Canada is a truly magical place to celebrate the holidays. No matter where you are in the country, from British Columbia to Quebec, there’s something special going on that will remind you to slow down, chill out and remember what the holidays are all about. If, amidst all of the hustle and bustle, you’ve forgotten the true meaning of the holidays, it’s not stress and shopping. The holidays are really about going back to basics to connect with the people you love. Since this isn’t always easy to remember when things get hectic, we’re sharing some of the best ways Canada can help revive your festive spirit. Here are seven reasons why Canada is the best place to celebrate the holidays.
It’s really easy to write a letter to Santa (and get one back)
Canada makes it easy to tell Santa what you want for Christmas. Canada Post’s national Santa Letter-writing Program officially started 34 years ago (with local letter writing programs beginning even earlier). It was a holiday hit from the beginning, but for the past 14 years, the program has averaged one million letters or more a year, and a total of more than 24.7 million answered letters.
For some places in Canada, it’s Christmas year-round
OK, maybe not in reality, but their names definitely tell another story. Reindeer Station, Northwest Territories; Christmas Island, Nova Scotia; Sled Lake, Saskatchewan; Holly, Ontario; Noel, Nova Scotia; and Snowflake, Manitoba all exist.
Search for flights to Nova ScotiaCanada’s capital is glowing
If ever there was a time to make a trip to Ottawa, Christmas might be the best one. Canada’s capital is currently aglow with 400,000 dazzling Christmas lights sparkling throughout the downtown area. Tens of thousands of bulbs light up the historic buildings atop Parliament Hill alone. The festive program, dubbed Christmas Lights Across Canada, was launched in 1985 as a way to liven up the darkest days of winter. You can catch the lights until Jan. 7.
You can feel festive at a Christmas market
Anyone needing to feel festive in a hurry need only get themselves to a Christmas market, of which there are several that happen across Canada. In particular, the Toronto Christmas Market happening at the historic Distillery District is known as one of the best Christmas markets in the world. Running until Dec. 20, the market sees the Distillery transformed into a traditional European holiday market compete with canopies of sparkling lights, music, mulled wine and vendors selling crafts and ornaments – all on the Distillery’s car-free cobblestone streets. Another market to check out include The Vancouver Christmas Market (on until Dec. 24).
You can “fly” over the North Pole
Curious about what life is life in the North Pole? You can get a taste of the place Santa calls home with FlyOver Canada, a flight simulation experience based out of Vancouver. Flyover’s seasonal experience runs daily until Jan. 5 (closed Christmas Day) and takes guests on a spectacular journey across Canada, culminating with a visit to Santa’s workshop in the North Pole, including a trip over Mrs. Claus’ gingerbread factory.
You can step back in time and celebrate the season in Old Montreal
The third edition of Merry Montreal takes over Old Montreal and the Old Port through to Jan. 1. Old Montreal and the Old Port can carry you back in time and make you feel like you’ve stumbled upon an old, charming town somewhere in France, making them the perfect backdrops for celebrating the holidays. In addition to a Christmas market and a New Year’s Eve party, anyone looking for a little festive fun can participate in any number of free activities. These include outdoor screenings of holiday movies, “cool yoga” classes done outdoors, comfort teams roaming around handing out hot chocolate and coffee and Santa phones where you can tell Santa what you want for Christmas.
Canada knows how to light it up
In addition to the lights on display at Parliament Hill, the rest of the country is also celebrating the holiday season in style with festive light displays well worth travelling for. For starters, The Ontario Power Generation Winter Festival of Lights turns Niagara Falls into a stunning light show that’s both beautiful and surreal. Other twinkling, sparkling options include the Airdrie Festival of Lights in Airdrie, Alberta; Edmonton’s Candy Cane Lane, which sees the west end of Alberta’s capital transformed by lighting displays and holiday decorations, and the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver.
Featured image: Thomas Quine, Christmas Lights at Night via Flickr CC BY 2.0
