Family holiday festivities can be as uniquely varied as snowflake crystal motifs. We reached out to some of Toronto’s most prominent movers and shakers in the arts scene to discover what a quintessential Toronto Christmas looks like to them. Here’s how some of our coolest creatives spread holiday cheer in the city.
Savannah Ré, Juno award-winning R&B singer
For four-time Juno award-winning R&B singer Savannah Ré, Christmas means family. With only a few relatives living in Canada and the rest scattered across Jamaica, for Ré the end of December signals a time when her loved ones in the Great White North make a concerted effort to come together — and eat mouth-watering Caribbean cuisine.
Favourite tradition?
I’m Jamaican — everything goes back to the food. I might be biased, but my mom makes the best rum cake in the world.
What’s the spread?
Mac pie, oxtail curry, chicken, turkey, stuffing, lasagna, Swedish meatballs, shortbread cookies, rum cake, pumpkin pie, sorrel — which is like the national drink of Jamaica, hibiscus-based. It’s so good.
Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey?
Oh my goodness. I mean, shout out to my Canadian brethren, Michael Bublé, but I gotta go Mariah.
Distillery District Christmas tree or Eaton Centre Christmas tree?
They’re both beautiful in their own right, but I will say the Distillery one being outside in the midst of the Christmas market and all the lights around it, it does make it feel more Christmasy.
Christmas movies or Christmas music?
I’m gonna say Christmas music because I’m a musician. That goes way back to my mom’s choices which would be like Boney M and all the gospel Christmas albums. Then, with me, all the R&B albums. Like, the Boys II Men Christmas album is still one of the best. I want to listen to it when it’s not Christmas.
Mall or market shopper?
During the Christmas season, definitely market. The malls have a different energy. The Christmas markets are all like relaxing and Christmas cheer and the malls are all chaos because everybody’s running around to get gifts.
Danko Jones, frontman of hard rock band Danko Jones
For the last 20 years, Danko Jones rarely gets time to just chill. In fact, we caught Jones an hour before he left for the airport to embark on his eponymous band’s “Is What You Need” European tour. When he returns to his hometown of Toronto in mid-December, he’ll do what he’s usually done after a tour has concluded just in time for the holidays — repay his sleep debts and prepare for his family’s annual costume party.
Favourite Christmas tradition?
My family does a themed Christmas party once a year. Last year, it was “Santa-Con” where everybody dressed up like a different Santa. Someone did a “Trailer Park Boys” Santa. Another guy was a spa Santa. I was dressed up like a Michael Jackson Santa.
This year’s theme is just ridiculous. It’s “Après Ski-mas,” so we’re all going to dress up like we’ve just finished skiing.
Christmas movies or Christmas music?
I don’t really like watching Christmas movies, although “Elf” always gets a spin at my place. So, the music. To be honest with you, I’d say in my top 20 albums of all time — like we’re talking Black Flag and the Rolling Stones — is the Sesame Street Christmas album that I got when I was like five. I listen to it every year.
Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey?
Mariah Carey. Especially for Christmas.
Ice skating at the Bentway or Nathan Phillips Square?
Neither one is my version of Toronto. The rink I would choose would be the Bayview Arena at Bayview and Finch.
Mall or market shopper?
Mall because I’m a last-minute shopper. I usually get everything done in one shot.
Shahaddah Jack, activist and Toronto’s first youth poet laureate
Coming from a kaleidoscopic mix of culture and religion, Shahaddah Jack’s family delights in discovering their own unique ways of celebrating the holidays. While the end of December is largely wrapped by consumerist ideas of gifting, Jack’s view of the holidays is rooted in what it truly means to give.
Favourite Christmas tradition?
My mom has worked for the Boys and Girls Club of Canada for over 30 years now. For her, the holidays were always about the spirit of giving back and being rooted in community. So, when I was younger, we started giving out sandwiches and hats to people experiencing homelessness. Now, as I’ve gotten older, it’s grown into an annual giveback we do at her centre giving back meals or coats or whatever donations we can rack up that year to families.
