#DYKs for the Holidays

History tidbits to get you through the holidays!

Posted December 14, 2017

The activities and traditions of the holiday season are different for people throughout Canada.  This year, we wanted to share some “Did You Know” tidbits about Canadian history for you to use at home or at holiday gatherings… actually, use them however you like!

“What the boys did to the cow.” Postcard. Date unknown.
Toronto Reference Library. Arts department. ARTS-PC-117. Public Domain.

Did you know that Canada has a history of witchcraft? Read more from Stephanie Pettigrew on Unwritten Histories.

Did you know that the Canadian Museum of History opened its new Canadian History Hall to the public on July 1, 2017? If you haven’t had the chance to check it out listen to this History Slam podcast episode, where Sean Graham, Aaron Boyes and Madeleine Kloske review the new Canadian History Hall.

Did you know that Mona Parsons was one of only a few Canadian civilians to be interned in Nazi prison camps? Read more from Andria Hill.

Vienna-born Eva Hollo Vecsei came to Canada in the wake of the 1957 Hungarian revolution. Vescei was trained as an architect in postwar Eastern Europe, where women architects were more common than in the West.
LA CITÉ

Did you know the women architects in Montreal during the 1960s changed the skyline and the profession? Read more from Annmaire Adams and Peta Tancred.

Did you know that Disney’s Snow White was inspired by a Winnipeg waitress named Kristin Solvadottir. Read more from Canada’s History Archive featuring Kayak.

Did you know that the seed of an apple will grow a different type of apple tree than the one it came from? Read more from Shane Peacock.

Did you know that a Saskatchewan soldier’s medals, including a Victoria Cross, were auctioned in the United Kingdom and sold for $550,000? Read more about selling Canadian war medals from Mark Reid.

Help keep Canada’s stories true, strong, and free

We hope you’ll help us continue to share fascinating stories about Canada’s past by making a donation to Canada’s History Society today.

 

We highlight our nation’s diverse past by telling stories that illuminate the people, places, and events that unite us as Canadians, and by making those stories accessible to everyone through our free online content.

 

We are a registered charity that depends on contributions from readers like you to share inspiring and informative stories with students and citizens of all ages — award-winning stories written by Canada’s top historians, authors, journalists, and history enthusiasts.

 

Any amount helps, or better yet, start a monthly donation today. Your support makes all the difference. Thank you! 

Click to donate

Themes associated with this article

Related to Arts, Culture & Society

I Like to Do It & The Devil's Dream

Archivist Joseph Trivers and Canada’s History editor-in-chief Mark Reid discuss the meaning of the word “vamp” and the role it played in a naughty jazz age song. Then, they treat us to a rollicking reel that got its name from a popular pub game of the time.

Podcast

The Way We Ate

From the ortolan pâté of New France to Alberta’s prairie oysters, Canadians have long enjoyed a rich culinary history

Article

Anna, the King, and I

Not only was this Canadian's life story fictionalized for the film The King and I, Anna Leonowens was instrumental in the founding of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

Article

Les Filles du Roi

The groundbreaking musical that tells the story of the arrival of the filles du roi through the eyes of two Mohawk siblings is being made into a film.

Article