New research from Vividata shows that newcomers to Canada celebrate holidays from their homelands as well as Western-centric holidays like Christmas, creating opportunities for marketers at different points on the calendar.
Canada is home to over 2.5 million South Asian Canadians and over 1.7 million Chinese Canadians. They celebrate ethnic festivals such as Diwali, Eid and Lunar New Year, but also celebrate traditional western holidays like Christmas. The latest Vividata Insights, based on its 2023 Multicultural Study, says these holiday celebrations help them connect with their heritage and make Canada feel like home.
Celebrating cultural holidays gives a sense of belonging to nearly half of all South Asian Canadians, and more than a third of Chinese Canadians.
More than three in five Chinese Canadians celebrate or shop during the Christmas season, slightly higher than they do for Lunar New Year, the most celebrated festival specific to the Chinese community. This may depend on the length of time they’ve lived in Canada. The majority of (84%) Chinese Canadians not born here have lived in Canada for more than 10 years.
Additionally, there are also similarities in holiday festivities between Canada and British-influenced Hong Kong where more than 30% of Chinese Canadians were born so there is a sense of familiarity in celebrating Christmas. More than half of all Chinese Canadians not born in Canada celebrate Lunar New Year.
South Asian Canadians (45%) also celebrate Christmas but to a lesser degree than Chinese Canadians, since it’s not a holiday celebrated widely in South Asian countries. The majority (54%) of South Asian Canadians not born here are more recent residents, having lived here less than 10 years. They still celebrate or shop for Christmas (41%) to a greater degree than Diwali, the most celebrated festival among South Asians.
More than two in five South Asian Canadians not born in Canada celebrate both Christmas and Diwali. Respondents said they felt more inclined to celebrate Christmas in Canada in order to integrate with the community and embrace their new Canadian identity.
At the same time, Diwali celebrations are prominent among this same community, whether for reasons of staying connected to their home cultures through bringing traditional customs to Canada, or to connect with local ethnic communities in an unfamiliar place.
In multicultural Canada, Christmas is a celebration that transcends culture, religion, and ethnicity.
Vividata says that, for marketers, this means that Christmas and holiday-themed campaigns resonate with Canadians from western cultures, but also have the potential to resonate with Canadians and newcomers of Eastern ethnicities who want to embrace Canadian culture and lifestyle.
Ads that portray diverse Canadians celebrating traditionally Canadian holidays can help these individuals feel that they belong. This can be especially relevant to Third Culture Kids whose cultural identities are shaped by a mix of the culture of where they were born and the culture of where they were raised.