I love seeing the kids and taking pictures with them, and sometimes kids come in and volunteer. That’s what brings me joy for the most part. Paying it forward is probably our best tradition.
Distillery District or Eaton Centre Christmas tree?
I have to say the Eaton Centre one because my mom and I go see it every year.
Favourite Christmas song?
The new “Oh Santa: rendition with Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson. My three favourite pop star divas, for sure.
I think I know the answer, but Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey?
Mariah Carey!
Ice skating at the Bentway or Nathan Phillips Square?
To be honest, skating is something that is too scary for me. I grew up going to Harbourfront Centre and I would fall every year. But I like watching people at Nathan Phillips Square.
Brendan Canning, a founding member of Broken Social Scene
Long before touring and concerts with his many musical groups including one of Toronto’s most beloved indie bands, Broken Social Scene, peppered his holiday seasons throughout the years, Brendan Canning spent his Christmas’s partaking in a neighbourhood party inspired by the old Scandinavian tradition of Julebukking.
The cultural custom involved participants engaging in a kind of Christmas trick-or-treating, dressing up and usually donning masks to go around the community in search of treats from neighbours. While Canning never wore an identity-altering costume, he fondly remembers all the warm and fuzzy feelings of sharing Christmas with his whole neighbourhood.
As time passed, Canning’s street moved on from their annual block party, but he’s making his own traditions in its place.
Favourite Christmas tradition?
My girlfriend and I are kind of starting new traditions. Combining your Christmas ornaments and making sure you’re on the same page with how you like the tree decorated. Everyone’s very particular.
But the drummer for my first band (hHead), him and his wife live in Prince Edward County. So now this will be the second year in a row that I go out there and help. Mary Jane, his wife and I decorate the tree. That’s kind of like my other family as well.
Distillery District or Eaton Centre Christmas tree?
I’ll go with the Distillery District. The malls are just too much. And the Distillery is the closest thing we have that resembles your German Christmas market.
I’ve done a bunch of touring in Europe around Christmas time and you always have to hit the Christmas markets in Heidelberg or Munich or wherever you are.
Christmas movies or Christmas music?
Movies, just for “A Christmas Carol,” the O.G. with Alastair Sim. It’s a classic and it’s also an ongoing joke between me and my bandmate Charles. We’ll be playing a venue somewhere and I’m on the floor and he’s in the balcony, and he’ll just yell down, “You — you boy, what day is it?” and I play along. I definitely watch that movie probably more than any other movie.
Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey?
Mariah Carey as a vocalist. No offence to the Bub’s, but he’s just way too schmaltzy for me. At least Mariah Carey has a song with Ol’ Dirty Bastard. You know what I mean?
Mall or a market shopper?
Oh, definitely market. Malls are for when you’re really like, “I don’t know what to do.”
Kudakwashe Rutendo, actor
Kudakwashe Rutendo’s idea of Christmas is a full “unabashed” return to childhood delights. The ambitious young author, and one of TIFF’s 2023 Rising Stars, uses the holidays to briefly shutter any current projects to make way for a giant pot of peanut butter porridge for her and her siblings to devour — a marker of her wonder years that she “hated” at the time but has grown to crave as the holidays roll in.
Favourite Christmas tradition?
Treehouse used to have all these specials and it was the best time of year for me and my older sister. They had this movie called “A Fairy Tale Christmas” and I watch it every year. When we were kids, it was like the best animation in the world. But when we found it again as adults, it’s terrible. It’s like two frames per second, absolutely atrocious animation, but we watch it anyway.
Distillery District or Eaton Centre Christmas tree?
Distillery because you can see more stuff and you’re not in a mall.
Christmas movies or Christmas music?
This is an evil question. I think I have to say Christmas music.
Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey?
Michael Bublé. If there was a third answer, it would be Pentatonix. They don’t get any skips in my house. Their Christmas album is actually the best Christmas album ever.
Skating at the Bentway or Nathan Phillips Square?
Nathan Phillips Square. Whenever my friends visit, I take them to a touristy activity there. But I have so many memories of falling at Nathan Phillips Square.
