Questions about family traditions help you learn about customs that sometimes seem ordinary only because we repeat them. In Canada, the Celebrate Canada program lists, for example, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day on June 24 and Canada Day on July 1. These occasions may appear in some families’ stories, alongside many others.
Discover the custom through experience
Start with something the person recognizes, without handing them a list of traditions they ought to have. An everyday activity can reveal more than a well-known holiday.
- What did you often do together when you were a child?
- Who taught that custom, and how did you learn it?
- Was there a word or expression connected to it?
- Which object, sound or smell do you associate with that moment?
- Who took part, and who preferred to stay out?
Ask for a concrete scene after the answer. “What was one of those times like?” lets you meet people and details without testing the storyteller’s memory.
Explore changes between homes and generations
A tradition may change by choice, by necessity or through meeting other people. Ask without assuming the change was a loss.
- What did you adapt when you moved to a new home or city?
- Are there different versions among relatives?
- Who suggested something new that kept being repeated?
- Did any custom stop making sense?
- What would you like to pass on, if there is interest?
To turn the answers into a record, see how to record your family traditions. If the conversation switches between French, English and another language, keep the terms and note the meaning the person explains.
Ask about limits too
Not every practice should be photographed, recorded or shared. Ask which parts can circulate and which should stay among the participants. A person can share their own experience without having permission to spread knowledge belonging to a whole community.
The questions about faith and spirituality help when the custom involves beliefs. Show the text afterwards, keeping distinct versions labelled. The result should describe what the storytellers recognize, without filling gaps with a generic image of Canadian tradition.