You Know You're Canadian When...

I am having a complete and total love affair with Instagram. It’s become my go-to source of entertainment even above the all-knowing Pinterest and I scroll through my feed like I’m flipping pages of a magazine. I share a lot of photos from other feeds so that if you follow me you can click over to other great feeds with these incredible images of interior design, crafts, cooking and spectacular views.

The reason I bring this up, is that I noticed in all of my IG surfing that I am Canadian. Geographically I knew it already, but I didn’t realize just how deep and subconscious ‘being Canadian’ really was. It’s not only a physical location, it’s an actual state of mind.

Let me show you why I say this;

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This image is from Ms Craftberry Bush’s IG feed and I LOVE it! It’s what got me to thinking about how different Canadians are from so many other countries. I mean, how many of you have total boot-envy seeing this photo? No Jimmy Choo’s or Manolo Blahnik’s for Canucks – we check out each others Sorel and Columbia boots.

Don’t even get me going on the mittens. I’m pretty sure Roots/The Bay raked in millions with their Olympic line of clothing a few years back, and these mittens in particular have become a fashion staple in winter.

They are sold in every size from infant to adult and are as common as Tim Horton’s… meaning you see them on every corner.

Beer is a source of national pride – Molson created an entire campaign around their beer called “Canadian” and sales skyrocketed.

We’re talking beer here – not the (ahem) American equivalent of water with beer-flavouring – again, source of national pride here so forgive my superiority complex.

I see a lot of movie stars wearing the slouchy beanie as a fashion statement;

Come on – how cold does it really get in LA? I won’t profess that these were invented or initiated in Canada – but admiring them is certainly a trait of a Canadian, as is resenting them on those that wear them for style and not function.

Here’s something else that is near and dear to our hearts:

Poutine! Gravy-coated french fries with cheese curds. You’re looking at ~~a heart attack~~ heaven on a plate here folks and Canadians have taken this delicacy from invention to expansion with combinations like pulled pork poutine, pierogi poutine, chili cheese bacon poutine, and even chicken fajita poutine. (with just about everything in between).

How many of you received slippers for Christmas? Did you get the standard “mama” brand with just the toe covers, or the “grandma” brand foam ones that look like cheap loafers? Not up here – Canadians appreciate slippers and images like this get our neural lobes firing:

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It’s about warmth, it’s about fashion, it’s about the overall mental image of sitting in front of a fire, Tim Horton’s in hand with cozy toes in slipper boots. That’s not all though – you need slippers for walking around the house, but you also need a separate pair to wear to bed as well – enter slipper socks / reading socks / muk luks.

Yup, you’re looking around $70 a pair – but it’s iconic Canadian (and usually a necessity in cold months). Besides, we make people – guests and family alike – take off their shoes at the door. I don’t think I’m alone when I say to our Yankee friends “don’t your carpets get filthy?” “Aren’t you afraid of mud and poop and street gunk getting traipsed through your houses?” Taking your shoes off, inside the front door, is totally Canadian – and frankly, just makes plain sense.

I’m making light here, and a lot of these images and thoughts probably translate to the more northern U.S. states as well as many countries overseas that see the same climate we do. Canadians are an amalgamation of U.S. and European influence – and while we wear jeans as well and as often as any American, we also take pride and comfort in Nordic fashion and decor.

Eh-men to being Canadian!

I’m off to Instagram again to see what other iconic images bring out my national pride (and desire to shop).

Have a great one!