By Clara Jones

Canada is a country of incredible diversity, and this is clearly reflected in the way people celebrate Christmas. With people from all over the world living here, each nationality brings their own unique traditions with them. Christmas also falls in the middle of winter, and the entire landscape is then covered in a soft blanket of snow – which makes everything look even more festive.

South African social in Brandon

In the first few years before Covid, the South Africans in Brandon would gather for a potluck on Christmas Day. Someone would always coordinate everything to make sure there was a wide enough variety of dishes. We had delicious traditional dishes: leg of lamb, stuffed chicken, pumpkin fritters, green beans that reminded me of the WAU ladies’ with ham and even Nik Naks in them, creamy potatoes, and of course baked puddings with custard and ice cream. There was also always someone who would cook a turkey – ham and turkey are North American Christmas favourites.

These events were preceded by a Christmas service, after which everyone could sit down together for the festive meal. During and after Covid, the gatherings were however scaled down. With time, as everyone stayed here longer, it naturally started to shift more towards family celebrations: the children got married, had children of their own, and Christmas Day turned into a quieter and more intimate day.

A festival of lights

Christmas in Canada means lights, lots of lights! Most people decorate their homes and front yards with impressive lighting that stays on until after January 6, when the Ukrainian Christmas is celebrated. It’s truly an experience: reindeer with lights, giant Santas, inflatables, Christmas scenes, and everything that glitters and sparkles. Canadians definitely go to great lengths when it comes to Christmas decorations, both indoors and outdoors.

Our own Christmas traditions

Christmas in the Jones household looks very different from our days in South Africa. I make sure the Christmas tree is put up and decorated on December 1, sometimes even mid-November, to get the family into the Christmas spirit early.

We are a family of three, and since Covid we have been celebrating a quiet, family-oriented Christmas Day. Our new tradition is to make paella and play board games. Trivial Pursuit is a favourite, and 30 Seconds (the South African version) is always a challenge here – no one else can play along because it contains purely South African facts! It keeps our general knowledge sharp.

In South Africa we always visited my brother-in-law on the farm, but today our traditions are simpler and closer to the heart.

Family despite borders

Our family is spread out: my brother lives in New Zealand, my husband’s brothers are in South Africa, and his sister is in Scotland. Luckily, WhatsApp makes it easy to stay in touch, especially around Christmas.

Also read: Christmas across borders: Warm memories and new traditions