Social life and traditions and customs in Canada from Turgut Can's blog

As a Turk, my observations in Canada are my observations about Canadian culture and social life.

Canadians, of course, are not as friendly and hospitable as Turks. You can't find people as warm as Turks anywhere in the world anyway. That's why you can have some solitude in Canada. Canadians value privacy and humility. Canadians are rarely friendly to newcomers. They enjoy talking about sports, politics and their families. There are very few issues on which Canadians choose to remain silent. Making obscene and racial jokes is not welcome.

Social Life and Traditions in Canada

Canada has an informal social structure. There is no racial or class discrimination. You should treat the authorities with respect and be extremely polite to every person you meet. Turks may find Canadian vendors and waiters a bit pretentious. The reason for this is that they use all means for tips and commissions. Customer relations are taken incredibly seriously in Canada.

You can address your superiors and subordinates by their names at work. Author John Buckan said, "If you know someone's last name in Canada, you know them very well." Handshakes are common between men and women. Kissing on the cheek can occur between women or between a man and a woman. However, man-to-man kissing on the cheek is not uncommon. At home, Canadians are extremely friendly and hospitable. If you're invited to dinner at a home in Canada, it would be courteous to bring a bottle of wine or flowers.

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If you've attended a dinner party in Canada, you'll be expected to invite them next time. But you can also take it to the restaurant for dinner. If you're going to the house paw of someone younger than 30, a few cans of beer or a bottle of wine will be appreciated by the party owner. Lighting a cigarette without asking permission will be considered rude, whether in public or in someone else's home. In some cities, such as Toronto and Ottawa, smoking is prohibited in restaurants.

Making Friends in Canada

Canadians love to make friends. After building some intimacy, you can become more and more close to a Canadian. It is possible to establish many warm friendships at your workplace, and if you are going to settle in the countryside, your neighbors will welcome you in a very warm and hospitable way. Canadians may be skeptical at first. However, if you seem eager to make friends, they will immediately embrace you.

Big cities are full of clubs and places where you can meet lots of people. There are also many organizations for people far from their country.

Canadian Food and Drinks

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Food and drink is very important in Canada. Food is not expensive. Fresh and healthy food is in demand. Beer and spirits are sold in government-approved shops. And it is consumed in abundance.

British-style pubs and American-style sports bars are common. Since Knadians prefer to eat while drinking alcohol, these bars offer a variety of grills to their customers until closing hours.