Culture of Quebec
Quebec's culture is renowned as North America's stronghold of francophone living. There are over six million people in Quebec (out of a total of roughly seven million) whose everyday language is French. They have cultural activities which, on the whole, are fairly different from that of the 350 million English-speaking citizens of Canada and the United States who "surround" them, not only geographically but also economically and politically. Great efforts have been made to preserve its unique qualities as it is often inundated with American influences. There have also been efforts to export its Quebecois flavour to English-Canadian culture, commonly known in Quebec as The Rest of Canada. Distinguishing features of Quebec culture are, historically speaking, its religious influence (specifically Roman Catholic), its rural roots, a love of winter and the sense of isolation as an island of French in a sea of North American English.
The literature of Quebec begins under the French regime with the many poems written by the early Canadiens of New France. The first attested use of the term Canadien to designate the descendents of French settlers in Canada is in a song composed in 1756 in honnor of governor Vaudreuil after the victory of fort Chouaguen.
Anonyme - Les Raftsmen
Anonyme - Chanson à la canadienne
List of Quebec poets
The number one TV station in Quebec is TVA, a little ahead of Radio-Canada in according to recent statistics. Quebec has a wide range of specialized French language TV channels as well as most major North American broadcasts.
Quebecers gave themselves various cultural institutions throughout their history. A good number of the current ones were established fairly recently in a period of Quebec's history known as la révolution tranquille (The Quiet Revolution).
Several notable universities in Quebec include the Universite de Montreal, McGill University and Universite de Laval. There are also several noted performance schools such as (?) as well as the francophone academy of the Canadian Military, the College Militaire Royale.
Humour has long been a distinguishing feature of Canadian culture but it is especially revered as a part of Quebecois life. It stretches beyond the normal realms of creative arts and extends itself into daily life. It is even welcomed in places where humour is not normally found.
For instance, a long time before the independentist Parti Québécois came to power or the equally independence minded Bloc Québécois started to send representatives to the House of Commons in Ottawa, many citizens of Québec decided to express their dissatisfaction at federal elections by forming, in 1963, the Rhinoceros party, which fielded completely silly candidates all over the place. They gave some color to many otherwise drab elections for more than two decades.
The Catholic church dominated Quebec life for centuries until the Quiet Revolution of the 1960's scaled back its influence in the social and cultural life of Quebec. One notable remnant of this entrenched influence is that Quebec francophone curses and expletives are nearly entirely composed of religious references and vocabulary.
As in European countries like Italy or France where cooking is considered one of the fine arts, fine eating is a passion among the well to do of Quebec society. While Montreal has the greatest concentration of haute cuisine restaurants in Canada, even small communities proudly boast of famous inns where the chef has an international reputation.
On a more down to earth level, poutine is noted as a distinctly Quebecois food. Consisting of french fries coverered in curds of cheese and hot gravy, this concoction is well-loved among the populace and is now beginning to be found outside of Quebec in the rest of Canada and even in some parts of Northeastern USA.
Cabane a Sucre, or Sugaring-off, is another culinary tradition consisting of having a breakfast of eggs, beans, ham, bacon (among other things) all of which are then covered in maple syrup. This is typically done during the months of collecting syrup from maple trees and is a winter favourite across Quebec. Associated activites are a horse-drawn sleigh and tire, maple syrup dribbled over snow and eaten as a treat.
Though there are scores of fast food establishments all over the province, the pace of a meal is much slower here than elsewhere in North America. Even simple fare is usually savored in a leisurly manner and in the company of friends or family. The idea here is that preparing a good meal must never be hurried and to consume it at speed is a sacrilege.
The Montreal Jazz Fest, or Festival International du Jazz, is held annually in Montreal during July (?) and attracts artists from around the world and typically is attended by hundreds of thousand of people who are attracted by the electric atmosphere. The ctiy's downtown core is closed to traffic for two weeks as outdoor shows are free to the public on many stages.
The Just for Laughs Festival, or Juste Pour Rire, a comedy festival, again highlights Quebec's love of humour. Gala events are held nightly for several days and an atmoshpere similar to the Jazz Fest is seen on the streets of Montreal.
Despite a common language, French, Quebeckers see the Culture of France as foreign in essentially the same way that Americans see British or Australian culture. However, since the 1960s, the cultural ties between France and Quebec have increased significantly and the exchange between the two has resulted in some cross-pollination.
The intellectual elites of Quebec are divided on this matter. One branch looks to Paris for all things cultural, and the other considers New York (translated in French of course) as the cultural capital of the universe. The mass of the population tends to favor local talent or to adopt a surprisingly cosmopolitan attitude, listening to Brazilian rythms and going to Asia as well as Mexico and Cuba for Vacations.
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Carnival is held every winter in Quebec City and is famous for its world-class ice sculpture competetion, sledding at the feet of Chateau Frontenac and its mascot, Bonhomme Carnival. Not as bawdy as the Brazilian version, though arising from the same Chrisitan tradition of partying before Lent, it is genrally a celebration of winter. Recently, there has even been a hotel made entirely of ice avaiable for lodging.Foreign Influences
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Famous Quebeckers
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