RELIGION
About 77 percent of Canadians are Christians, but the beliefs of the different denominations are diverse, and society is highly secularized. The majority of the people are either Catholic (43.6 %) or Protestant (29.2 %). In urban centers, Islam (1.9 %), Judaism (1.1 %), Buddhism (1 %), Hinduism (1 %), and Sikhism (1 %) are growing because of immigrant populations. Vancouver has the largest Sikh community outside of the Punjab province of India. A growing portion of the population (16.5 %) claims no religion.
GENERAL ATTITUDES
Most Canadians are proud of their shared cultural heritage. They are also proud of their multiculturalism; ethnic groups and immigrants are encouraged to maintain their distinct cultures. Atlantic Canadians are considered
conservative and traditional. To the west, the people of Ontario are considered fairly reserved and formal, while those in the Western Provinces are thought of as more open and friendly. Life in large urban areas is fast-paced, whereas the
pace of life in the rest of Canada is more relaxed. Canadians take great pride in their nationality.
Despite close ties and many similarities between their nation and the United States, Canadians emphasize that they are not just U.S.-type people living in Canada. Indeed, Canadians often dislike U.S. foreign policy and the prevalence of U.S. culture. Despite a close relationship with the United States, Canadians often see people from the United States as more aggressive and materialistic than themselves. Canadians also feel they are more tolerant,
community-oriented, and polite. In general, Canadians admire people who are educated, skilled, modest, and polite. In relation to the rest of the world, Canadians see themselves as associated with humanitarianism and fairness.
EATING HABBITS & MANNERS
The standard three meals per day are often complemented by coffee breaks or snacks at work or school.
Each family in Canada will have its own unique culture, so it is difficult to generalize about what Canadians eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, for these purposes, it would be fair to state that many families drink tea or coffee, and eat cereal, toast, or eggs for breakfast. Lunch may consist of a sandwich, fruit and a drink, or leftovers from dinner the night before. Canadians typically eat a lot of meat, but there are some families that eat a vegetarian or vegan diet.
There are many ethnic influences on the Canadian diet. For example, for dinner a family may serve an Indian curry, an Italian pasta, or Ukrainian pierogies. Many families will serve meat with a green salad and/or a variety of vegetables.
Some families serve dessert after dinner, others do not.
Many people eat in the continental style, with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. Utensils are placed together on the plate
after finishing a meal. Chopsticks are used for eating Asian-influenced foods. Formal manners are practiced less often as casual dining becomes more common; however, it is always polite to chew food with one's mouth closed and to avoid speaking with one's mouth full of food.
At restaurants, tipping about 15 percent is expected.
FAMILY COMPOSITION
While the family unit is the center of society, both parents commonly work outside the home. Traditional norms are still valued, particularly in rural areas, but nontraditional households have increased considerably over the last 30 years.
About one-third of marriages are expected to end in divorce. A high proportion of children are now born out of wedlock, and there are many single-parent families. The average family has one or two children. Children often live with their parents until they go to college, marry, or get a full-time job.
Information taken from Human Resources and Skills Development in Canada states that the majority of people live in family households (69.6%), a significant number lived alone (26.8%), and a smaller number lived with one or more unrelated persons (3.7%). The average size of a household in 2006 was 2.5 people.
The structure of Canadian families is becoming more diverse. The traditional family of two parents with children is no longer the norm in Canada. In 2006, legally married couples with children made up 34.6% of all families. While the proportion of traditional families has been declining, the proportion of common-law and lone-parent families is increasing.
An increase in stepfamilies has also changed the composition of Canadian families, with various mixes of step-parents, stepchildren, stepsiblings and half siblings.
INDEPENDENCE & SKILLS
Independence is highly valued in Canada. The ability and willingness
to learn basic skills of independence are important. While the host
family will explain to students what will generally be expected from
them while staying at the homestay, it will be up to the student to do
the following:
Take the initiative to do things for one ’s self.
* Prepare one’s own breakfast and lunch – the host will show the student what foods are available for breakfast and lunch and the student will be expected to prepare his or her own breakfast and lunch from that day forward.
*Take the bus to and from school – the host will explain to the student how to get to and from school by bus.
*Keep one’s own bedroom clean and tidy.
*Keep the shared/private bathroom clean and tidy.
*Make safe and healthy personal choices.
*The student should ask the host questions if the student doesn’t understand what to do, or what is expected of him or her.
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