Going back home for Easter? Need to stock up on gifts for family and friends?

Bring a piece of Canada!

The infamous Quebecois poutine is a great Canadian introduction over a lazy evening meal. However, you’ll have to go grab those rubbery Canadian cheese curds in a Quebec supermarket before you leave. Seriously - you’ll never find that kind of cheese anywhere else – for a good reason.

What about a bottle of the famous Canadian maple syrup? Introduce it as a tasty treat over morning pancakes, sprinkled over vanilla ice cream or simply straight out of the bottle if you’re a sugar addict.

You might consider picking up some Canadian liquor in the duty-free. After all, it’s hard to enact the popular advertisement I am Canadian – which is a hit both here and internationally – without the appropriate props.

You family and friends hate poutine (how would they know!?), maple syrup and beer commercials? What about CDs by famous Canadian artists to give them a taste of Canada’s excellent musical output? Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne, Sum 41. What more can you ask for: this music might just dissolve all that holiday stress.

Family outing? Try whipping up a batch of beaver tails – the fried dough doused in cinnamon and sugar they serve at all Canadian outdoor skating rinks. Find a great recipe at: http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/canada/beaver-tails.htm.

This might not be weather appropriate to your country, but Canada has an excellent selection of furry extremity-protectors to shield its residents from our world famous awful weather. Pick up some of those traditional fake fur gloves or a few West Coast Cowichan First Nations sweaters at: http://www.sa-cinn.com/cowichanmain.htm.

No use for winter clothing? Try handing out a few hockey jerseys. After all, Canada’s hockey teams are internationally renown and you might be able to dish out some of that hometown rivalry. You could teach some defense moves, like the jersey, which means having your jersey pulled over your head and thrashing around blinded. 

If you’re still in a fix… Canada has a decent selection of jokes that might shed a little light on that “Canadian culture.” Check one a few at: http://www.indefual.net/canada/jokes/index.html