’s known for hockey & maple syrup, while Canadians are known for being polite. But there’s so much more to the story. We have some customs that’ll make even the most patriotic of Canadians surprised.
Here are ten odd Canadian traditions that still exist today. Which one would you like to take part in?
Kissing a cod in Newfoundland
Any newcomers who arrive in Newfoundland may want to watch out. Locals might invite you to a Screech-In as a welcoming gesture, and it’s even weirder than it sounds.
You take a shot of rum & recite a limerick, then kiss a cod. Yes, really. You have to plant your lips on a real, dead cod. Tour guides in St. John’s run the tradition year-round for those who are really interested.
Sipping the Sourtoe Cocktail in Dawson City
The Sourtoe Cocktail is a drink you can try in Dawson City, Yukon. True to its name, the drink contains a real, preserved, human toe.
The mummified toe lives behind the bar at the Downtown Hotel. The rule of the tradition is simple, and it’s that your lips have to touch the toe. Breaking the rule will land you a fine.
Racing outhouses through Dawson City streets
The end of winter in Dawson City signals the start of the Thaw di Gras Carnival. But it’s not your regular carnival. One of the main events is an outhouse race where teams decorate contraptions that look a lot like porta-potties.
They push the devices through the town & cheer the whole time. It’s the kind of weird fun you’d only ever expect to happen up north.
Piloting motorized bathtubs on open water
That’s not all for weird races. People in Nanaimo, B.C., race in floating bathtubs. They’re actual bathtubs with motors attached, and the race began in the 1960s as a stunt.
It has now become a full summer festival. In fact, there are trophies to win & people go all out by wearing costumes while they race across the harbour.
Wearing vintage snowsuits to an outdoor rave
Where else could you go for a festival called Igloofest but Montreal? It’s essentially a giant dance, although the best part has to be the unofficial dress code.
Many people come wearing neon snowsuits that look like they came straight out of the ‘90s. The festival takes place in the winter, so it makes sense that the people wrap up warm. Nobody seems to care that it’s freezing.
Disguising yourself for Christmastime mummering
“Mummering” is easily one of the weirdest Christmas traditions out there. Quite a few people in Newfoundland & Labrador take part in it, and it involves dressing up in odd clothes & knocking on doors.
They have to perform skits while their neighbours try to work out who’s who. The tradition initially disappeared, but the Mummers Festival brought it back.
Taking a New Year’s Day plunge in Vancouver
The New Year festivities begin in Vancouver with the Polar Bear Swim. People run into the icy saltwater of English Bay for a few unforgettable, and cold, seconds.
A few people do it while wearing superhero capes. Those who aren’t competing cheer from the shore, wrapped in blankets, and there’s often one person who stays in the water too long.
Racing frogs at St-Pierre-Jolys Frog Follies
The summer highlight in St-Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba, comes from something other than a concert or parade. It’s frog racing. Locals & visitors get together to watch the small creatures hop for glory, and people name their favourite frogs.
They even place bets on the races. But by far the strangest part of the event is when the volunteers measure each jump. How weird is that?
Freezing your hair at Yukon hot springs
You could only ever have a spa day with icicles in the Yukon. Visitors at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs take a dip in the steaming pools each winter & wait for their hair to freeze.
The temperatures are usually -20 °C, so it doesn’t take too long. Staff collect entries for an annual contest to judge the creativity of freezing hair, beards, eyebrows, etc. The winner gets money and the right to brag about it until the next freeze-up.
Making serious noise for Acadian Day tintamarre
New Brunswick gets loud on August 15. They celebrate the Acadian Day tintamarre, and it involves making as much noise as you can using pots & pans, even whistles.
Local bands play folk tunes while everyone tries to make a lot of noise. The festival celebrates Acadian pride. Best of all, there are no speeches. Just pure sound.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.