Face-off
Coleen Ramsay captured this quintessential Canadian moment on the ice in Youghall Lagoon, New Brunswick. Nothing says Christmas in the Great White North like a game of shinny!
Check out our ultimate guide to Canadian hockey slang.
Catch of the day
Lynn Mabley’s husband has a unique Christmas tradition: every year he decorates his walleye with a seasonal scarf and toque. The prized fish needs to stay warm, after all.
Anyone can make these DIY Christmas decorations!
Adventures in Advent
Barb Schmidt started giving Advent Calendars to her grandchildren in 1987. Thirty years later, she’s now giving them to her great-grandchildren—and has switched from chocolate to themed calendars, personalized for each kid.
Gingerbread village
Mike Lane captured these gingerbread houses at the National Gingerbread Showcase in Victoria, B.C. These sweet holiday treats are also serving a good cause—all the proceeds from last year’s Showcase went to Habitat for Humanity.
Planning a Christmas cookie exchange? We’ve rounded up the best Christmas cookie recipes of all time!
Tree with a twist
Three years ago, Anne Marie Beacock decided to skip Christmas and repaint her house instead. When she woke up on Christmas morning, her husband had set up this make-shift tree at the entrance to their kitchen instead. Now, the couple put it up every year, whether or not anyone’s been painting.
This is the best time in Canada to buy your Christmas tree.
A merry little Christmas
This old-school snap comes from Noella Shank, whose family used to gather at her grandma’s house in Corbeil, Ont., every year for a Christmas supper with all the trimmings—making time for a group photo in between courses.
Discover what Christmas was like during the Great Depression.
Bright lights
Sharon Peters took this photo while on a relaxing moonlight walk around the Calgary Zoo. Who knew that animals could put up Christmas lights?
These are the best places to spend Christmas in Canada.
Elf on the shelf
This perky elf, known in Olivia Lane’s house as Katie, is responsible for keeping an eye on Lane’s kids and making sure they get on Santa’s nice list.
Can you find the one doll hidden in the sea of Christmas toys?
Seasonal sweets
Both fun and tasty, baking might be the perfect holiday activity. Sue Thompson certainly thinks so—she sent in this shot of some colourful cookies.
Here’s the real reason why we bake cookies at Christmastime.
Here comes Santa Claus
Alan Cheng had a great view of Old St. Nick himself at the Santa Claus Parade in Toronto, a holiday event that attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year.
These stories about meeting Santa Claus will get you into the Christmas spirit!
Gone south
The most Canadian Christmas tradition might actually be celebrating Christmas somewhere else—say, by the ocean, with a warm breeze overhead. If you’re going to get away, it’s always best to leave a note, as demonstrated here by Sean Donnelly.
Winter wonderland
Most people opt to get their trees from a local store, but Kim Meyers snapped this snowy shot while on a hunt for the perfect Christmas tree near Brookdale, Man.
Next, find out the most unusual Christmas traditions from around the world.