5 Facts about Canada that will Make You Realize that Our Nation Isn’t as Normal as You Thought
Sure you know that Canada isn’t as weird as the Canadian stereotypes go; everyone in Canada knows that no one actually says “aboot”. But what you are about to read is entirely different - some things you may not have known existed or what you might have thought was something normal is actually weird to other nations.
First off, milk: believe it or not, buying milk in bags is completely Canadian. In fact, it’s not even sold all over Canada. Other countries stick with the more common cartons and jugs of milk.
Secondly, Canadian superstitions - yes they are scary, but some of these Canadian ones are rather unique. According to prairie etiquette you shouldn’t return a clean plate to someone who had given you food, for washing that plate is considered bad luck. Also, in Alberta, there are spooky tales of the consequences of blackberry picking after the date of October 11th. It is said that after that day the devil has come to claim the remaining crops. Finally, there are the French Canadian tales of the loup-garou, or the Canadian werewolf who is a shapeless, headless animal believed to be a person who had not partaken in sacrament for seven years.
Next, the Canadian parliament: when voting for a new prime minister, Canada has a rather large number of parties. There are so many parties that there was one a party called “le partie citron”, the lemon party. Canadians have 5 parties to choose from, while the US only has two. Quite the difference, eh!
If you haven’t learned this already in history class, the word Canada is actually a miscommunication. It all started when explorer Jacques Cartier was trying to communicate with the Iroquois. The Iroquois were trying to point out a village in Quebec called Kanata. Cartier wasn’t quite sure what they were saying, so he used that to make the name of our country, Canada.
Finally, Canada is the home to a UFO landing pad in St. Paul, Alberta. Although there has never been a UFO landing there, the creator of this pad opened it by landing a h
elicopter on it. Assuming that UFOs are no bigger than a typical helicopter.
Do these facts change the way you see your country? Or do they make you question the practices of other nations and cultures? Either way, it is needless to say that Canada is a unique land with more interesting aspects than you may assume.