If you are a French teacher, you are likely more familiar with French festivals in France over Canadian French festivals. Many French teachers teach about celebrations such as Mardi Gras and la Toussaint in their classrooms. However, Canada is home to many awesome French festivals, many of them being Canadian winter festivals. Here are four yours students can learn about in French class!
Why should you teach about these classic Canadian French festivals in your French classroom?
First of all, Canadian French students need to be familiar with Canadian history, and specifically Canadian Francophone history.
Many of these Canadian French festivals and celebrations are linked to the relationships between French-Canadian settlers and Indigenous communities. For example, Festival du Voyageur celebrates Métis and Indigenous heritage in Manitoba. Tintamarre celebrates the resilience of the Acadian people who were deported due to their kinship with the Mi’kmaq and the refusal of the Acadian people to submit to English rule.
Maillardville is intricately connected to BC history. It is specifically connected BC and Canada’s history in needing Asian labour and then discriminating against those very workers. If you’re located in the Lower Mainland, I take my Grade 10s to Mackin House museum where they learn about this very important history.
Therefore, it is incredibly important that Canadian French students learn about Canadian French history and the histories tied to these celebrations.
How can you teach about these Canadian French festivals in your Core French and/or French Immersion classroom?
I’ve written French reading comprehension articles on each of these Canadian French festivals and more! Each of these French texts includes pre-reading and post-reading activities.
There are also tons of documentaries available on the Internet for you to view with your students.
Canadian winter festival #1 – Festival du voyageur
Let’s begin with one of the least well-known Canadian French festivals – le festival du voyageur!
Le Festival du Voyageur takes place annually in Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg. It typically takes place in February.
Le Festival du Voyageur celebrates the French-Canadian and Métis cultures that are integral to Manitoba’s history. The festival activities include traditional music, dance, and food. Festival attendees can engage in a variety of historical and cultural activities such as snow sculpting and historical reenactments.
For French students, exploring the Festival du Voyageur provides a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Francophone and Indigenous heritage. For Canadian students, they are normally not very familiar with Francophone communities outside of Quebec.
Canadian winter festival #2 – Festival du bois
Next up, we have a French Canadian festival from Maillardville. Maillardville was the only French settlement west of Saint-Boniface.
If you are in BC, learning about the history of Maillardville is essential.
Festival du Bois takes place in Maillardville, Coquitlam annually in March. It celebrates local Fench-Canadian history and culture in British Columbia.
The celebration is deeply connected to Maillardville’s history in the logging industry. During the Festival du Bois, you can take part in live music, traditional dances, and tons of delicious foods.
Canadian winter festival #3 – Carnaval d’hiver à Québec
Most Canadian French festival students are the most familiar with this one. C’est le Carnaval d’hiver au Québec!
This one takes place in Québec City and it’s all about bringing light and fun to a very cold and dark time of year – a Canadian winter.
Canadian French festival #4 – Tintamarre
Lastly, we have Tintamarre which is the celebration marking the resilience of the Acadian people.
Tintamarre takes place on August 15, the day of National Acadian Day. This day is really important because it celebrates the resilience and cultural pride of the Acadian people. Tintamarre actually means “loud din” and it’s when Acadian people make as much noise as possible to say “we are still here”.
There’s a huge parade, music, colourful costumes, and more.
