Écouter les clochettes (Hearken to the bells)
Du joyeux temps des fêtes (of the joyful vacation occasions)
Annonçant la joie de chaque cœur qui bat (saying the enjoyment of every beating coronary heart)
Au royaume du bonhomme hiver (within the kingdom of the Winter Snowman)
Sung to the tune of “Strolling in a Winter Wonderland”, I grew up belting out this French-Canadian basic “Au Royaume du Bonhomme Hiver” each winter at our faculty vacation gala.
The weeks main as much as the gala have been at all times a deal with: grammar and math classes have been changed with choir, theatre, and dance class as we ready to current Canadian winter folklore traditions to our households and pals.
It was thrilling to think about ourselves within the kingdom of the Winter Snowman, and we revelled in studying about different legendary figures just like the bonhomme de neige, the mascot of the well-known Quebec Winter Carnival, who ushers in celebrations carrying his crimson hat and sash.
Since time immemorial and from coast to coast to coast, most of these Canadian folklore practices have stored our distinctive and multifaceted winter traditions alive, permitting us to thrive in and study from the colder, darker months.
What’s folklore?
Folklore refers back to the conventional materials handed down by means of generations, both by means of oral storytelling or different cultural practices. Indigenous peoples, together with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, have been the primary to practise folklore on Turtle Island, or the land now also known as Canada.
By way of verbal and nonverbal practices—like dance, music, and crafts—Indigenous communities cross down info, knowledge, and values that permit them to make sense of the world. At particular events like potlatches, storytelling holds an honoured place for getting by means of the winter darkish.
“Throughout our potlatch, we share in our songs and our tales, in our language and in our artwork, in our traditions, and in our deep relationship with our lands and waters,” says Haida storyteller Cohen Bradley in his 2023 TED speak on learn how to weave a cultural legacy by means of storytelling.
“Storytelling is the principle factor in our lifestyle, as a result of that’s the way you study your tradition and your language,” says the late Cree First Nation Elder Jerry Wooden in a video produced for the Edmonton Regional Studying Consortium.
Trying ahead
Folklore doesn’t have to be in regards to the previous: tales can be a robust method to reimagine the longer term. For instance, Atlanthos: Youth-Pushed Innovation By way of Afrofuturistic Storytelling, a 2024 exhibit on the College of British Colombia’s Museum of Anthropology, used speculative and multimedia storytelling to check a extra simply, equitable, and harmonious society.
Canadian folklore at present
Regardless of centuries of oppression, Indigenous communities in Canada proceed to take care of vibrant folklore traditions that educate us about our surroundings and ourselves, and European settlers to the nation additionally introduced their very own folklore traditions.
Aggressive flècheurs
In Métis tradition, there’s a phrase for a delegated storyteller: flècheur, loosely translated as “he who shoots the arrow.” On chilly winter nights, Métis communities collect to listen to probably the most fantastical tales that might be advised, with the winner typically receiving a prize.
Heroic Lumiuk and villainous Mahaha
Conventional Inuit tales, orally handed down by Elders, are experiencing a resurgence in reputation because of preservation efforts. Whether or not specializing in heroes like Lumiuk, an abused, blind boy who finds refuge within the sea, or supernatural beings like Mahaha, a demon determine who tickles its victims to loss of life except outsmarted, Inuit teachings reinforce shut relationships with nature and impart social codes.
Disguised and performing mummers
An outdated customized from the UK and Eire, throughout Christmastime in Newfoundland and Labrador, merrymakers, known as mummers, go to their pals’ homes in disguise—forcing hosts to poke, prod, and query them with a purpose to guess their identities, earlier than everybody indulges in some festive meals and wine.
Soothsaying groundhogs
Initially a medieval pagan custom, the observe of declaring winter over or prolonged based mostly on a groundhog’s response to its personal shadow was dropped at Canada by German immigrants. In Ontario, a groundhog named Wiarton Willie emerges yearly on February 2 to a crowd eagerly ready to search out out if spring will grace them early.
A wealth of worldwide traditions
There are a lot of examples of traditions dropped at Canada from afar:
• Some Chinese language-Canadian communities rejoice Dongzhi, a winter solstice competition that pulls classes from conventional tales to emphasise relaxation; leisure; and consuming nourishing, symbolic meals.
• Every January, Punjabi-Canadian communities collect to sing, dance, pray, and eat in honour of Lohri, a winter solstice vacation involving festive bonfires.
These examples barely scratch the floor: there are as many winter folklore traditions as there are cultural teams in Canada.
Deliver residence the ability of tales
Storytelling is an effective way to enhance youngsters’ comprehension expertise whereas transmitting vital info. Ask your native bookstore about Indigenous storybooks for kids, which convey cultural customs and ethical values and are sometimes revealed in numerous languages.
Educators also can contemplate working storytelling into college curriculums, together with math and science. For instance, as a part of its math literacy program, Simon Fraser College provides The Adventures of Small Quantity, a collection of math-related tales drawing on the storytelling traditions of Indigenous peoples.
This text was initially revealed within the December 2024 difficulty of alive journal.
