New customs began to take root. Henceforth, the decorated Christmas tree, the crèche with its santons or plaster figures, gifts and the Christmas
"réveillon"
became part of family tradition.
We decorate a pine tree with ornaments representing Christmas, buy or make each other presents that get wrapped in
wrapping paper to be put under the tree so they can be opened on Christmas Day. Santa Claus is the imaginary person that
little kids like to believe in who brings the presents. You aren't supposed to know what you're going to get, so that is part of
the fun of Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve, December 24th, there is usually a turkey dinner and in the middle of the night,
Santa Claus is said to come down the chimney and place the presents under the tree. Then he goes back up the chimney
(he's magic) and flies to the next house in his sleigh with 9 reindeer pulling it through the air (it flies). On Christmas Day, all the
presents are opened.
Noël à Québec
Francophones, however, incorporated these new practices into their culture much later. After the First World War, increasing commercial advertising drew Francophones into the dizzy festive activities. During the 1930s, the working classes also joined this happy Christmas rush.
In Québec, which is the French-speaking part of Canada, we celebrate Christmas by putting up a big Christmas tree,
sometime before Christmas. Many people also put a Christmas tree outside with colured lights. Usually we have lots of snow
by the time Christmas comes around and it looks very festive. Most people eat turkey for their Christmas dinner, but in the old
days people used to eat Tourtière, which is a sort of stew made of a layer of meat, a layer of potatoes, a layer of onions,
another layer of meat, potatoes, onions and so on till it is big enough. A layer of pastry goes on top to cover and then you
cook it for a long time. Christmas dinner is called "Reveillon" (waking up) and it is eaten when people come back from
Midnight Mass, maybe at two o'clock in the morning.
In our family we get a Christmas tree just before Christmas and the next day we decorate it. For Christmas Eve we usually eat
duck and then rice pudding with almonds. Afterwards we open the presents from our family - and the next morning we open
the ones from Santa Claus. Then my sister and I play with our presents and my parents read the newspaper. For Christmas
dinner we have nutloaf and Christmas pudding with custard.
In Québec the end of Christmas is called La fête du Roi (on the 6th of January). For this you make a cake which has a bean
inside it. The person who gets the bean is the king (or queen).
